LINESII- Into the Darkness
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
conehead234
Braves on the Warpath
The boat rocked up and down as Mertic Orvit pored over the map. The frontier of Trinlin was being mapped. The River Trinlin, originating in the mountain springs in the west flowed into the sunrise. A long time the people pondered where the river led to. Perhaps it led to more fertile land, perhaps more trade partners or perhaps it flowed into the land of Wiviter, the god of the water.
Now Mertic Orvit commanded an expedition on the fringes of the Trinlin realm. The frontier city of Varlain, founded by Orvit and named after his son was a small outpost. It composed of a dock and some trading buildings. Most importantly, its farmland supplied much needed food to the growing capital of Trinlin.
Orvit was readying a new mission, sail into the sunrise and find the end of the river. Orvit and his boats prepared themselves, with stocks of food and weapons to defend themselves from whatever they may find. Meanwhile in the city, soldiers were readying to claim the land in the name of Trinlin. But Orvit was going further than the soldiers were to go. Orvit was to travel far past the borders of Trinlin, into the land of the barbarians, down the river to answer the questions of many.
The day before his journey, he met with the Rivetium and prayed to Wiviter and Ouvunter for good fortunes in the water and the wind. The next morning he set out, with 10 boats, 1000 soldiers and everything to lose.
Now Mertic Orvit commanded an expedition on the fringes of the Trinlin realm. The frontier city of Varlain, founded by Orvit and named after his son was a small outpost. It composed of a dock and some trading buildings. Most importantly, its farmland supplied much needed food to the growing capital of Trinlin.
Orvit was readying a new mission, sail into the sunrise and find the end of the river. Orvit and his boats prepared themselves, with stocks of food and weapons to defend themselves from whatever they may find. Meanwhile in the city, soldiers were readying to claim the land in the name of Trinlin. But Orvit was going further than the soldiers were to go. Orvit was to travel far past the borders of Trinlin, into the land of the barbarians, down the river to answer the questions of many.
The day before his journey, he met with the Rivetium and prayed to Wiviter and Ouvunter for good fortunes in the water and the wind. The next morning he set out, with 10 boats, 1000 soldiers and everything to lose.
Swiss Bezerker
Emperor
Question Iggy: could you write descriptions for deseased nations so it easy to know the history of tellus? what happened with the dula hathran and the eldranians always confused me...
TerrisH
Mischief?
Swissempire said:
We thank you for your Genrosity. By Comparing Our two methods of Agriculture, we can only Improve Our Efforts.
On another Note, we are Planing to construct a Road System to Link Our Intirior Cities to Our Costal Ones. Would it not benificial to Link Our Road System to Yours, to further Trade between us? we are willing to Pay for it out of our Own Pocket.
--
To Vertis Exodus.
We here of this Exodus, and We only ask that you do not force the people to follow you, to Only Take those who wish to go with you. we are sure a Large Portion of them will follow you, but there will be those who will wish to remain. We will Also be Handing Over 10 Galleys to the Exodus. while we do not Expect you to Forgive Us. Maybe in time, the Wounds will heal. but for now, take these ships as a sign of our regret that we had to take this action.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
I still call it Veritas, as I've always done.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Veritas literally means truth in Latin, that's why I picked it.
From: Veritas
To: Emor
While we may never forgive what you have done, the One will certainly view your gift well. Thank you.
From: Veritas
To: Emor
While we may never forgive what you have done, the One will certainly view your gift well. Thank you.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
The Third Epoch: Opening
"Only those that live in the darkest times will see the brightest victories."
-Stratikrator Strategius
"And a great cry went up from Dranos to Kallamas. And the One was most displeased with the folly of the men of Veritas, as in their pride they had not prepared well for war. Thus did the people gather in Strategium, to decide the fate of the people."
The Summa, Diaspora 4:1-3
Prologue:
It is said that the Uniarch, who lived in Kallamas back then, died of a heart attack when he heard of the loss of Delagani and the capture of Veritas. But in reality he died of grief, and of a broken heart. That year was always called the Year of Wailing in Veritasan lore, because in all cities of the Republic the people mourned the impending loss of their nation.
It was clear that Tellus had destroyed them once again. Drawn them in, expanded the Republic, and then dashed it all when Veritas most expected victory. But this betrayal from Emor...it could never be forgiven. A people Veritas had raised from infancy, brought to a new land on Veritasan ships, and even supported for centuries to come! The people of Veritas wept, because nothing in the world was certain anymore. The world had gone mad.
Even as the Crystalists and Bladeists occupied the entire nation, the Valins of Veritas, among the most fiercely nationalist peoples of the world, did not lift a hand to oppose them. They knew that it was all over, and the hearts of many were simply crushed by grief. Retreating from Kallamas, the Assemblum collapsed the pillars in the Dome of Light before retreating to the north.
And some people followed.
---
Two hellish years of occupation later, the summons came. The Assemblum sent news across the south, and the new Uniarch sent messengers to the Churches. All citizens of Veritas were to gather in Strategium. They flocked out of the cities, bemused Khemran soldiers watching as the line of people stretched towards the north. From every city they came, and the streets emptied. Aurochs pulling wagons, or simply fathers carrying their children. Strategium, or the Free City as it was being called, would soon be overwhelmed by thousands upon thousands of people. When the mass reached the Kalmar river, the boat owners tried to levy a toll before allowing them passage. The people didn't like this idea, and the mariners soon found out how difficult it is to argue with 150,000 people.
Some took the borrowed ferries, and others simply swam across. Those that could not swim lashed trees together, and before a month was out an improvised, rickety bridge across the Kalmar held the neverending stream of pilgrims.
They gathered in a grassy knoll outside the city, and the Elders sat at chairs which had been placed upon a hill raised slightly above the grass. It looked like a hill of human bodies, because so many had packed into the field that the grass couldn't even be seen. Many historians would sacrifice a limb to have seen what took place on that day. It was something remarkable.
---
"The people of Veritas have faced challenge before, and always prevailed."
"Dominius, the people of Veritas have never had their homeland taken in such a way. It would be impossible to raise another army, do you not see?"
"You suggest we surrender to pagans, then? And this from a Disciple of the One, no less!"
"Do not twist my words around. I merely have said that we cannot contest the land through violence anymore. We went to war because you were DEAD!"
"I might remind you that the only reason I have allowed you here is because of the request of the Uniarch. We are a republic, after all. Let us ask the people!"
High Elder Dominius got up from his chair, and walked to the edge of the hill. Facing the mass of people, he raised his hands.
"What do you think of Khemri?"
The enraged crowd replied. "Kill them! Kill Alexander!"
"And what do you think of the Rock-worshippers?"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
The man Dominius had been speaking to was named Brother Pacian. He was a man of incredible spiritual strength, and everyone knew that one day he would become the Uniarch. The current one was paralyzed from the waist down, and sent Pacian in his place.
Seeing the people of Veritas whipped up into a bloodlust, he began to cry. As the mass of angry citizens cheered Dominius and screamed endless curses to the wind against the heathen occupiers, he began to pray. To pray for peace, for salvation, and for the people.
He prayed that the people would not be convinced to commit suicide against Western blades, and he prayed that Veritas would be free again. And so great was the strength of his devotion to the One, or so the Summa tells us, that the One heard him. Pacian's eyes rolled back in his head. He saw only blackness...and then light.
And for the first time since the First Elder, the One came.
---
(Insert inspiring music here)
---
The frenzied mobs grew silent as the sky dimmed. Before their very eyes, it seemed that the body of the man called Pacian was encased in air and light. His robes began to flap, though there was no wind. And his body glowed, and shone like the sun itself. People turned away, so bright were his eyes.
And he looked at the man Dominius, and the Elders cowering on the other side of the hill. Several of them began to kneel, realizing who this truly was. But several others, including Dominius, were simply rooted to the ground in terror. One of them, an old man that survived Kallamas, lifted up his hands.
"Who are you?"
The One merely stared.
"I am merely myself. And I am all that ever will be."
The crowd began to cry, overwhelmed by the moment, and several began to chant psalms, scripture, or pieces of a prayer they knew long ago. One of the Elders had the presence of mind to prostrate himself before his god.
"Why are you here, sire?"
The One did not answer. Instead he raised his hands to the sky. The clouds increased, and everything grew dark. It seemed that in the unending mass of bodies in darkness, a single point of light shone above it all.
"I hold the world in my hands. You are my Chosen. You rejected Sin, and came to Veritas. But you have forsaken me!"
And the people wept.
"You were led on by the one called Dominius, but you continued even so. In your pride, you killed a Stratikrator and an army. I have never spoken against a just Crusade. But I speak against you, for you have sinned."
Crawling on the ground, Dominius grabbed the hem of the One's robe.
"My lord, holy One! I am your servant, forgive me!"
The One looked at Dominius, and anger was in his eyes.
"Agent of Sin. Die."
It seemed that before the eyes of all in the crowd, the body of the man once called High Elder Dominius fell and decayed in a matter of seconds. Turning to the writheing mass of people, He lifted His hands.
"Your folly drove you out once, and it shall again. Leave Tellus, leave Veritas. Do not return for an Epoch. Cleanse yourselves of sin, and you will be again worthy of Me. But fail, and I shall not weep as you die."
The One left the body of Brother Pacian, and he sank into the chair. The skies cleared. But for hours and hours until the night fell, the people did not move. From the most vaunted Elder to the lowliest pauper, they all stayed there, contemplating. Thinking of His words.
And one by one, they began to leave, all with a single purpose in mind. To get out, and as fast as possible.
---
Few outside of those worshipping the One believed that He had truly come that day. But it mattered not to the thousands that had seen him. They were leaving Tellus forever, and no threat or danger could keep them. The surviving Elders took charge, and the remnant of the entire Veritasan economy began to mobilize.
It takes a lot of ships to move that many people.
"Only those that live in the darkest times will see the brightest victories."
-Stratikrator Strategius
"And a great cry went up from Dranos to Kallamas. And the One was most displeased with the folly of the men of Veritas, as in their pride they had not prepared well for war. Thus did the people gather in Strategium, to decide the fate of the people."
The Summa, Diaspora 4:1-3
Prologue:
It is said that the Uniarch, who lived in Kallamas back then, died of a heart attack when he heard of the loss of Delagani and the capture of Veritas. But in reality he died of grief, and of a broken heart. That year was always called the Year of Wailing in Veritasan lore, because in all cities of the Republic the people mourned the impending loss of their nation.
It was clear that Tellus had destroyed them once again. Drawn them in, expanded the Republic, and then dashed it all when Veritas most expected victory. But this betrayal from Emor...it could never be forgiven. A people Veritas had raised from infancy, brought to a new land on Veritasan ships, and even supported for centuries to come! The people of Veritas wept, because nothing in the world was certain anymore. The world had gone mad.
Even as the Crystalists and Bladeists occupied the entire nation, the Valins of Veritas, among the most fiercely nationalist peoples of the world, did not lift a hand to oppose them. They knew that it was all over, and the hearts of many were simply crushed by grief. Retreating from Kallamas, the Assemblum collapsed the pillars in the Dome of Light before retreating to the north.
And some people followed.
---
Two hellish years of occupation later, the summons came. The Assemblum sent news across the south, and the new Uniarch sent messengers to the Churches. All citizens of Veritas were to gather in Strategium. They flocked out of the cities, bemused Khemran soldiers watching as the line of people stretched towards the north. From every city they came, and the streets emptied. Aurochs pulling wagons, or simply fathers carrying their children. Strategium, or the Free City as it was being called, would soon be overwhelmed by thousands upon thousands of people. When the mass reached the Kalmar river, the boat owners tried to levy a toll before allowing them passage. The people didn't like this idea, and the mariners soon found out how difficult it is to argue with 150,000 people.
Some took the borrowed ferries, and others simply swam across. Those that could not swim lashed trees together, and before a month was out an improvised, rickety bridge across the Kalmar held the neverending stream of pilgrims.
They gathered in a grassy knoll outside the city, and the Elders sat at chairs which had been placed upon a hill raised slightly above the grass. It looked like a hill of human bodies, because so many had packed into the field that the grass couldn't even be seen. Many historians would sacrifice a limb to have seen what took place on that day. It was something remarkable.
---
"The people of Veritas have faced challenge before, and always prevailed."
"Dominius, the people of Veritas have never had their homeland taken in such a way. It would be impossible to raise another army, do you not see?"
"You suggest we surrender to pagans, then? And this from a Disciple of the One, no less!"
"Do not twist my words around. I merely have said that we cannot contest the land through violence anymore. We went to war because you were DEAD!"
"I might remind you that the only reason I have allowed you here is because of the request of the Uniarch. We are a republic, after all. Let us ask the people!"
High Elder Dominius got up from his chair, and walked to the edge of the hill. Facing the mass of people, he raised his hands.
"What do you think of Khemri?"
The enraged crowd replied. "Kill them! Kill Alexander!"
"And what do you think of the Rock-worshippers?"
"Kill them! Kill them!"
The man Dominius had been speaking to was named Brother Pacian. He was a man of incredible spiritual strength, and everyone knew that one day he would become the Uniarch. The current one was paralyzed from the waist down, and sent Pacian in his place.
Seeing the people of Veritas whipped up into a bloodlust, he began to cry. As the mass of angry citizens cheered Dominius and screamed endless curses to the wind against the heathen occupiers, he began to pray. To pray for peace, for salvation, and for the people.
He prayed that the people would not be convinced to commit suicide against Western blades, and he prayed that Veritas would be free again. And so great was the strength of his devotion to the One, or so the Summa tells us, that the One heard him. Pacian's eyes rolled back in his head. He saw only blackness...and then light.
And for the first time since the First Elder, the One came.
---
(Insert inspiring music here)
---
The frenzied mobs grew silent as the sky dimmed. Before their very eyes, it seemed that the body of the man called Pacian was encased in air and light. His robes began to flap, though there was no wind. And his body glowed, and shone like the sun itself. People turned away, so bright were his eyes.
And he looked at the man Dominius, and the Elders cowering on the other side of the hill. Several of them began to kneel, realizing who this truly was. But several others, including Dominius, were simply rooted to the ground in terror. One of them, an old man that survived Kallamas, lifted up his hands.
"Who are you?"
The One merely stared.
"I am merely myself. And I am all that ever will be."
The crowd began to cry, overwhelmed by the moment, and several began to chant psalms, scripture, or pieces of a prayer they knew long ago. One of the Elders had the presence of mind to prostrate himself before his god.
"Why are you here, sire?"
The One did not answer. Instead he raised his hands to the sky. The clouds increased, and everything grew dark. It seemed that in the unending mass of bodies in darkness, a single point of light shone above it all.
"I hold the world in my hands. You are my Chosen. You rejected Sin, and came to Veritas. But you have forsaken me!"
And the people wept.
"You were led on by the one called Dominius, but you continued even so. In your pride, you killed a Stratikrator and an army. I have never spoken against a just Crusade. But I speak against you, for you have sinned."
Crawling on the ground, Dominius grabbed the hem of the One's robe.
"My lord, holy One! I am your servant, forgive me!"
The One looked at Dominius, and anger was in his eyes.
"Agent of Sin. Die."
It seemed that before the eyes of all in the crowd, the body of the man once called High Elder Dominius fell and decayed in a matter of seconds. Turning to the writheing mass of people, He lifted His hands.
"Your folly drove you out once, and it shall again. Leave Tellus, leave Veritas. Do not return for an Epoch. Cleanse yourselves of sin, and you will be again worthy of Me. But fail, and I shall not weep as you die."
The One left the body of Brother Pacian, and he sank into the chair. The skies cleared. But for hours and hours until the night fell, the people did not move. From the most vaunted Elder to the lowliest pauper, they all stayed there, contemplating. Thinking of His words.
And one by one, they began to leave, all with a single purpose in mind. To get out, and as fast as possible.
---
Few outside of those worshipping the One believed that He had truly come that day. But it mattered not to the thousands that had seen him. They were leaving Tellus forever, and no threat or danger could keep them. The surviving Elders took charge, and the remnant of the entire Veritasan economy began to mobilize.
It takes a lot of ships to move that many people.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Kal'thzar said:
Seconded. I have a population as large as Veritas in a very cramped area. Time to colonize the East!
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
A Study of Jade
By Professor Tut-Khuman of the University of Khi, 9532
By Professor Tut-Khuman of the University of Khi, 9532
Jade, a thing of the South, a thing of the mysterious south, an object we have never truly understood. In our past, we have had little uses for jade, the green stone. Though this jade, has been very significant elsewhere. In this essay, I will attempt to explain why jade is considered “the Gem of Heaven” as the southerners say, even after the fall of the Emperor.
According to the royal historical records of Guangfei, jade was first discovered in the third year of Emperor Xian, or 1141 around the city of Hangshei. According to their legends, the discovery of jade was quite an interesting one. You might not have known but back then marriages were arranged by their parents. It was an effective way for parents to gauge their potential son/daughter in law and see if they meet their standards, something that could help our society better preventing all those divorces.
The tale goes that a young lady of aristocratic birth born into a wealthy family was visiting a temple one day with her parents and entourage when a band of bandits attacked. The monks in the temple did a valiant effort to keep the bandits away and mostly succeeded though in the chaos the young lady was kidnapped unawares. In her desperation, the noble mother offered her daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever could bring her daughter back safely. Her plea fell on deaf years as the celibate monks refused.
One of the visitors at the temple however, having fallen in love with the young lady’s beauty offered to go. He then went to confront the bandits with no weapon, and in fact no skills of combat at all. With the wit of his tongue he managed to persuade the bandits that they had captured the wrong person and that in fact she was just a servant. The noble young lady had been safely waltzed off even before they had attacked. Convinced that holding a servant for ransom would be futile and knowing the penalties for rape, they let her go.
A typical case of how the “fair maiden” fell in love with her shining savior. Upon receiving her daughter back, the mother naturally refused to even consider that her daughter, a noble, would marry a peasant! Of course, she thought that in her head. Up front to all appearances she would fulfill said promise and her daughter was happy beyond imagination filled with hope and joy. When she was able to return home, she naturally told her husband about the promise. Her husband, a Minister at the Emperor’s court, extremely wealthy, and a bit scared of his wife offered to the young peasant a large sum of gold if he would drop the marriage.
The young peasant, filled with dreams of marrying the beautiful young noble and entering nobility naturally refused, though politely. He still retained the belief that her loved one’s parents would honor their promise and allow him to marry her. His family wasn’t as optimistic however, especially his elder sister. His elder sister tried in vain to persuade him to accept the large sum of gold and just forget about his love and go on with his life.
Pressured by their neighbors and the opinions of the townsfolk, the aristocratic parents formally announced the betrothal between their daughter and the young man though they still planned to foil the marriage at all costs. The plans ranged from accusing the young man of thievery all the way to an attempted assassination on him! It was at this time that a nephew of the Emperor Xian visited Hangshei and in seeing the city sights, he saw the young noblewoman. Infatuated with her beauty and desiring her, his attempts at wooing her failed as her heart was still set upon her savior.
He then attempted to get her parents on his side, notably the mother. Sending expensive gifts of gold, jewelry as well as gourmet foods he tried to persuade the mother to allow him to see her daughter. Her mother, not an amateur bargainer at all, turned down the offer later explaining to her cousin that to accept would only cheapen the price of her daughter. The nephew of the Emperor would come a total of 6 times, each bearing gifts more splendid then the last. The gifts he brought these times were enough to fill 3 whole rooms!
The parents of the young lady naturally preferred the young noble, the fact that he was the nephew of the Emperor was an added bonus. Though by now, they were afraid that if they cancelled the betrothal they would be the laughingstock of the whole city. Though as the months went by, and the peasant man continued to be a peasant, their fear of gossip was melted by the fear of their daughter’s future. They soon informed their daughter and the young peasant that the betrothal would be cancelled considering the fact that the young peasant would not be able to support their daughter’s lifestyle and was thus an inappropriate husband.
Now desperate and mad at love, the young peasant knew in his heart that he could do nothing, for there was no way he would be able to meet their expectations. It was at this time as he drank away his miseries in a tavern, that an elderly man stopped by and asked whether he would be willing to share wine with him and have someone listen to his anguish. He accepted and called for more wine.
He never knew that this elderly man would be the solution to all his problems. The old man was in fact a prestigious monk who held the ear of the Dowager Empress Si and had been dispatched here to see if the rumors were true. The monk measured the peasant’s personality and seeing him as a righteous man hurried back to Guanzhong to inform the Dowager Empress of the fact and as she prepared to set out to give him the land and property he needed, Heaven gave the man his blessing.
On his farm he in his sadness poured it into the plowing and as he tried to soften a particularly hard area, he hit something hard with a clinking noise. He dropped down to inspect what it was and was shocked at what he saw. The ancient Guangfei stories had long held of a green stone, the stone of Heaven. Looking around, he saw that there were MUCH, MUCH more of them. Taking the largest, he rushed to the home of the Duke of Hangshei and there after presenting it to the Duke and offered to sell it to him. The Duke, already thinking about how the Emperor would reward him when he presented the Stone of Heaven, carved that is, to him, quickly asked him how much he wanted.
The price he named was enough to buy acres upon acres of land, enough to turn him into a landed noble. The Duke paid it without a single though, land was only worth so much after all, Imperial Favor was something after all that could rarely be bought as easily as this stone. As the young peasant used the cash to buy more and more land around him, he noticed that the land surrounding him all possessed the “stone of heaven.” Filing it in for future references, with his newfound wealth and land he rushed to the home of the young noble lady.
Right as the marriage contract was being signed, he barged in and said no. Presenting his new found estates and wealth, he asked the parents if he had enough money to support his wife’s lifestyle. Shocked, though never the less determined to have their daughter marry into royalty, they were still prepared to refuse until two events changed their mind. The young man took out a piece of jade immediately capturing their attention, and secondly, the Dowager Empress barged in with royal impromptu and demanded to know when the marriage would take place between the young peasant and their daughter.
A nephew of the Emperor was someone to fear, but the MOTHER of the Emperor was someone you did not want angry at you at all. With this face saving gesture, they acquiesced to their marriage and bowed out gracefully. After the marriage with new found cash from the dowry to develop his land, he set out to mine the vast amounts of jade in his estates and with it began selling the jade to carvers in Hangshei. The carvers themselves then sold it to merchants who after gaining the jade would sell it to wealthy merchants, craftsmen, the aristocracy, and sometimes, to the Court.
Hangshei would prosper off the jade trade as the new influx of people into the city would aid in raising the prices of food allowing the farmers to make more money. The inn keepers made more money as well with the substantial amounts of merchants and visitors passing through. In general, everyone prospered. (Except the penguins being allergic to the presence of the Holy Guangfei Jade, but that’s a whole different story.)
The biggest winner was the young peasant now turned noble. He would establish the Lu noble line who one day would supply a daughter to become a later Emperor’s Empress.
This legend, perhaps even true story, was spoken to show how Heaven was prone to whimsy. It also tries to explain the sudden appearance of the massive quantities of jade in Hangshei as well and her subsequent prosperity. Hangshei would become an economic center of Guangfei producing some of the finest jade carvings as well as blue pottery.
To be Continued(stupid kal noticed)
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Kal'thzar said:
As many as I can take, aka 175-225,000 people.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Loved your story, alex! 
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
OOC: You are aware that when Guangfei conquers the world we'll just keep just that city name the same right? 
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
ACH! Stop, or you will kill me OOC! 
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
Send any leftovers my way
.@Iggy: I didn't see it on the first page, so how much does it cost to build a road?
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