LINESII- Into the Darkness
- Thread starter Lord_Iggy
- Start date
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
alex994 said:New Veritas can suffer several man-made plagues if you desireYou better be paying for all that fortification in that story too
It's more like I've been quietly forcing my soldiers for decades to do it.
alex994
Hail Divine Emperor!
It is a sweet and fitting thing, to eat the finest the earth has to give. Emperor Yi-Ga on new culinary trends
As Emperor Yi-Ga ascended the marble steps to the summit temple, the air filled with the smell of incense, few could have imagined his reign. He reached the summit and there took the Imperial Headdress from former Minister Richelieu, and in front of the assembled officials and notables, placed it upon his head. With a final swishing of his long black robe, he sat on the Dragon Throne.
It was a signal, for a tidal wave. From the edge of the assembled people, to the inner sanctum, it was a tidal wave. A tidal wave of prostrating people to the Emperor and they fell upon their knees and touched the ground with their heads. It was a great honor for most, but a nuisance to a few. The few whom believed it was a nuisance was more concentrated on other things, such as the future. Prince Ku had always been an unknown entity, being the youngest son of Emperor Wu.
What was known was that he was hopelessly eccentric. Future historians and scientists would trouble their minds over this problem and would decide that Emperor Yi-Ga had a mental disorder though they were never able to find out the reason for it. After all, primitive humans never could understand the tiny little microchip the Pandas had put into his head but I digress.
The next turn of events were ah, hardly surprising to the well informed. Emperor Yi-Ga went on a building spree ordering the construction of 2 beautiful cities named Qingdao and Guangzhou. A certain panda loving Chinese Fanatic jumped for joy here but I digress. These cities were great centers of commerce but most importantly, they were centers of SEAFOOD! Guangfei culture changed drastically upon the construction of those two cities as the abundant supply of fish began to affect Guangfei diet.
The craze for raw fish began in Guangzhou when various small restaurants forgot to cook fish and served it raw to visiting notables. At first the notables were offended but then remembering Guangzhou was a center of new culinary tastes became embarrassed at the thought that they could be possibly making fools of themselves refusing to eat a new craze. Asking for some soy sauce, they then proceeded to eat the raw fish dipping it in the sauce.
Imagine their shock when they found to their amazement that it was delicious! They asked for more of the raw fish that the notables came to enjoy eating, the surprised restaurant owner seeing an avenue of profit made a stunning move. He offered the notables a large variety of raw fish that he asked them to taste and give their opinions on. Alas these dubious notables had a desire for great culinary arts and did as he asked.
The next day, the new restaurant owner began offering raw fish and other things including sea urchin, shrimp, crap, lobster and etc. He then proceeded to put them in rice and then tying them together with seaweed. Sushi was born
As Emperor Yi-Ga ascended the marble steps to the summit temple, the air filled with the smell of incense, few could have imagined his reign. He reached the summit and there took the Imperial Headdress from former Minister Richelieu, and in front of the assembled officials and notables, placed it upon his head. With a final swishing of his long black robe, he sat on the Dragon Throne.
It was a signal, for a tidal wave. From the edge of the assembled people, to the inner sanctum, it was a tidal wave. A tidal wave of prostrating people to the Emperor and they fell upon their knees and touched the ground with their heads. It was a great honor for most, but a nuisance to a few. The few whom believed it was a nuisance was more concentrated on other things, such as the future. Prince Ku had always been an unknown entity, being the youngest son of Emperor Wu.
What was known was that he was hopelessly eccentric. Future historians and scientists would trouble their minds over this problem and would decide that Emperor Yi-Ga had a mental disorder though they were never able to find out the reason for it. After all, primitive humans never could understand the tiny little microchip the Pandas had put into his head but I digress.
The next turn of events were ah, hardly surprising to the well informed. Emperor Yi-Ga went on a building spree ordering the construction of 2 beautiful cities named Qingdao and Guangzhou. A certain panda loving Chinese Fanatic jumped for joy here but I digress. These cities were great centers of commerce but most importantly, they were centers of SEAFOOD! Guangfei culture changed drastically upon the construction of those two cities as the abundant supply of fish began to affect Guangfei diet.
The craze for raw fish began in Guangzhou when various small restaurants forgot to cook fish and served it raw to visiting notables. At first the notables were offended but then remembering Guangzhou was a center of new culinary tastes became embarrassed at the thought that they could be possibly making fools of themselves refusing to eat a new craze. Asking for some soy sauce, they then proceeded to eat the raw fish dipping it in the sauce.
Imagine their shock when they found to their amazement that it was delicious! They asked for more of the raw fish that the notables came to enjoy eating, the surprised restaurant owner seeing an avenue of profit made a stunning move. He offered the notables a large variety of raw fish that he asked them to taste and give their opinions on. Alas these dubious notables had a desire for great culinary arts and did as he asked.
The next day, the new restaurant owner began offering raw fish and other things including sea urchin, shrimp, crap, lobster and etc. He then proceeded to put them in rice and then tying them together with seaweed. Sushi was born
The Lengelzai died a noble death upon the field of battle. Fighting against invaders and betrayers to his ancestors words. The people mourned, but did not despair. Yesugei the Spymaster would rejoin Koke, and in time, return when there was need for him again. Koke willed in mysterious ways.
But for those that fought with the Lengelzai at that famous battle, such truths were far from their minds. Revenge took their thoughts. But none were so effected as was his sons. And one in particular saved the Lengel from a mighty defeat, worse than even losing their precious Lengelzai.
The sounds of battle were all around them, as two adolescent children, protected by the Lengelzai's main gaurd retreated as fast as possible. The enemy forces were large: much larger than they expected. While normally such a thing would not affect the Lengel that much, the enemy also were able to use huge beasts to drive off their attacks, and managed to hold a formation that protected them from the sting of Lengel arrows.
Yegu, the eldest son of Yesugei, rode with his younger brother Khaidu in the midst of a fighting retreat. Both were scared, but tried not to show it. It was their first battle, other than the hunts they had been on. It was a frightening experience, to see the war machine of the Lengel fight with its more wealthy and numerous opponents.
Suddenly, a cry was heard.
"The Lengelzai has fallen! The Lengelzai has fallen!"
For a single second, it seemed like mass panic would take the army. That with the death of the living representation of Koke, and the mightest warlord of the Lengel, the discipline of the Lengel would break, and the nation would be broken in this one battle. Yet, that was assuming no man would take up the reigns of battle for revenge. In this case, it was a boy.
Yegu was shocked at first, but as the Lengel line turned to chaos in front of him, and despair rippled through the ranks, Yegu was consumed by rage. With a furious battle cry, and he screamed, his childish voice carrying to nearby commanders.
"DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES! I WILL AVENGE MY FATHERS DEATH!"
The yell was heard by several commanders, who motioned to horn blowers. Horns began to blow as one, and the Lengel began to calm. The individual commanders acted as if in one mind with Yegu, and ordered the continued firing upon the enemy. Yegu moved to the front of the army, and began firing his bow with as much strength as he could muster into the enemy ranks.
Khaidu followed his brothers lead, and managed to push to the front. Only to watch his brother fall from an arrow to his chest. The commanders, still acting indepently did not see, and the attack continued. An arrow wizzed by, and knicked young Khaidu on his arm. The pain jolted him from his despair at knowing that both his father, and his brother were dead.
My brother, my father, killed by these bastards...
Another arrow killed a nearby man, and suddenly Khaidu realized that staying in this battle would mean the death of all Lengel soldiers here. They were to consumed by the death of the Lengelzai. As much as he wanted to join them in the suicidal attack, Khaidu was suddenly filled with a need to flee, and to save the Lengel to fight another day.
Whether it was fear, or it was the power of Koke filling his body, and directing him to the correct actions, Khaidu yelled out to the commanders.
"Retreat! Retreat! By the power of Koke, retreat!"
Broken from their revenge filled minds, the commanders realized the death trap they were in, and the horns sounded again. This time, for the retreat. Protected by the remants of the Lengelzai's guard, Khaidu fainted suddenly a few minutes into the fast retreat. Falling from his horse, the guards quickly swarmed him, rushing him to a shaman doctor.
His small little wound had never stopped bleeding.
He had been six at the time. The battle of Magi plains had taken his father, and his brother from him. His sister died soon after in Magi. His mother had died from disease several years before. His only relatives were the Lengelzai's brother, Jelme, and his sons.
Duua the Blind had taken the position of Lengelzai, holding it as if a regent until he was old enough. Several years passed as Khaidu studied underneath Citadel scholars, and Duua's wise teachings, until Khaidu turned thirteen. By then, it became apparent why he had never stopped bleeding in the Battle of Magi plains. Why he was weaker than most his age.
He too had a disease. Koke's blight. The curse of the unclean. Koke's punishment towards those on earth. His skin was disfiguered by the disease, and his body weakened by it. He was pitied by the people, and given a wide berth because of it. Yet he never stopped dreaming of revenge.
When he turned sixteen, Duua the Blind died. And a Shalamari army drew within sight of the Lengel battle camp. With the eve of battle so close, the commanders of the army argued over who would succeed Duua the Blind as Lengelzai, since Khaidu was unfit to rule. Ignoring their arguements, Khaidu took a loyal gaurd, and promoted several Lengels loyal to him to positions of Commanders before gathering the troops and leading them towards the massive enemy army.
While the arguing commanders attempted to regain control, and stop Khaidu, the army he led fanatically followed the "blighted" son of Yesugei towards certain doom, believing that Koke was inside Khaidu based on his heritage, and that Koke had to curse Khaidu in order that the Divine presence could exist at the same time in his body.
The young Khaidu led his army towards the Shalamari force, ignoring the words of the commanders who he had replaced.
"Khaidu, you are being foolish! To charge against the Shalamari would be certain death, a fact your father became aware of at Magi! We do not have an apporpiate counter to their protective formation," said one, "and their archers would be out of our range with their Phalanx protection!"
"What you say is true. Except I have a counter," was the reply of the strong-willed, and weak bodied Khaidu. His body was covered in both the traditional Lengel furs, but also with various southern wraps, hiding his deformities from the eyes of his troops. An obsidian mask, imported from Kehexou's mountain of fire, was placed on his face, his eyes barely visable through the mask.
"What are you talking about! You'll get us all killed if we continue to move against them without wearing them down! The commanders and I agree that we should abandon Nkondi lands to draw them deeper into our lands so that we may surroud them, and starve them."
Khaidu spared the man a withering glance, before turning back towards the massive army on the horizen.
"No, I will not abandon the land that my forefathers won," was his simple answer.
The words of the former commander then fell on deaf ears, and with a snarl he retreated back towards the Lengel camp, fully expecting Khaidu's force to die.
****
The battle had gone on for some time, on the plains near Zawasae . The Lengel horse archers were not able to inflict serious casualties on the defensive Phalanx, and the Shalamari archers were out of range of the Lengel horse archers. The battle seemed to follow all the others of the campaign so far. Lengel being slowly picked off by Shalamari, until they were forced to retreat.
Khaidu surveyed the battlefield, his mask betraying nothing of the young boys emotions, or his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt something deep inside him. Like a spark igniting a great wildfire. And then, he gave a single order.
"Dismount."
Confused, the commanders sent the orders to the troops, and the Lengel horse archers dismounted. Khaidu dismounted with some difficulty, his disease making him weak. Steadying himself, Khaidu took a deep breath, and then drew his sword.
The iron gleamed in the light, and suddenly, the commanders understood. The Lengel horde drew their various secondary iron weapons. Khaidu raised his sword high into the air, and it seemed to burn as the sun hit it just right. With a mighty roar, Khaidu began to charge forward.
Inspired by his wordless courage and strength (and unspoken order), the Lengel horde charged forward as one towards the enemy. Khaidu only managed a fair distance before he had to stop, collapsing from his disease. His guards quickly secured him, and he watched his horde charge weakly as he was placed back onto his horse.
The Shalamari forces were confused. Why were the Lengel on foot? Why were they charging? In a single moment, they understood as the wave of Lengels smashed against the Shalamari shield wall. The iron in the fanatical Lengel hands cut through the Shalamari battle line, surprised at the change in tactic, and at the Lengel iron weapons.
Lengel troops managed to reach a regiment of archers, and then slaughtered them. The Shalamari were greatly surprised, and began fighting a retreat to regroup. When the Shalamari finally did retreat, covered by the bite of their arrows, the assembled Lengel force cheered in victory. It was a bitter victory, but it was the first so far. They could defeat the Testudo formation.
They had Koke on their sides. The name Khaidu the Cursed was cast-off that day.
Khaidu the Lengelzai was taken up with a burning fire in his weak and dying body.
They did not expect me to live past seventeen. I lived to twenty. They did not believe I could survive till thirty. I am now thirty-three. I am the Supreme Lengelzai of the Lengel, and I have led my people to victory in Davar against the Khemri, and had whethered the strom the Gorinese and the Shalamari have thrown against my armies.
Yet, I am weak for all my accomplishments. The strength of my will is no match to the strength of my blight. My curse. My families punishment for arrogance and overconfidence. I despise my weakness, but accept the blight as my burden. The weight of both it, and the reponsibility of Lengelzai is slowly killing me, more surely than the curse itself. I am expecting death soon, but I do not mind it.
Afterall, I have been expected to die for a long time now.
Yet, it is no matter. I will leave the affairs of my peoples Empire to Yesui, warrior daughter of Tuman, who had passed on a mere after the Khemri were driven from Davar. She will serve as regent until my only son takes my place.
It is strange for me, disfigured as I am to have a son, but as Lengelzai I am able to aquire many liberities, as it is my right. I was blessed in that my son, a mere five years old, does not suffer as I do from my blight. My only wife tolerates her marriage to me while taking concubines due to my disease. I would have suspected my son to be on of theirs, but for the lighter skin caused by Aneyan ancestory. Aneyan blood which only flows through my veins.
I write this now only to give myself a respite to my dreams, the dreams which plauged my forefathers as well. In these last years of my life, I was struck blind like my mentor, and unable to walk without help, the blight having taken over so much of my body. I do not expect to wake tommorrow, as it has taken most of my strength even to write this. In the last hours of my life, I write the only words that have ever mattered to me, which drove me to victory at the Battle for Zawasae. The words that caused me to gather troops to fight that seemingly perfect defensive force.
"Koke gives both punishment and blessing, life and death, love and hate; his duality knows many names, and takes many forms. If you are faithful, his love will outweigh his hate, and you will be blessed."
I was cursed, but I was faithful in Koke, and he rewarded me with victory. I was faithful, and I was given many more years to my blighted life. I was faithful, and was given a son.
Truly, Koke is kind.
Khaidu the Iron-willed, Lengeliz, 1278
Khaidu died, unable to fight against his disease any longer. The year was 1278. It was a good Lengel death, his struggle against the disease considered a suitable battle of which to enter into Koke's domain. His death was greatly mourned, and his customary obsidian mask was taken to Zawasae were it was placed upon a stone pedestal.
No words were carved into its surface, but all Lengels knew of the story of the cursed Lengelzai. Zawasae became the pilgrimage for all young Lengels, where they would see the mask of a Lengelzai who truly represented the struggle against adversity that was called for in their religion. Much like the Sword at Lengeliz, it would become a symbol of Lengel culture.
Yesui, the trusted female general of Khaidu became acting Lengelzai, until Khaidu's son, Akhidai was old enough to take the seat of Lengelzai. While many men saw this as weak, Akhidai commanded the loyalty of the entire army even at a young age.
The son of the Iron-Willed was revevered and protected among the army. He was the son of both the cursed and the blessed, and was Koke among mortals. He would be great.
All the while, the mask sat in Zawasae, the Lengels there watching it with great respect.
A flame sparked was sparked, as a lame boy looked upon the mask, listening to the elderly tell stories of the Iron-Willed Khaidu.
But for those that fought with the Lengelzai at that famous battle, such truths were far from their minds. Revenge took their thoughts. But none were so effected as was his sons. And one in particular saved the Lengel from a mighty defeat, worse than even losing their precious Lengelzai.
****
The sounds of battle were all around them, as two adolescent children, protected by the Lengelzai's main gaurd retreated as fast as possible. The enemy forces were large: much larger than they expected. While normally such a thing would not affect the Lengel that much, the enemy also were able to use huge beasts to drive off their attacks, and managed to hold a formation that protected them from the sting of Lengel arrows.
Yegu, the eldest son of Yesugei, rode with his younger brother Khaidu in the midst of a fighting retreat. Both were scared, but tried not to show it. It was their first battle, other than the hunts they had been on. It was a frightening experience, to see the war machine of the Lengel fight with its more wealthy and numerous opponents.
Suddenly, a cry was heard.
"The Lengelzai has fallen! The Lengelzai has fallen!"
For a single second, it seemed like mass panic would take the army. That with the death of the living representation of Koke, and the mightest warlord of the Lengel, the discipline of the Lengel would break, and the nation would be broken in this one battle. Yet, that was assuming no man would take up the reigns of battle for revenge. In this case, it was a boy.
Yegu was shocked at first, but as the Lengel line turned to chaos in front of him, and despair rippled through the ranks, Yegu was consumed by rage. With a furious battle cry, and he screamed, his childish voice carrying to nearby commanders.
"DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES! I WILL AVENGE MY FATHERS DEATH!"
The yell was heard by several commanders, who motioned to horn blowers. Horns began to blow as one, and the Lengel began to calm. The individual commanders acted as if in one mind with Yegu, and ordered the continued firing upon the enemy. Yegu moved to the front of the army, and began firing his bow with as much strength as he could muster into the enemy ranks.
Khaidu followed his brothers lead, and managed to push to the front. Only to watch his brother fall from an arrow to his chest. The commanders, still acting indepently did not see, and the attack continued. An arrow wizzed by, and knicked young Khaidu on his arm. The pain jolted him from his despair at knowing that both his father, and his brother were dead.
My brother, my father, killed by these bastards...
Another arrow killed a nearby man, and suddenly Khaidu realized that staying in this battle would mean the death of all Lengel soldiers here. They were to consumed by the death of the Lengelzai. As much as he wanted to join them in the suicidal attack, Khaidu was suddenly filled with a need to flee, and to save the Lengel to fight another day.
Whether it was fear, or it was the power of Koke filling his body, and directing him to the correct actions, Khaidu yelled out to the commanders.
"Retreat! Retreat! By the power of Koke, retreat!"
Broken from their revenge filled minds, the commanders realized the death trap they were in, and the horns sounded again. This time, for the retreat. Protected by the remants of the Lengelzai's guard, Khaidu fainted suddenly a few minutes into the fast retreat. Falling from his horse, the guards quickly swarmed him, rushing him to a shaman doctor.
His small little wound had never stopped bleeding.
****
He had been six at the time. The battle of Magi plains had taken his father, and his brother from him. His sister died soon after in Magi. His mother had died from disease several years before. His only relatives were the Lengelzai's brother, Jelme, and his sons.
Duua the Blind had taken the position of Lengelzai, holding it as if a regent until he was old enough. Several years passed as Khaidu studied underneath Citadel scholars, and Duua's wise teachings, until Khaidu turned thirteen. By then, it became apparent why he had never stopped bleeding in the Battle of Magi plains. Why he was weaker than most his age.
He too had a disease. Koke's blight. The curse of the unclean. Koke's punishment towards those on earth. His skin was disfiguered by the disease, and his body weakened by it. He was pitied by the people, and given a wide berth because of it. Yet he never stopped dreaming of revenge.
When he turned sixteen, Duua the Blind died. And a Shalamari army drew within sight of the Lengel battle camp. With the eve of battle so close, the commanders of the army argued over who would succeed Duua the Blind as Lengelzai, since Khaidu was unfit to rule. Ignoring their arguements, Khaidu took a loyal gaurd, and promoted several Lengels loyal to him to positions of Commanders before gathering the troops and leading them towards the massive enemy army.
While the arguing commanders attempted to regain control, and stop Khaidu, the army he led fanatically followed the "blighted" son of Yesugei towards certain doom, believing that Koke was inside Khaidu based on his heritage, and that Koke had to curse Khaidu in order that the Divine presence could exist at the same time in his body.
****
The young Khaidu led his army towards the Shalamari force, ignoring the words of the commanders who he had replaced.
"Khaidu, you are being foolish! To charge against the Shalamari would be certain death, a fact your father became aware of at Magi! We do not have an apporpiate counter to their protective formation," said one, "and their archers would be out of our range with their Phalanx protection!"
"What you say is true. Except I have a counter," was the reply of the strong-willed, and weak bodied Khaidu. His body was covered in both the traditional Lengel furs, but also with various southern wraps, hiding his deformities from the eyes of his troops. An obsidian mask, imported from Kehexou's mountain of fire, was placed on his face, his eyes barely visable through the mask.
"What are you talking about! You'll get us all killed if we continue to move against them without wearing them down! The commanders and I agree that we should abandon Nkondi lands to draw them deeper into our lands so that we may surroud them, and starve them."
Khaidu spared the man a withering glance, before turning back towards the massive army on the horizen.
"No, I will not abandon the land that my forefathers won," was his simple answer.
The words of the former commander then fell on deaf ears, and with a snarl he retreated back towards the Lengel camp, fully expecting Khaidu's force to die.
****
The battle had gone on for some time, on the plains near Zawasae . The Lengel horse archers were not able to inflict serious casualties on the defensive Phalanx, and the Shalamari archers were out of range of the Lengel horse archers. The battle seemed to follow all the others of the campaign so far. Lengel being slowly picked off by Shalamari, until they were forced to retreat.
Khaidu surveyed the battlefield, his mask betraying nothing of the young boys emotions, or his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt something deep inside him. Like a spark igniting a great wildfire. And then, he gave a single order.
"Dismount."
Confused, the commanders sent the orders to the troops, and the Lengel horse archers dismounted. Khaidu dismounted with some difficulty, his disease making him weak. Steadying himself, Khaidu took a deep breath, and then drew his sword.
The iron gleamed in the light, and suddenly, the commanders understood. The Lengel horde drew their various secondary iron weapons. Khaidu raised his sword high into the air, and it seemed to burn as the sun hit it just right. With a mighty roar, Khaidu began to charge forward.
Inspired by his wordless courage and strength (and unspoken order), the Lengel horde charged forward as one towards the enemy. Khaidu only managed a fair distance before he had to stop, collapsing from his disease. His guards quickly secured him, and he watched his horde charge weakly as he was placed back onto his horse.
The Shalamari forces were confused. Why were the Lengel on foot? Why were they charging? In a single moment, they understood as the wave of Lengels smashed against the Shalamari shield wall. The iron in the fanatical Lengel hands cut through the Shalamari battle line, surprised at the change in tactic, and at the Lengel iron weapons.
Lengel troops managed to reach a regiment of archers, and then slaughtered them. The Shalamari were greatly surprised, and began fighting a retreat to regroup. When the Shalamari finally did retreat, covered by the bite of their arrows, the assembled Lengel force cheered in victory. It was a bitter victory, but it was the first so far. They could defeat the Testudo formation.
They had Koke on their sides. The name Khaidu the Cursed was cast-off that day.
Khaidu the Lengelzai was taken up with a burning fire in his weak and dying body.
****
They did not expect me to live past seventeen. I lived to twenty. They did not believe I could survive till thirty. I am now thirty-three. I am the Supreme Lengelzai of the Lengel, and I have led my people to victory in Davar against the Khemri, and had whethered the strom the Gorinese and the Shalamari have thrown against my armies.
Yet, I am weak for all my accomplishments. The strength of my will is no match to the strength of my blight. My curse. My families punishment for arrogance and overconfidence. I despise my weakness, but accept the blight as my burden. The weight of both it, and the reponsibility of Lengelzai is slowly killing me, more surely than the curse itself. I am expecting death soon, but I do not mind it.
Afterall, I have been expected to die for a long time now.
Yet, it is no matter. I will leave the affairs of my peoples Empire to Yesui, warrior daughter of Tuman, who had passed on a mere after the Khemri were driven from Davar. She will serve as regent until my only son takes my place.
It is strange for me, disfigured as I am to have a son, but as Lengelzai I am able to aquire many liberities, as it is my right. I was blessed in that my son, a mere five years old, does not suffer as I do from my blight. My only wife tolerates her marriage to me while taking concubines due to my disease. I would have suspected my son to be on of theirs, but for the lighter skin caused by Aneyan ancestory. Aneyan blood which only flows through my veins.
I write this now only to give myself a respite to my dreams, the dreams which plauged my forefathers as well. In these last years of my life, I was struck blind like my mentor, and unable to walk without help, the blight having taken over so much of my body. I do not expect to wake tommorrow, as it has taken most of my strength even to write this. In the last hours of my life, I write the only words that have ever mattered to me, which drove me to victory at the Battle for Zawasae. The words that caused me to gather troops to fight that seemingly perfect defensive force.
"Koke gives both punishment and blessing, life and death, love and hate; his duality knows many names, and takes many forms. If you are faithful, his love will outweigh his hate, and you will be blessed."
I was cursed, but I was faithful in Koke, and he rewarded me with victory. I was faithful, and I was given many more years to my blighted life. I was faithful, and was given a son.
Truly, Koke is kind.
Khaidu the Iron-willed, Lengeliz, 1278
****
Khaidu died, unable to fight against his disease any longer. The year was 1278. It was a good Lengel death, his struggle against the disease considered a suitable battle of which to enter into Koke's domain. His death was greatly mourned, and his customary obsidian mask was taken to Zawasae were it was placed upon a stone pedestal.
No words were carved into its surface, but all Lengels knew of the story of the cursed Lengelzai. Zawasae became the pilgrimage for all young Lengels, where they would see the mask of a Lengelzai who truly represented the struggle against adversity that was called for in their religion. Much like the Sword at Lengeliz, it would become a symbol of Lengel culture.
Yesui, the trusted female general of Khaidu became acting Lengelzai, until Khaidu's son, Akhidai was old enough to take the seat of Lengelzai. While many men saw this as weak, Akhidai commanded the loyalty of the entire army even at a young age.
The son of the Iron-Willed was revevered and protected among the army. He was the son of both the cursed and the blessed, and was Koke among mortals. He would be great.
All the while, the mask sat in Zawasae, the Lengels there watching it with great respect.
A flame sparked was sparked, as a lame boy looked upon the mask, listening to the elderly tell stories of the Iron-Willed Khaidu.
****
Thlayli
Le Pétit Prince
Very nice, Contempt.
Random fact: This thread is the #1 hit on Google for LINESII. Go figure.
Random fact: This thread is the #1 hit on Google for LINESII. Go figure.
das
Regeneration In Process
Will soon post story with reply on Shalamari diplo.
Your orders called it Guanzhou. Meh, I'll change it, it's not a big deal.
@Contempt- I'll fix the religious stuff. Though I looked at the project, Nomads capital would have needed to be several turn longer to give you a new city, 2 culture, and a Cultural/Religious center.
It's now the sole religion of Skilv'so, Croyodon, Gorin, and in the future will spread further.
Oops, got some numbers backwards.
@Thlayli- Well, that's true with most NESes. Although the fact that LINES was a word and LINESII was close to word makes it slightly more interesting.
das
Regeneration In Process
Excerpts from "The Most Evil Man in the World", by Aghol-Chronist:
[...]
1. He descended from an ancient family of noblemen and advisors.
2. His father was the son of a City-Governor of Rusicade, and his mother was the daughter of Trekar-General.
3. His father Kurar-Ambassador was one of Gerber's greatest ambassadors, and with him Toghol had travelled in many countries.
4. In this manner he had learned much of the outside world, and gained much wisdom from this.
5. He had learned that the othern ations of the Crystal Ridge were stronger and more advanced, and that much could be learned from them.
6. And he had also learned of their contempt and arrogance towards Gerber, akin to Iktar-Nobleman's contempt towards the poor.
[...]
24. In this manner he steadily ascended in the court, and was granted the title of Advisor.
25. He worked as such diligently and displayed his wise judgement and great knowledge of the world, uncommon for one so young.
26. He gained the favour of the Thirty-Second Cecil-King quickly, and that latter one soon was unable to govern without Toghol's advice.
27. And so he became the Great Advisor.
[...]
39. It was in the same time that he had first heard of the ascendance of the Lengels.
40. These fierce men came not from the Cradle, but from the northern wastes.
41. They attacked and destroyed all before them, quickly conquering many of the far northern countries and forcing the Crystal Ridge Alliance to sign an uneasy peace, as he had advised.
42. During the peace, he had sent forth Ighril-Advisor to the lands of the Nkondi, who had been conquered by the Lengels.
[...]
45. Returning, Ighril-Advisor reported to the king that the Lengel hold there is strong, and that the land is changed completely, ruined and rebuilt.
[...]
47. But to Toghol, Ighril said far more - he said that the Lengels were able to make further war, and willing to do so.
48. When the king asked Toghol whether they should have war or peace with the Lengels, Toghol replied simply that they should wait.
49. The Lengels, he explained, have nothing to fight over with Gerber.
[...]
54. And in this manner, revenge was attained and Tristaria was conquered to much rejoicing.
55. Some had tried to kill Toghol, claiming that he had started a dishonorable war and that he had betrayed a fellow civilized nation to the Lengels.
56. But he crushed the conspiracy, and declared that the Lengels were yet to offend Gerber, while the Tristarians offended and betrayed it since the days of the First Cecil-King.
57. Yet himself, he was worried about his decisions.
58. So while great construction works continued and the realm was in peace, ever more often he travelled to the great plains-altar of Bezerk, and there meditated often.
59. Much evil has filled his heart since his birth - hatred and envy of other nations, dislike of patronizing relatives, contempt for the idleness, corruption and decadence of the court, the rigours of coercing the lazy populace into building a truly great empire.
60. And while he meditated, he released this evil from the deepest parts of his soul, and fought it with the help of the Highest Priest Vetkar-Priest.
61. So finally, he had conquered it, and was conquered by it.
62. He became at one with Evil, and no longer allowed any considerations to hold him back.
63. For he who is Most Evil is the hardest to stop.
64. And nothing requires as much evil as bringing a realm to greatness.
[...]
67. Thus no longer bothered by good - for he had expelled it - or by evil - for he had subdued it and forced it to mold with himself - Toghol-Advisor turned this powerful force towards greatening of the empire.
68. He ordered the annexation of Tristaria, renaming of the cities, construction of great new palace complexes and smiths, the recruitment of hordes of soldiers, reprisals against heretics and rebels; as the Thirty-Second Cecil-King died, the weak-minded Thirty-Third Cecil-King did not even think of questioning the decrees he had signed.
69. Evil is a powerful energy; it had served Gerber as fuel in those days, as he pushed it forward and forward.
70. But this fuel could run out quickly unless Gerber continued to progress, to gain, to conquer.
71. More resources were needed.
[...]
74. When the Shalamari and the Gorinese proposed that war be made with the Lengels, Irghil-Ambassador, niw the ambassador in the Shalamari capital Glass had at first protested this as foolish.
75. He said that it was a senseless attack with no chance of success, for one should not try to charge at a quick eagle with a spear, lest he make himself a laughing-stock.
76. But the Gorinese were not dissuaded, and when Toghol himself arrived, Irghil-Ambassador was surprised to hear that Toghol sought nothing short of all-out war with the Lengels.
77. Seeing that the allies were already making plans, Toghol gladly accepted them and encoruaged them to grow more and more ambitious, to make detailed plans and draw battle-maps, as if the war was already on.
78. And while they almost boasted of their incoming victory, Toghol dispatched Ighril-Ambassador to the Lengel court in the name of the Thirty-Third Cecil-King, where Ighril-Ambassador revealed all the plans.
79. Lengelzai, ruler of the Lengels, was much engladdened by this.
80. Though Ighril-Ambassador, Toghol had negotiated a deal with him, and plans were made for Gerber and the Lengel Empire to ascend to greatness together.
81. For the position of the ruler of a minor state was not enough for Toghol.
82. He had seen the world, and many great empires, and contempt in him grew for the foolish ways in which they had used their power and wealth, and were wasted, came to nothing and fell.
83. For years, he had craved to make a great empire out of Gerber, but do it in the right manner, as to trully make it the greatest empire, for it will be an empire driven not by uncertain balance of good and evil, but by evil alone.
[...]
88. Alas, his plans came to naught, for the Lengels have not proven strong enough, and the Gerber army was too undisciplinned.
89. The Shalamari capital was burned, but so was the Gerber one, and the Gerber army fell on the field of
90. Greatly enraged were the Shalamari by the fall of Glass, and so they killed and mutilated the Thirty-Third Cecil-King, who could not even comprehend his death.
91. But nowhere could they find Toghol, who had fled to the countryside.
92. For only the good stay and fight, and die, be mourned and be forgotten.
93. While the trully evil live to fight another day, and even if they are defeated, they are remembered for ages.
[...]
95. There, he had regained himself, and crushed all fear within.
96. He was not trully defeated yet, for he had gained much - the loss of the ever-plotting court and all that stood before him and power was what the Shalamari had accomplished to their woe.
97. Toghol-King now captured Gerber, and regroupped its armies, and the Shalamari soon learned that they did not even defeat the far weaker Gerber, while still at war with the Lengels, and while the Gorinese, aghast at their doom, already withdrew from the war and the rotten Crystal Ridge Alliance.
98. There still was much to gain from continued war, even though Gerber could cease to exist in it.
99. But as it is more honourable for a warrior to die in battle than be defeated, it was more honourable for a people to be wiped out than confess defeat and be consgined to mediocricy.
100. So when the Shalamari and the Lengel ambassadors came to the Bezerk Altar to ask for war or peace, he chose the former option.
[...]
[...]
1. He descended from an ancient family of noblemen and advisors.
2. His father was the son of a City-Governor of Rusicade, and his mother was the daughter of Trekar-General.
3. His father Kurar-Ambassador was one of Gerber's greatest ambassadors, and with him Toghol had travelled in many countries.
4. In this manner he had learned much of the outside world, and gained much wisdom from this.
5. He had learned that the othern ations of the Crystal Ridge were stronger and more advanced, and that much could be learned from them.
6. And he had also learned of their contempt and arrogance towards Gerber, akin to Iktar-Nobleman's contempt towards the poor.
[...]
24. In this manner he steadily ascended in the court, and was granted the title of Advisor.
25. He worked as such diligently and displayed his wise judgement and great knowledge of the world, uncommon for one so young.
26. He gained the favour of the Thirty-Second Cecil-King quickly, and that latter one soon was unable to govern without Toghol's advice.
27. And so he became the Great Advisor.
[...]
39. It was in the same time that he had first heard of the ascendance of the Lengels.
40. These fierce men came not from the Cradle, but from the northern wastes.
41. They attacked and destroyed all before them, quickly conquering many of the far northern countries and forcing the Crystal Ridge Alliance to sign an uneasy peace, as he had advised.
42. During the peace, he had sent forth Ighril-Advisor to the lands of the Nkondi, who had been conquered by the Lengels.
[...]
45. Returning, Ighril-Advisor reported to the king that the Lengel hold there is strong, and that the land is changed completely, ruined and rebuilt.
[...]
47. But to Toghol, Ighril said far more - he said that the Lengels were able to make further war, and willing to do so.
48. When the king asked Toghol whether they should have war or peace with the Lengels, Toghol replied simply that they should wait.
49. The Lengels, he explained, have nothing to fight over with Gerber.
[...]
54. And in this manner, revenge was attained and Tristaria was conquered to much rejoicing.
55. Some had tried to kill Toghol, claiming that he had started a dishonorable war and that he had betrayed a fellow civilized nation to the Lengels.
56. But he crushed the conspiracy, and declared that the Lengels were yet to offend Gerber, while the Tristarians offended and betrayed it since the days of the First Cecil-King.
57. Yet himself, he was worried about his decisions.
58. So while great construction works continued and the realm was in peace, ever more often he travelled to the great plains-altar of Bezerk, and there meditated often.
59. Much evil has filled his heart since his birth - hatred and envy of other nations, dislike of patronizing relatives, contempt for the idleness, corruption and decadence of the court, the rigours of coercing the lazy populace into building a truly great empire.
60. And while he meditated, he released this evil from the deepest parts of his soul, and fought it with the help of the Highest Priest Vetkar-Priest.
61. So finally, he had conquered it, and was conquered by it.
62. He became at one with Evil, and no longer allowed any considerations to hold him back.
63. For he who is Most Evil is the hardest to stop.
64. And nothing requires as much evil as bringing a realm to greatness.
[...]
67. Thus no longer bothered by good - for he had expelled it - or by evil - for he had subdued it and forced it to mold with himself - Toghol-Advisor turned this powerful force towards greatening of the empire.
68. He ordered the annexation of Tristaria, renaming of the cities, construction of great new palace complexes and smiths, the recruitment of hordes of soldiers, reprisals against heretics and rebels; as the Thirty-Second Cecil-King died, the weak-minded Thirty-Third Cecil-King did not even think of questioning the decrees he had signed.
69. Evil is a powerful energy; it had served Gerber as fuel in those days, as he pushed it forward and forward.
70. But this fuel could run out quickly unless Gerber continued to progress, to gain, to conquer.
71. More resources were needed.
[...]
74. When the Shalamari and the Gorinese proposed that war be made with the Lengels, Irghil-Ambassador, niw the ambassador in the Shalamari capital Glass had at first protested this as foolish.
75. He said that it was a senseless attack with no chance of success, for one should not try to charge at a quick eagle with a spear, lest he make himself a laughing-stock.
76. But the Gorinese were not dissuaded, and when Toghol himself arrived, Irghil-Ambassador was surprised to hear that Toghol sought nothing short of all-out war with the Lengels.
77. Seeing that the allies were already making plans, Toghol gladly accepted them and encoruaged them to grow more and more ambitious, to make detailed plans and draw battle-maps, as if the war was already on.
78. And while they almost boasted of their incoming victory, Toghol dispatched Ighril-Ambassador to the Lengel court in the name of the Thirty-Third Cecil-King, where Ighril-Ambassador revealed all the plans.
79. Lengelzai, ruler of the Lengels, was much engladdened by this.
80. Though Ighril-Ambassador, Toghol had negotiated a deal with him, and plans were made for Gerber and the Lengel Empire to ascend to greatness together.
81. For the position of the ruler of a minor state was not enough for Toghol.
82. He had seen the world, and many great empires, and contempt in him grew for the foolish ways in which they had used their power and wealth, and were wasted, came to nothing and fell.
83. For years, he had craved to make a great empire out of Gerber, but do it in the right manner, as to trully make it the greatest empire, for it will be an empire driven not by uncertain balance of good and evil, but by evil alone.
[...]
88. Alas, his plans came to naught, for the Lengels have not proven strong enough, and the Gerber army was too undisciplinned.
89. The Shalamari capital was burned, but so was the Gerber one, and the Gerber army fell on the field of
90. Greatly enraged were the Shalamari by the fall of Glass, and so they killed and mutilated the Thirty-Third Cecil-King, who could not even comprehend his death.
91. But nowhere could they find Toghol, who had fled to the countryside.
92. For only the good stay and fight, and die, be mourned and be forgotten.
93. While the trully evil live to fight another day, and even if they are defeated, they are remembered for ages.
[...]
95. There, he had regained himself, and crushed all fear within.
96. He was not trully defeated yet, for he had gained much - the loss of the ever-plotting court and all that stood before him and power was what the Shalamari had accomplished to their woe.
97. Toghol-King now captured Gerber, and regroupped its armies, and the Shalamari soon learned that they did not even defeat the far weaker Gerber, while still at war with the Lengels, and while the Gorinese, aghast at their doom, already withdrew from the war and the rotten Crystal Ridge Alliance.
98. There still was much to gain from continued war, even though Gerber could cease to exist in it.
99. But as it is more honourable for a warrior to die in battle than be defeated, it was more honourable for a people to be wiped out than confess defeat and be consgined to mediocricy.
100. So when the Shalamari and the Lengel ambassadors came to the Bezerk Altar to ask for war or peace, he chose the former option.
[...]
Cuivienen
Deity
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2003
- Messages
- 8,011
On the morning of the 12th of Kadax[1], I moved out of the Queenstower[2]. The beds of the dozen halls kept for princes and princesses would be enough for me. I am Larias Mayanas, and I am too old now to climb the stairs of the royal palace every night.
How they would laugh to see me, our Khemri foes! Surely they would be embarrassed that our armies invaded their lands 28 years ago and have not yet been driven out despite my state. Kehexou is led by an old woman, and a wrinkled one, and I am told crones are not thought highly of in Khemri.
Oh, to be sure, I still wield all of my wits, and my planning for the battlefield and diplomatic finesse are no less than they were 28 years ago, or 32 years ago when I ascended the throne of Kehexou. Yet it feels sometimes as if something has been lost in all my aging, some sort of inner fire that I see in my children: in brilliant Kaxado, my eldest, strong Deras, my second, and beautiful Alyada, my only daughter. It is perhaps that need to live, that need to have something to live for. I? I know I will not see this war with Khemri ended in my lifetime. And perhaps that is why I feel that something has been lost. I dreamed so strongly, then, and thought I would live to see my dreams fulfilled.
What then to do with an old woman who can longer reach her bed, high in a tower? Is it time then to let go, to cease my rule? Have I already done so in abandoning the Queenstower, that for so long has housed the kings and queens of Kehexou? Am I ready to slip into a quiet retirement?
That final question makes me bark out a laugh. A quiet retirement for Larias Mayanas? Not in all the wills of the Six, and not in all the ages of the world. But perhaps it is time to see another rule in my stead, and to guide my son Kaxado for as long as I can, though he knows this war perhaps better than I do. He has lived most of his life in its shadow, after all, and he has seen the defenses at Delhi and the fortifications on the Khim. He knows what this war has cost us, and also what benefits this war will bring. And, of course, he understands, above all, the need for revenge.
Will I now shed this crown that sits heavily on my head? Of course, but I will also always bear the crown. I must call Kaxado. We have plotting to do once more.
[1] November.
[2] Kingstower when a king reigns. The tower housing the rooms of the ruling king or queen and their spouse.
How they would laugh to see me, our Khemri foes! Surely they would be embarrassed that our armies invaded their lands 28 years ago and have not yet been driven out despite my state. Kehexou is led by an old woman, and a wrinkled one, and I am told crones are not thought highly of in Khemri.
Oh, to be sure, I still wield all of my wits, and my planning for the battlefield and diplomatic finesse are no less than they were 28 years ago, or 32 years ago when I ascended the throne of Kehexou. Yet it feels sometimes as if something has been lost in all my aging, some sort of inner fire that I see in my children: in brilliant Kaxado, my eldest, strong Deras, my second, and beautiful Alyada, my only daughter. It is perhaps that need to live, that need to have something to live for. I? I know I will not see this war with Khemri ended in my lifetime. And perhaps that is why I feel that something has been lost. I dreamed so strongly, then, and thought I would live to see my dreams fulfilled.
What then to do with an old woman who can longer reach her bed, high in a tower? Is it time then to let go, to cease my rule? Have I already done so in abandoning the Queenstower, that for so long has housed the kings and queens of Kehexou? Am I ready to slip into a quiet retirement?
That final question makes me bark out a laugh. A quiet retirement for Larias Mayanas? Not in all the wills of the Six, and not in all the ages of the world. But perhaps it is time to see another rule in my stead, and to guide my son Kaxado for as long as I can, though he knows this war perhaps better than I do. He has lived most of his life in its shadow, after all, and he has seen the defenses at Delhi and the fortifications on the Khim. He knows what this war has cost us, and also what benefits this war will bring. And, of course, he understands, above all, the need for revenge.
Will I now shed this crown that sits heavily on my head? Of course, but I will also always bear the crown. I must call Kaxado. We have plotting to do once more.
[1] November.
[2] Kingstower when a king reigns. The tower housing the rooms of the ruling king or queen and their spouse.
Kozmos
Jew Detective
A book about me, how nice!
Lord_Iggy said:
I never intended the wonder to literally give me a Cultural/Religous center, only the new capital and the culture bonus. The stories I wrote were aimed at having some effect on it becoming a cultural center, most specifically the Bronze sword stuck into the ground with Lengelzai Jebe's death.
das
Regeneration In Process
Fear me, for I have mastered the ways of the thread, and read all from the the Two Hundred Thirty Fourth Thread-Page to Two Hundred Thirty Ninth Thread-Page, and shall now offer my comments! 
You rather misunderstand our philosophy. We will invite all our allies to try and screw in a lightbulb, and while they're busy we will kill them all even if it means that the lightbulb we intended to screw in is smashed as well. We'll probably steal a new one from our allies anyway and THEN make them screw it in for real.
Nah, do it after major changes. Like after the Fall of Veritas, or, now, after the Collapse of the Lengels.
Its much easier and less time-consuming to do them at once.
You rather misunderstand our philosophy.
We will invite all our allies to try and screw in a lightbulb, and while they're busy we will kill them all even if it means that the lightbulb we intended to screw in is smashed as well. We'll probably steal a new one from our allies anyway and THEN make them screw it in for real.Nah, do it after major changes. Like after the Fall of Veritas, or, now, after the Collapse of the Lengels.
Its much easier and less time-consuming to do them at once.
das
Regeneration In Process
Indeed it is, but did you really read it in one minute?
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
lurker's comment: Congrats, Iggy. Makes me sad I didn't join this at the start.
You could join now NK. Although there aren't any very good nations out right now...
You could be one of the Veritasian successor states and try to reunite Veritas or something...
Meh. It's your call.
You could be one of the Veritasian successor states and try to reunite Veritas or something...
Meh. It's your call.
Isn't the phrase 'Excuse me, I'm still here!'
North King
blech
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,165
Oh, I have a bit too much on my plate to effectively contemplate making grand and destructive war in this NES right now.
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