LINESII- Into the Darkness
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
iggy could you explain my nonexpansion thingy on the map? was it just because of barbarians? and when will stats be up?
MjM
Deity
Iggman! I need help choosing a nation!
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
MjM's back! 
MjM
Deity
Thy's back! 
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
To Republic of Veritas
From Davar
We will honor our pledge of assistance if war is deemed necessary. Through we can not say how much help we'll be, since we're all the way on the other side of the continent and have virtually no navy.
From Davar
We will honor our pledge of assistance if war is deemed necessary. Through we can not say how much help we'll be, since we're all the way on the other side of the continent and have virtually no navy.
Kentharu
Zebra Commander
The Sands of Time
Dirt and dust flew into the air as the beast charged, fast as lighting. A terrible roar erupted from its jaws as it jumped into the air with its claws out. Dula help me! The beast missed, skidding off to the side and into the bushes. Where did it go? Eyes shifted to and fro, frantic, fearful, heart racing and sweat drip dropped from the brow so pulled together in fear. Where was that bloody animal! What was that? Is that the beast? The eyes shifted in the setting sun, the light burning red as if to foretell this mans fate. This red light that lanced out from behind such painted clouds and danced across the desolate lands. This light that did not reveal the beast which haunted him so.
Two globes of glowing light now shined in the darkness, was it the beast? The man stood up, ready, waiting. A slow growl rippled through the air, reverberated through his mind, this beast was a dangerous one. The pitter patter of steps reached his ear, and they grew faster and faster. Suddenly a flash of claws and jagged teeth flashed before his eyes, cutting his cheek. Dear Dula give me strength. He raised his axe, flash, swing, slash! Man and beast now fought in the eternal struggled for survival. Roar and screams light the air and the fuse was set as the explosion of metal on claws met in a blinding flash. Sweat and drops of blood now stained the sands, but were devoured as fast as it was shed.
Die you beast! A final blow was struck, into the heart of this great beast, an axe buried deep in its chest. Through the bone and blood. With a grunt, the axe was pulled free, and another blow was landed, down on this beasts head. This was the end for him, the savage beast was no more, man would prevail. Fresh meat, and a coat to protect him from the cold realms that death clung to. He had won, through sweat and blood, and bone breaking combat with these wild lands if the Wardash. These lands would forever remember this one battle. Out of all other battles, great or small, this battle between one man and one beast shall not be forgotten.
Now just bones in the dust. The sand has worn away at this great beast, and equally great man. A polished skeleton of a man who was tested to his limits, a man who has sought to become a great warrior, has been lost in these sands of time. time, indeed is what took him finally. The wounds to deep to heal, the distance to great to traverse, the mind to lost to find what it needed. The sun beat down, just as the sands now beat down on this man, an old withered man of bones and dead hair, of rusted axes. A wielder of a civilized mind, that ended in an uncivilized world.
The dead will not be forgot.
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Ancient History
"What hath the One wrought on a sinful people! In death and flame, we pass away..."
-Last words of High Elder Aldarion, before the collapse of the Hall of the Assemblum in Veritas
Part One:
The clouds of a changed world swirled low. The lofty cumulus that patrolled the Keran range had come to earth. Flowing south, the clouds drifted downward. A light drizzle rained on the ruins of Veritas, but then the clouds shifted West, carried by the One and a wind of ill intent...
The clouds drooped, sagged, and met the sea, where they swirled into a fog. A fog that covered the fleet of the Republic, sailing to war.
Stratikrator Sempronius stood on the bow of the largest ship ever built in the world. 111 feet long, the Bireme Crusader was a vessel to equal any leviathan of the deepest sea. The purple cloak of the Army's commander flowed out behind him, the burnished bronze plates of his armor gleaming dully in the misty dusk.
Sempronius stared into the fog and the darkness, seeing nothing. And hearing nothing apparently, because the soft footsteps of the Oceanus behind him went totally unnoticed.
"Worried, Stratikrator?"
Sempronius jumped. "Ah...Quintalis! I, uh...never expected you here."
The Oceanus grinned. "Right. Never expect the commander of the Assemblum's fleet to be walking on the deck of her flagship."
"Oh, I suppose."
"Or is the fact that the commander of the fleet is a woman so disturbing to you? Afraid I'll smash us on the Khemran rocks? Because everyone knows that women can't drive."
"Quintalis, peace. I'm worried for many reasons. You felt it last night, the tremor. And the wave. We lost good men back there, and it's nothing to joke about."
"We've paid our respects. Now what is really troubling you?"
"We'll be at the Khim Delta tomorrow. Truly, despite all my years of command, I have never been tested in a great war. And...I am afraid. I am the Stratikrator, the successor to Strategius, who's practically a god, let alone a hero.
If I fail, Quintalis...the name Sempronius will be as mocked as Strategius is revered."
"I understand, Stratikrator. But I have seen you. You may believe that you are not the equal of the Autorex, but you are. From his own lips, he gave you command of the army with his dying breath. And that's greater praise than anyone else could give.
Trust me Sempronius...you will not fail."
The aging man, who had seemed to be sagging under the weight of his armor, stood up. He straightened his back, raised his head, and smiled. The same confidence that had been in him as a young Host-Lord had returned.
"Quintalis, the One is with us. We will be victorious."
"Yes, he is with us."
"There's one more thing though, Oceanus. That tremor was stronger to the east. I'm worried about Veritas...and about my son."
The most powerful man and woman in Veritas stood next to each other, gazing out into the trackless ocean. Blue and purple cloaks blew behind them in the driving wind, as the ship pitched and turned towards the approaching coast.
Finally Quintalis turned towards the Stratikrator, and said with a wry smile on her lips,
"Our son, you mean."
---
A Dream:
A boy stood on a sunny hillside, covered in lush grass. A soft breeze blew, slightly stirring his curly black hair. The hillside looked so comfortable, he sank down into it, relaxing on the grass.
Before he knew it, the patch of grass had turned to quicksand. The soft white grains slowly sucked him downwards, and the boy's panicked thrashing only made his descent faster. As his face sunk underneath, he managed to thrust one hand above the surface...
And it was grabbed by a gauntleted fist. The boy felt the metal on his hand as he fell into the darkness, and suddenly was thrown forward out of the pit by one mighty tug.
Coughing and gasping for air on the hillside, (now back to normal) the boy looked up at his rescuer. And he gasped again.
A shining figure stood before him, covered in armor. The boy wondered at it; in all his life, no armor of copper or even bronze could begin to equal it. It gleamed like silver, but rippled like liquid mercury. He could barely look at the man's face, it was so bright.
As if reading his mind, the figure said, "My armor is made of Truth itself! Come, walk with me. Dumbfounded, the boy followed the glowing warrior.
"I am called Strategius, he said. You sat idle on the ground, and so you sank into the darkness. If not for the greatness in you, I would not have saved you.
The boy, still completely awed, managed to reply. "Greatness? What greatness do I have?"
"The greatness of one who would seek knowledge. Climb to the summit, and look outward." The boy did so, and the comforting sight of Veritas lay before him.
"Yes, the greatest city in the world. Tomorrow, it will fall." And as if tomorrow had already come, the ground trembled. The white towers of the city fell, and the Arch of the Exodus collapsed. The Hall of the Assemblum cracked in two, and fell into ruin. Trees were uprooted, libraries burned, and columns toppled. And thousands died before the boy's horrified eyes.
He fell to his knees, sobbing. "Why, Almighty One, why should we suffer? Answer me!!"
The warrior stared at the city, with eyes that were at once colorless and many-colored.
"Repentance for Eldrar, Copenholm, and Khadon. And so that a greater city may be built in it's place."
Filled with hate and sorrow, the boy's temper snapped. "That is no reason for all this death!"
"SILENCE! Finally, this is done so that things which were once buried will rise up, and those who would seek the Truth will find it."
"I don't understand!"
"One called Sempronius once said that to me. You must find the Truth, and atone for his sins."
"My father? How, my lord? How can I do this?"
"You shall begin in the deep places. Seek the first who died. The path to Truth begins there, and ends with my body."
"In the name of the One...why?"
Strategius didn't answer.
"When you wake up, the city will have been destroyed. All who you knew are dead. Heed my prophecy, and GO."
---
Adrian woke up in a cold sweat. What a strange dream! But oddly enough, this wasn't his bed. It was cold, and hard...like a fallen column! He opened his eyes.
And screamed.
"What hath the One wrought on a sinful people! In death and flame, we pass away..."
-Last words of High Elder Aldarion, before the collapse of the Hall of the Assemblum in Veritas
Part One:
The clouds of a changed world swirled low. The lofty cumulus that patrolled the Keran range had come to earth. Flowing south, the clouds drifted downward. A light drizzle rained on the ruins of Veritas, but then the clouds shifted West, carried by the One and a wind of ill intent...
The clouds drooped, sagged, and met the sea, where they swirled into a fog. A fog that covered the fleet of the Republic, sailing to war.
Stratikrator Sempronius stood on the bow of the largest ship ever built in the world. 111 feet long, the Bireme Crusader was a vessel to equal any leviathan of the deepest sea. The purple cloak of the Army's commander flowed out behind him, the burnished bronze plates of his armor gleaming dully in the misty dusk.
Sempronius stared into the fog and the darkness, seeing nothing. And hearing nothing apparently, because the soft footsteps of the Oceanus behind him went totally unnoticed.
"Worried, Stratikrator?"
Sempronius jumped. "Ah...Quintalis! I, uh...never expected you here."
The Oceanus grinned. "Right. Never expect the commander of the Assemblum's fleet to be walking on the deck of her flagship."
"Oh, I suppose."
"Or is the fact that the commander of the fleet is a woman so disturbing to you? Afraid I'll smash us on the Khemran rocks? Because everyone knows that women can't drive."
"Quintalis, peace. I'm worried for many reasons. You felt it last night, the tremor. And the wave. We lost good men back there, and it's nothing to joke about."
"We've paid our respects. Now what is really troubling you?"
"We'll be at the Khim Delta tomorrow. Truly, despite all my years of command, I have never been tested in a great war. And...I am afraid. I am the Stratikrator, the successor to Strategius, who's practically a god, let alone a hero.
If I fail, Quintalis...the name Sempronius will be as mocked as Strategius is revered."
"I understand, Stratikrator. But I have seen you. You may believe that you are not the equal of the Autorex, but you are. From his own lips, he gave you command of the army with his dying breath. And that's greater praise than anyone else could give.
Trust me Sempronius...you will not fail."
The aging man, who had seemed to be sagging under the weight of his armor, stood up. He straightened his back, raised his head, and smiled. The same confidence that had been in him as a young Host-Lord had returned.
"Quintalis, the One is with us. We will be victorious."
"Yes, he is with us."
"There's one more thing though, Oceanus. That tremor was stronger to the east. I'm worried about Veritas...and about my son."
The most powerful man and woman in Veritas stood next to each other, gazing out into the trackless ocean. Blue and purple cloaks blew behind them in the driving wind, as the ship pitched and turned towards the approaching coast.
Finally Quintalis turned towards the Stratikrator, and said with a wry smile on her lips,
"Our son, you mean."
---
A Dream:
A boy stood on a sunny hillside, covered in lush grass. A soft breeze blew, slightly stirring his curly black hair. The hillside looked so comfortable, he sank down into it, relaxing on the grass.
Before he knew it, the patch of grass had turned to quicksand. The soft white grains slowly sucked him downwards, and the boy's panicked thrashing only made his descent faster. As his face sunk underneath, he managed to thrust one hand above the surface...
And it was grabbed by a gauntleted fist. The boy felt the metal on his hand as he fell into the darkness, and suddenly was thrown forward out of the pit by one mighty tug.
Coughing and gasping for air on the hillside, (now back to normal) the boy looked up at his rescuer. And he gasped again.
A shining figure stood before him, covered in armor. The boy wondered at it; in all his life, no armor of copper or even bronze could begin to equal it. It gleamed like silver, but rippled like liquid mercury. He could barely look at the man's face, it was so bright.
As if reading his mind, the figure said, "My armor is made of Truth itself! Come, walk with me. Dumbfounded, the boy followed the glowing warrior.
"I am called Strategius, he said. You sat idle on the ground, and so you sank into the darkness. If not for the greatness in you, I would not have saved you.
The boy, still completely awed, managed to reply. "Greatness? What greatness do I have?"
"The greatness of one who would seek knowledge. Climb to the summit, and look outward." The boy did so, and the comforting sight of Veritas lay before him.
"Yes, the greatest city in the world. Tomorrow, it will fall." And as if tomorrow had already come, the ground trembled. The white towers of the city fell, and the Arch of the Exodus collapsed. The Hall of the Assemblum cracked in two, and fell into ruin. Trees were uprooted, libraries burned, and columns toppled. And thousands died before the boy's horrified eyes.
He fell to his knees, sobbing. "Why, Almighty One, why should we suffer? Answer me!!"
The warrior stared at the city, with eyes that were at once colorless and many-colored.
"Repentance for Eldrar, Copenholm, and Khadon. And so that a greater city may be built in it's place."
Filled with hate and sorrow, the boy's temper snapped. "That is no reason for all this death!"
"SILENCE! Finally, this is done so that things which were once buried will rise up, and those who would seek the Truth will find it."
"I don't understand!"
"One called Sempronius once said that to me. You must find the Truth, and atone for his sins."
"My father? How, my lord? How can I do this?"
"You shall begin in the deep places. Seek the first who died. The path to Truth begins there, and ends with my body."
"In the name of the One...why?"
Strategius didn't answer.
"When you wake up, the city will have been destroyed. All who you knew are dead. Heed my prophecy, and GO."
---
Adrian woke up in a cold sweat. What a strange dream! But oddly enough, this wasn't his bed. It was cold, and hard...like a fallen column! He opened his eyes.
And screamed.
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
Chapter Two: City of Dava
-"Money alone sets all the world in motion."-Publilius Syrus (~100 BC), Maxims
The city of Dava has been said to be founded upon one thing: money. Perched upon the Lunx river, and only a few miles away from the beaches, the city was born to become a commercial center.
Staring around the year 410, great changes began to take place among the various tribes living in the now region of Dava. Kalmar refugees had been wandering the lands for years, fleeing the wars that ravaged their homes. Upon reaching these lands, they immediately saw the benefits of the location and settled down into various communities.
Although it's widely disputed, the community that would eventually spawn the first Kali, Gaver, has been recently rumored to have originated from one of these communities. In his recently published book, Jucki Amal claims "Located near the duality pass in the Kalmar region, the Kurial clan were among the first to flee. From the pass they made their way down to the coast where they would live for the next hundred years. However, after those years, the natives began to become increasingly hostile and eventually forced them out of the region. From there they followed the coast east, managing to eventually find their way to the Davain valleys. The natives of the region were relatively peaceful people and welcomed them with open arms.
Claiming the capital hill as their home, they established the community of Gaver around the year 513. Over centuries, the word "gaver" was transfused with other dialects and became "Davar" and "Dava"."
Through a series of diplomatic marriages already mentioned in the first chapter, the clan would come to unite the people under their rule and consolidate the nation into the largest in the east.
So fast-forward a couple hundred years to the year 910. Under their third Kali, Odal (882-931), the nation began to expand both economically and psychically. The Kali signed into effect a treaty with the Veritisains, diving the region know as the Gravail, or the western hills. A city arose in the region and another new city rose father up the Lunx river. Word trickled down from the north regions of tribes that had developed into unified countries.
A series of developments would change the country forever, as if a single domino knocking down the rest of the change. First the population grew at a surprisingly high rate, with the threat of the menace ended and the country rejoicing. The countryside became increasingly developed. Farmers, who had traditionally formed the higher classes, bought the land from the Kali and oppressed serfs into working the huge farms.
The result of the policy caused the emigration of poor farmers to the cities, causing them to swell with size. That put more pressure on the nation to expand, forcing the Kali to send out expeditions to found new cities. This caused the nation to grow and acquire new resources.
And Dava itself became the trade capital of the east. Resources from the new lands were hauled from the countryside and brought to be sold in the great markets of Dava. Merchants bought huge slabs of stone and the precious copper from the western hills, rich native spices from the eastern jungles, and surplus crops from the central lands. The merchants would then either take the goods along the coast to Veritas or up the river to the northern nations. Due to the mountains, trade with these nations was easily dominated by the Davians. Trade had to be either hauled up and around the mountains, sent around the coast for a long trip, or sent up and down the river. The quickest way was defiantly the third one. And it was a boon to the Davians, as all trade had to pass through the city.
Also devolped during Kali Odal's time was the concept of banking. Orginally starting out by rich nobles lending money to farmers to buy more land, the practice would be expanded so that practically anyone could obtain a loan. And if they failed to pay it back, they were most often sold into slavery. The most powerful noble, Darius NaDav, would eventually lead the banking business and establish the Bank of Dava.
==========================================================
From Davar: A History and Beginning.
-"Money alone sets all the world in motion."-Publilius Syrus (~100 BC), Maxims
The city of Dava has been said to be founded upon one thing: money. Perched upon the Lunx river, and only a few miles away from the beaches, the city was born to become a commercial center.
Staring around the year 410, great changes began to take place among the various tribes living in the now region of Dava. Kalmar refugees had been wandering the lands for years, fleeing the wars that ravaged their homes. Upon reaching these lands, they immediately saw the benefits of the location and settled down into various communities.
Although it's widely disputed, the community that would eventually spawn the first Kali, Gaver, has been recently rumored to have originated from one of these communities. In his recently published book, Jucki Amal claims "Located near the duality pass in the Kalmar region, the Kurial clan were among the first to flee. From the pass they made their way down to the coast where they would live for the next hundred years. However, after those years, the natives began to become increasingly hostile and eventually forced them out of the region. From there they followed the coast east, managing to eventually find their way to the Davain valleys. The natives of the region were relatively peaceful people and welcomed them with open arms.
Claiming the capital hill as their home, they established the community of Gaver around the year 513. Over centuries, the word "gaver" was transfused with other dialects and became "Davar" and "Dava"."
Through a series of diplomatic marriages already mentioned in the first chapter, the clan would come to unite the people under their rule and consolidate the nation into the largest in the east.
So fast-forward a couple hundred years to the year 910. Under their third Kali, Odal (882-931), the nation began to expand both economically and psychically. The Kali signed into effect a treaty with the Veritisains, diving the region know as the Gravail, or the western hills. A city arose in the region and another new city rose father up the Lunx river. Word trickled down from the north regions of tribes that had developed into unified countries.
A series of developments would change the country forever, as if a single domino knocking down the rest of the change. First the population grew at a surprisingly high rate, with the threat of the menace ended and the country rejoicing. The countryside became increasingly developed. Farmers, who had traditionally formed the higher classes, bought the land from the Kali and oppressed serfs into working the huge farms.
The result of the policy caused the emigration of poor farmers to the cities, causing them to swell with size. That put more pressure on the nation to expand, forcing the Kali to send out expeditions to found new cities. This caused the nation to grow and acquire new resources.
And Dava itself became the trade capital of the east. Resources from the new lands were hauled from the countryside and brought to be sold in the great markets of Dava. Merchants bought huge slabs of stone and the precious copper from the western hills, rich native spices from the eastern jungles, and surplus crops from the central lands. The merchants would then either take the goods along the coast to Veritas or up the river to the northern nations. Due to the mountains, trade with these nations was easily dominated by the Davians. Trade had to be either hauled up and around the mountains, sent around the coast for a long trip, or sent up and down the river. The quickest way was defiantly the third one. And it was a boon to the Davians, as all trade had to pass through the city.
Also devolped during Kali Odal's time was the concept of banking. Orginally starting out by rich nobles lending money to farmers to buy more land, the practice would be expanded so that practically anyone could obtain a loan. And if they failed to pay it back, they were most often sold into slavery. The most powerful noble, Darius NaDav, would eventually lead the banking business and establish the Bank of Dava.
==========================================================
From Davar: A History and Beginning.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
Thlayli said:
Veritas is barely better than the Eldranians of old. You only seek to spread your power to the ends of the world. Shalamari condemns your vile militarism! Truly, if you could, you would try to seize all lands from the Sea of the One to Maugot itself and force us to convert to the Church of the One.
From: Shalamari
To: Tristaria, Gerberia, Nkondi
We strongly suggest that you abstain from this so-called "crusade". It is only a means for Veritas to bend you to its will, and it will be your fields that burn in such a war. Do not be drawn into a war that will wreak your nations, and save the civilized world from a cataclysmic war by refusing Veritas' "offer". For such a war will surely be avoided if neither of you allow armies to move through your borders. Consider wisely. The future of all peoples are resting on your judgment.
EDIT: Yeah, I know. It's only if Khemri refuses the terms. But it's still a cheap way to put pressure, so I might as well use it to start some bad buzz about Veritas.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
erez87 said:Bah... I don't want people to know about me
Do you want the Aney Tigot refugees? If you so wish, we can refrain from contacting you after they have been escorted to Maugot. Or neither, of course.
Silver Steak
The Ghost of SS
As you wish. And future contact between us is not desired?
