Swissempire
Poet Jester
*looks down sheepishly* Oh, of course not...Cuivienen said:
LINESII- Into the Darkness
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
jalapeno_dude
AKA Panda Judo Eel
Great map! But you forgot Farport and all of Exilsium's cities...
Swissempire
Poet Jester
There is a city named Kaos, LOL. Kaoswarp is the Hell of Bladism, thats too funny
Actually, I have one question about the update.
If I began my invasion in 1203 (like it said to in my orders), and it only took 1 year for my army to conquer Davar (1204), how is it that a single fortress in the mountains survives until 1248 without a steady stream of supplies or getting attacked by the mop up army. I don't think we would miss it...
If I began my invasion in 1203 (like it said to in my orders), and it only took 1 year for my army to conquer Davar (1204), how is it that a single fortress in the mountains survives until 1248 without a steady stream of supplies or getting attacked by the mop up army. I don't think we would miss it...
I noticed that while I was uploading.
Hmm.... damn. Maybe I should just change the '1 year fall' thing. No... OK. After the fall of Dava (the capital) and then Tristaria, you spent time in mop-up. One fortress in powerful defensive position remained, and you expected that it would succumb to attrition.... Or maybe it was overlooked until recently, as your forces never travelled through that region of the mountains. One force went south of it, one went north.
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
Just her? Oh well. 1st out of two:
For those unfortuante souls who are insane enough to read this I must warn of the high probability of spelling, grammer, or plain out mistakes.
Death of a People
The oaken ram slammed into the wall, shaking the foundation a little but nothing more. The men gave a low grunt, stepped backwards, and slammed the ram into the stone once more with a dull thud. The walls shook a little more but still refused to give. Arrows flew overhead haphazardly form both directions. An arrow flew over the wall and dropped one of their numbers. The invaders just shook it off and rammed the wall again as another replaced his dead comrade.
“How could this be?!” A woman lamented, throwing herself at the feet of the disgraced Moneil. The Moneil- Adrenis- was a big of wreck as the fortress that he now resided in. His clothes- once always clean and of the latest fashions- were covered in filth and ragged. His hair was matted and stuck to the back of his neck, hanging down in disheveled way. Eyes that were once bright now resembled the nearby mountainous abysses- endless and covered by shadows. The man was a shadow of his former self- a mere shade of the one-time glory of Davar.
Now his fortress was under siege, the final stand of Davar. Countless Lengel troops surrounded the fortress, shelling it with arrows and smashing the gate with a pair of rams. The Moneil just stood off to the side, staring up at the stars. The defenders had nearly ran out of arrows hours earlier. Only enough for the final battle remained.
The ram slams into the wall again, sending stones flying. Inside the fortress the men-having no supplies in the cold due to the everlasting siege- shake not only from the cold. They continue to draw their bows and fire arrows of the walls into the mass of the invaders, yet the defenders know the number of arrows was running out. The invaders, seeing their chance, pour into the fortress by the thousands. The first wave is cut down by a flurry of arrows- the defenders’ last stand.
More men poured into the fort, wading over the bodies and through the rivers of blood. The charge head first into the defender’s lines and the chaos continued. Men fell on the ground by the hundreds as both sides fought to the death. While a bunch of the invaders are cut down, their numbers prove too much and they eventually overcome the defenders.
Adrenis slowly reached down and pulled the weeping woman up from the ground. He sighed. He knew the woman was weeping for a soldier that would never return from battle- a man that he had personally led. When he drew back to the mountains, he fulfilled the man’s last request and attempted to save his family. Yet Adrenis failed. The man ran a hand over his face, attempting to deal with the disastrous turn of events.
Adrenis personally blamed the generals for the utter defeat the country had received. He knew the events of the war pretty well -he had personally led the resistance at the fortress of Cal-Al[1] until it fell. He had sent out word for the other generals to relieve him there but the call for aid had been completely ignored. The fortress fell after being sieged for only two months. Only Adrenis and a few other men managed to escape from the disaster.
With Cal-Al fallen, the interior of the country lay wide open. The invaders poured in from the pass and overwhelmed the small garrison left in Shalm. The most remarkable building in the small city was the single church it had. With the invaders pouring in, it was naturally where everyone gathered at and where the last stand took place.
A priest kneeled in the front of the church, clutching an avien [2] in a shaky hand, reciting the prayers for the dead and asking for divine intervention. Archers held their spots in the front of the church while the weeping citizens crouched in the back of it. The invaders pounded the barricaded doors with a ram, attempting to smash the door in. Screams erupted as the ram splintered the door. The few archers released the long-awaited arrows and dropped a few of the invaders before they too were taken down.
The Lengel leader stormed into the church, eyes blazing in heathen fire. He strode to the front of the church and grabbed the priest by his hair. He cursed something in his foreign tongue and brought a knife to the man’s throat. With a smile upon his face he drew the knife from the left and dropped the carcass to the floor.
After Cal-Al, the army was divided among the generals and spread out. The army still hadn’t regrouped by the time the invaders reached Shalm and it fell within a week after Cal-Al. He managed to gather some numbers in Bant but – outnumbered, undersupplied, and outmaneuvered- fell after another month. After this, the fate of the country was never it doubt.
Ardan, Boro, and Lone all collapsed without support from the generals. Adrenis later found out that just about the entire army was disposed of. Generals had holed their selves up in the mountains, taking large portions of the country’s armies for their own purposes. The selfish men, fearing for their own safety, never once ventured outside their mountain forts. They were all defeated after the rest of the country fell.
Anyways, it was at Dava that the last stand of the government took place. Eight months after the first fall of Cal-Al, the final major battle took place. The defenders were desperate, as in every battle, and undermanned. The battle started out with the defenders perched around the outside of the city, but over time they were driven back to the ancient inner city.
After weeks of fight the end finally came. It came down to the defenders guarding the ancient palace, home once to the old Kali. They held out for another two weeks, making the battle for Dava the longest of all of them. All-in-all, the battle lasted for over a two months and a half and the city was reduced rubble. It was also the largest battle, with more than half the city’s population killed in the battle and where the Lengels occurred much of their casualties. Despite heavy resistance, the defenders were eventually overwhelmed and finally defeated.
A man crouches under the rubble from a previous home. His breath is light and shallow as he fixes his gaze on a group of soldiers. He moves slowly, drawing the bowstring back and fixing an arrow on his target. He whispers something under his breath, reciting the prayers for the dead. Across from him an arrow flies out from another rubble heap and strikes a soldier down. A war cry comes out a second later as a flurry of arrows are emitted.
The man joins in with the group and personally takes a soldier down with a well placed arrow. The soldiers, those that survived the attack, immediately respond by unleashing their own barrage of arrows at the defenders. One flies by the man’s ear, whizzing in passing. Another war cry emits and the man picks up his spear and charges out with the rest of the men. A sickening crash emits as the two conflicting peoples come into contact. The man’s vision goes black as he is down from an enemy arrow.
After Dava fell, the entire resistance seemed to stagnate and collapse. Only the mountain forts stood in the Lengel’s way of complete victory. One by one the forts fell to overwhelming numbers. Adrenis, who had retreated to mountains after the fall of Lone, stood as the last obstacle to complete defeat. His fort lay in the middle of two mountains, an island of civilization in the middle of a barbarous sea.
Adrenis stood now in the doorway to the inside of the fort, staring out at the stars. They burned high above as if the served merely to remind him of the fires of defeat. His mind, broken and exhausted, harkened back to an old Durmic[3] passage from his childhood.
“‘Tell us young one, who born the stars into the skies?’
They asked with a grin.
For they knew that the boy could not ever begin
To find the answer that always lies within.”
Adrenis was never really a religious man, but for some reason the passage seemed to rectify the man’s mind. He let out a breath, and smiled for the first time in months. He even laughed for a moment, something he hadn’t done in years. A voice startled the man out of his euphoria.
“What’s so funny?” The voice asked. Adrenis recognized it to be that of the sole general he could count on, the Trineil. The man- while hehad refused to assist in the defense of the nation- had offered refuge to the retreating men of Adrenis.
“Life, my friend.” The Moneil said, laughing once more.
The Dineil sighed. It seemed that he finally cracked. , the man thought.
“You know, out of every decent creature the One created, only man kills his fellow man.” The man continued to laugh. “The lowliest beast cares for his brother while the highest only pretends to care while he waits to kill him!”
The Trineil stood silent for a moment before busting out laughing. The sheer irony was overwhelming. After a second they both stopped laughing. Over the turbulent chaos, a female voice could be heard. Singing. For a surreal moment everyone in the fort stopped what they were doing and strained to hear the woman over the noise.
“Innocent blood in this land
So much killing in this land
Peoples are dying in this land
My prayer if for you to heal this land
There is hatred in this land
There is death in this land
No love in this land
My prayer is for you to heal this land
Heal the land heal this land
My prayer is for you to to heal this land
Heal the land heal this land
My prayer is for you to heal this land
So much trouble in this land
War and death all around this land
Death is on the uprise in this land
My prayer is for you to heal this land”
Adrenis smiled once more as the song continued when a new voice joined in, younger and louder than the other’s. This time he could see the source: a small child was singing from the corner of the room. The girl sat in the corner, hey eyes closed, singing at the top of her voice. Adrenis paused for a moment. Then he too joined in with the singing along with pretty much everyone else.
“So many crises in this land
Ther's no peace in this land
There is no love in this land
My prayer is for you to heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
Heal this land
My prayer is for you to heal this land
Come on won't you heal this land
Oh tell me you will heal this land…………………….“[4]
The song came to an end and left the fort in a sober silence. A loud crash emits from outside signals that they besiegers had broken through the gate and were racing to the small inner wall. A strange smile came over Adrenis’s face. He whirled around and spoke rapidly to his men. “The end time is here my friends. We hover at the edge of the abyss, staring into the eternal blackness.” he screamed at his men. The men stood silently. “Do not fear the abyss my brothers, rather charge boldly into it! Down the walls one more time!” The men silently nodded and two rushed forward to drive the levers under the wall. The men took their last arrows and prepared to fire.
Adrenis took a bow from one of the two men and prepared himself. He nodded and them men heaved on the levers, sending the stones crashing down upon the attacking men. “Fire!” He roared and a flurry of arrows came from the defenders, adding to the casualties of the confused attackers sustained. And with a final nod the last Moneil picked up his own spear and gave the final order to charge.
Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature's first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf .So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.
-Robert Frost[5]
OOC: I'm actually shocked at myself about my choice. I've already spoken with some people of my decision, so those can just skip this. Basically I believe its time for me to move on. Davar was a nice starting nation (the 2nd for me) but in the end it was too bogged down. I feel kinda bad about just abadoning the fight, but what can I do.
Even if the country is recreated later, I doubt that I'd be willing to retake it. I'm just not that into it really. So this is what it is: the death of a people- at least for me. I'll pm the second part to the story ("Birth of a people") when I finish it Iggy. Can't have people knowing my location, can I ;].
Good luck guys against Contempt-you'll need it. Hopefully your league won't fall apart after being backstabbed by someone.....So without anything further, the info shall appear:
[1]-Cal-Al: the pass where the first battle took place.
[2]-Avien: A small eight-pointed star made from metal used in religious ceremonies.
[3]-Durmic: Adjective taken from Durma, the modified book based off the Valin Summa.
[4]: OOC Officially credited to the gospel band New Direction, although I modified some of the verses. IC it is a well known hymn in Davar.
[5]: I tacked this on mainly because I thought it fit well.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Though in some way, the poem reminds me of the Charge of the Light Brigade 
PS. Tell me where you're joining
PS. Tell me where you're joining
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
I assume you're talking to me. As to your first comment, thanks. I tried to keep the cheesienes to a bare minimum. I read the poem first around a year ago in some story. It just popped back into my head as I was writing and made alot of sense to shove it in.
Only two people know of where I'm joining and hopefully they won't say anything ;]. And it won't be where you expect.
jalapeno_dude
AKA Panda Judo Eel
Amazing story!
The Citadel WILL know where you're joining.
The Citadel WILL know where you're joining.
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
Once again, thank you. As for your second comment, of course they won't. Its called "Into the Darkness" for a reason, you know? ;].
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
Same as above. Yeah I decided to kill it off myself (through some more casualties would be nice ;]). Contempt would have don it anyway. Take your time- just didn't know if you had got it.
Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
The End of an Era
Can hope be found
When the sun comes again?
Tears still fall down
In a day without rain.
The passing of Sieraxas II Mayanas struck Kehexou hard. He had a been steady centerpiece of the Kehex nation for dozens of years; longer than most remembered, and had continued the tradition of peace set down by his grandfather, Sieraxas I Mayanas,[1] at the conclusion of the Kehex Civil War. Cautious, he might have been, and hesitant to act, but King Sieraxas II had also been calm and steady, and much beloved. His only child, his daughter and heir Larias, composed the above poem in the tradition off-rhymes of Kehex poetry to express the mourning of the people and of herself for the loss of their great leader.
For Sieraxas II had indeed been great, in a quiet way. He oversaw the return of Kehexou to the world stage and made final peace between the Mayanas and Gayanax families by taking as a wife Galaya Gayanax, last of her own line. He ordered the construction of roads to ease communications and transport in Kehexou and encouraged a revival of trade that had been nearly dead since the fall of Veritas. Under his rule, new temples were built to the six elements, and plans for a great project to celebrate their might had been drawn up. Moreover, he made the people like him, which, above all, is the mark of a good ruler—it matters little otherwise what diplomatic, military, bureaucratic or other skills a ruler might possess if he cannot please the people.
And so mourning proceeded for two weeks in the nation, and the temples were filled with throngs of the public in Takrau, and elsewhere. Larias Mayanas herself greeted many of them, dressed in the grey-green garb of mourning. But mourning passed eventually, and the time came for Larias to ascend the throne, the last surviving member of House Mayanas, save her young son. She composed another poem:
I feel the weight
Not as a burden but a gift.
And I hold my heart
High for the hope of our nation.
Not as a burden but a gift.
And I hold my heart
High for the hope of our nation.
"Behold, Larias, of House Mayanas, Queen of all Kehexou!"
The people cheered.
[1]Since it's been an awfully long time since the Kehex Civil War, I decided that the current Sieraxas Mayanas was the grandson of the original.
Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
The Cartographer
Queen Larias sat in her reception chamber a week after the coronation. It was late in the day, and all those who had petitioned to see the queen had now departed. Her husband the Prince Regent would attend to further affairs this afternoon; it was still draining, and somewhat demoralizing, to do the job her father once did. Sieraxas had seemed as if he would always be there greeting the commoners, and it was difficult now to do it without him at her side. Her father was a presence Larias could not quite shake, though their personalities were different, to say the least. Larias had inherited the fiery temper of the Gayanax family and little enough of the caution and calculated decisions of the Mayanas, or so she sometimes felt. Subtlety often felt beyond her.
But perhaps today she unwittingly displayed some of that subtlety so noted in House Mayanas, what had allowed them to triumph over the more powerful Gayanax long ago. A wave of a hand, a nod of a head, a bow, a whistle, and a tumble by the young princeling and the Queen was gone from the reception chambers to wander the stone halls of the Palace. It was these halls that were her childhood home, not the great open spaces of the reception hall, the feasts and the festivals. No, it was the low-ceilinged stone halls, the inner spaces of the Palace that Larias loved, and the security they brought. It was here that she spoke to her closest advisors, away from the prying eyes and ears of the court. And it was now that she would meet one.
Your majesty! a voice called from the far end of a long hall, I have something to show you. And someone, if you will. He has something most interesting that he has created. The short and stout but always reliable hallsmaster[1] panted his way down the hall towards her.
I see you have decided to alert this corner of the palace to this fact as well? Her eyebrow raised, and the short man flinched but waved his hand as to say that it did not matter. Very well. I shall come with you.
They walked down a long and winding series of hallways together, reaching eventually a small chamber near the main entrance to the palace where private visits with interesting commoners might sometimes be held. A man dressed in a dark brown cloak that obscured the rest of his garments and his face sat on a stool at the far end of the room. On the table in front of him lay a large map, one that Larias had not seen before.
This man, your majesty, he says that he has drawn a map of all the world. He marks cities in countries that we have barely heard of. He has also offered the sale of this map to the crown.
He has, has he? Well, it may be of use. I have little time to waste here. Pay him, and she turned to the man, My thanks for bringing this to the attention of the Crown of Kehexou. We will pay you most richly. Take your payment from my hallsmaster here. I must go.
And she turned and left, leaving the hallsmaster spluttering and the cartographer chuckling.
[1]Sort of like a butler, but more oriented towards greeting guests.
Wubba360
Emperor
Darkening that was the best story i have ever read. Its one of those stories that would make you proud to be davar. Iggy give that man a heaping bonus, or your on notice mister
~Darkening~
Weep, Mother.
Oh yeah. Now people like it- right as I decide to kill the people off 
. Anyways so I don't have to say it another four or five times (as current trends are going), merci.
. Anyways so I don't have to say it another four or five times (as current trends are going), merci.Wubba360
Emperor
well he can still give you a bonus for your next nation
Similar threads
- Poll
