PureNES: Years of Excelsior

[human-slaughter]

The colonists prospered in these days. They had more land to build their towns than upon the sea. They still fished but they began to discover other sustenance that came from the scattered forests near their southern border. They fished, hunted and gathered berries and vegetables until they had established fields.

The whole coast here was taken by the colonists the native peoples were mostly assimilated into the community as scouts for the colonist’s growing militia. A small port town was established in the western colony. It was much like Kehran as it served as a staging point for fishing and explorations.

Farther west wars raged. The new invention that was used was most destructive to enemy hulls not to mention fearsome to the crew of said ship. The captains of the ships were watching the superior power of the Beaknoses and noticed their ability to strike together in formations. The Tevanii ships were great sailors but lacked that discipline that the Sea Peoples had. They tried their hand at formations and tactics. Their first idea was to put the giant crossbow ships in front of the formation with the smaller faster ships behind. The tactic would work as follows:

When the enemy ships approached the crossbows would fire in somewhat unison tearing into the approaching ships. Then the faster ships would come between the larger ships to take apart the remaining enemy ships that hadn’t been hit.

In larger battles the larger ships would continue to fire until the ships got to close then the melee would ensue with boardings and rammings.

One day the leader of the Tevanii navy came to the Beaknoses with a suggestion...

 

[Thlayli]

PC stats are up, in my reserve post. NPC stats and the Story Archive will be added when NK wakes up, and can edit his posts.

For the person that sent me a PM, I'll get back to you soon.

 

[Kal'thzar]

Very Good Thy, now have a nice comparison without asking the mods all the time

 

[Kal'thzar]

Scholar Michael had been brought along with Brother Jonahs, ostenability to help the post war efforts and to take some firm hold on the eliu reform the laws, throwing out the worst of them and otherwise making the people of the Habyte happier to be under the benevolant rule of the Autarchs.

Autarch Gader'al had however a different purpose for bringing him here. Michael had watched the battles with a wrenching sense of horror and then a growing sense of amazement as the Habyte Retreated. The actual conquest of the cities had been relativly easy, simply walking through the lands announcing to the various villages their new master, and sending envoys to the Cities.

No, Michael had been brought along to preserve what was left of the scholarly tradition in Habyte. The important metallurgical, astronomical, mathematical, and engineering advances that had spread from the region to all corners of the earth. Many of the scholars fled to other nations, many more had been slain. Finding fleeing scholar to join the path, or otherwise scribing such knowledge that that remained sometimes felt like attempting to catch the wind.

From what Michael could dicepher of the texts he had currently been transcribing, the economy of the Habytian regions had been truly decimated. Large reductions in population and destruction of infrastructure were common.
The economic effects such destruction had were already being felt as the initial subtle shock-waves spread out, and as hard as Autarch Gader'al tried, it was not such a simple matter to replace the Habyte. A liver cannot become the heart and soul of a world in a night. The size of the Harungen economy was perhaps the only thing that stopped an out-right collapse. Michael simply continued with what he was told to do, recovering what knowledge that could be found.

 

[Kal'thzar]

"We are a Bastion of Order, in a dark and brooding sea of Chaos"
-Of the Autarchs


Lord Hitha rode with a small force defending a stretch of border near the nation of Kthul, the cold wind chilling his bones, whilst his armour caused him to sweat profusly. It was a god-forsaken place, even the Gods of Chaos would not come here. But his Autarch had commanded him; "These Sea Peoples are a chaotic peoples, do not expect them to come from the river. If anything the presence of Kthul will force them to commit an army to attack, and once there, they will be faced with a choice, attacking the Harungen or the Draklor. And you have seen the maps, and the difficulty that will put us in"

So Here he was, establishing a presence, and out here, defining a border on the ease it could be defended. He had created a few small forts on the way, which would be slowly expanded. And only yesterday he sent off an emmissary to some small city that existed precariously near Kthul, offering them an alliance, and whatever trade that could be made. Lord Hitha simply did not have the resources to capture the city and defend it and the larger border, especially when it was highly likly to be taken by some enemy. Best to attempt to create some Order, alliances, diplomacy. The resources were being conserved for other purposes....

****​

Further South Lord Yusha was forming a small army, a punitive expedition into Stiert. Here it was overcast, clouds gathering over-head, A summer storm. Stiert had made but a single small raid into the Kingdom. The Response was to be crushing. And a compliant King to be placed on the throne with plentifull Harungen Advisors.

Lord Yusha had also been told to make contact with the other Kingdoms to the south, with the destruction of Habyte, and the Sea Peoples destroying everything that wasn't theirs, The Kingdom of Harungen desperatly needed to find sources of plentifull resources, to feed the giant nation, from whence they would manufacture goods. He as also to Negotiate with these Vardisians, where he had been told, personally by the Autarch in Confidence, to hold back and observe these Lumosians, there was some hypothesing that they worshipped a deity in the shap of Kaois, which was absurd, but an important distinction from the Chaos Gods. Others drew the more readily avialable conclusion that they were chaotic in nature. Much would depend on intial impressions.

****​

On the Mainu River Lord Koka was examining his position, the Autarch had left to return to the capital. Leaving Koka with an army, and orders to defend this area, and to secure it in the name of Ynnead. He had sent some emmissaries to the Habtye, who had rather proudly declared that they would not be lap-dogs to some barbarian Autarch with delusions of Grandeour. So Koka had settled for keeping an unseen presence in their territories, so he had as much advance warning of the Sea Peoples advancing on the Habyte. It mattered not what they said, he would assist, and he would be there. The Path required it of him, and he had sworn to maintain Order.

He had been attempting to find a safe passage to the Kingdom of Alezar, Lord Koka had wanted to open Communications, and the Autarch had told him to find a way if possible, but to concentrate on his task. These Sea Peoples were not to be underestimated, they were after all The Phoenix's Favoured

 

[Kal'thzar]

"We have told our children for generations that we are Ynneads Chosen. But had anyone stopped to consider that the Phoenix might also have a Chosen people?"
- Autarch Gader'al


The Autarch Gader'al had returned to the capital, for but one purpose, further preparing his Son to succeed him. And to begin his intensive education, his son was involved deeply in every single deceision that Gader'al made, he conveyed orders to his generals on the fringes of the Empire and examined the defensive positions, and studied under the generals, and his Father. He spent an exhaustive year studying the laws, the background of them and the reason for their creation. He was taught the various languages of the Empire to further enable him to understand his peoples. It must be said that thinking in the Harungen language is extremly orderded, the language itself does not change much; except for new devices and inventions. And it has been commentated that thinking in other languages allows Chaos to enter the mind and the thinking process.

Which was the last issue that was before Gader'al's son. An intensive training of Order. So that the correct path would come naturally.

Gader'al also had a daughter, an incredibly intelligent child, he often contemplated the effects of having a female on the throne, but dismissed it. However Intelligence left to its own devices often seeks power, and that Gader'al would not ignore. First he Married her off to one of the more powerfull of the Nobal families.

She soon grew bored of manipulating the family to her hearts desires and began to construct an informal network of informers. This Gader'al could not ignore, and hence he gave her a task. Reforming tax law. Which proved to be enough of a distraction and hard enough to gain consensus and avoid revolt from the 'Peasant Path' [1] to occupy her mind for many years to come.

****​

And in all this Gader'al had to accomplish a restructuring of the nation, concentrating on the core territories and slowly getting the economy on a more stable footing, before branching out. And twice leading the Main army in the capital towards the southern border to attack raiders and give them the appropriate response.

Enforcing the immigration of the Harungen people to replace the dead Habyte cities was only the start, that region in particular had been hit extremly hard, and was unlikly to recover without intensive care, understanding of the region and a great deal of luck.

 

[Jason The King]

When is the ETA for the update?

 

[Thlayli]

Sorry, I've been busy with school restarting, and I'll be in Indiana this weekend. It might be a while.

There haven't been many stories (except Kal's of course) this turn, so I'm giving you guys another couple days to finish.

 

[human-slaughter]

/points at my story

Im also waiting on diplo

 

[Kal'thzar]

You trickle

I'm a deluge

 

[Grombar]

OOC: Do we have a set amount of time these updates cover? Im not sure if it was ever agreed upon or if I just missed it.

Kelan had grown up loving to watch the horses run. His father Declann Alystr had started to create this herd before he was even born, they where the prime of the stock in Alystr. Kelan spent as much time as possible in the saddle just for the pure joy of it. Lately he hadn't spent as much time with Manus (his horse) as he would like and both where restless. Now that he was past his 16th name day his duties had seemed to triple overnight.

Instead of just hearing about the history of the nation, the road building projects, how the army had to be handled (money to pay the men, best training practices, new equipment, where they should be patrolling, ect), the farming/trade of the nation, ect. he was now supposed to help with it. His afternoons of racing around the country side seemed over. His only joy was when he was "forced" to head to different cities in Alystr or to meet with the "barbarians" who where becoming more and more civilized. During these trips he was free to ride and just be himself - at least until he got to the town. The "barbarians" where another story, he had made friends with a few and had started to learn many interesting things they did differently.

Kelan hoped things would be different when he was King but somehow he just didn't think that was going to happen.

 

[LightFang]

Cogmon-Nullus Eleyson

"Jykmor created us; the Nameless One, saves us. Jykmor, watch over us; Nameless One, protect us."
-From a desert song.

I am a certified, bona fide idiot.

Every. Single. Day. The same words echoed through the Veritor's mind. How idiotic. Jykmor surely had to be laughing in His Throne. And what about his harlot of a wife, the Nameless One? She was worthless. She had probably sent them there specifically to watch them all perish in the never ending desert. It was a veritable sea. They were drifting, wrecked, and about to drown in the perishing heat.

Go back and face the barbarians. Go forth into the unknown.

Both were not exactly favorable choices. To use the popular expression, he was caught between the sea and the sand. They marched on, the glorious expedition now a desperate colony of survival. Except, it wasn't a colony per se; it was Exilia, the fabled land of the east, the mysterious brooding peoples who relied on five levels of existence and who were fanatical about regaining what was lost.

And now, doubly so. They had crashed and burned twice. Even the Veritor had given up hope. And now a cry from the front. Surely it was just another comrade fallen to exhaustion.

But wait -- exciting whisperings, then shouts. Green, grass, flowers -- mountains! Real mountains, breaking the monotony! And between the mountains, blue, real blue, that drinkable water that sustains all life.

"Set up camp," he said, voice raspy with lack of water. If you don't use your voice, you forget how to use it. Still, it was an impressive rattling bellow.

He breathed a prayer to the two gods and collapsed.

--

The Veritor Siccus perished of sunstroke and dehydration the day they set up camp. Following custom, the council chose a new Veritor to lead them. They chose the Captain of the Guard, who decided to set a precedent and chose a name for himself. And thus he became Veritor Divenoi. He doubly-thanked the Dual Gods for the honor. To do so fully, he decided that the memory of Veritor Siccus would never fade away.

"Write," he told the scribes. "of the sagacious man who wisely led our people away from the barbarians of the south..."

He saw that there would not be enough food and water to support the Exiled forever. But it was enough for a while. They would use the area as a base of operations. Once they recuperated, scouts would be sent out around the areas to find more habitable areas.

It could work. If a military man could lead a nation, then a nation could find a land in a desert. A land where they, perhaps, belonged.

A man could dream.

 

[North King]

Updates should cover roughly 80 years each, or that's what I was doing.

 

[human-slaughter]

Thlayli I am still waiting for diplo awnsers I cant do anything without them.

 

[Grombar]

A soldier's life was never easy. Vayne had joined the army at the age of 17, his family owned a small trading company and he was the 4th child of his parents 5. This left him with an open future since the oldest 2 where to continue on with the family business. Vayne was always on the smaller side, but fast. When he joined up with the army 10 years ago now they put made him a scout. This worked out well for him since it always kept him going to new places and on the move and also since he found his wife among his fellow scouts.

Like most of the scouts he was with today they where all veterans. The army had begun to move men to the borders to help with construction of the border forts and to keep an eye out for whatever was out there. Vayne was out here without his wife due to her pregnancy. Today's mission was a simple one, ride out to all the forts to check on their progress, current situation of the border, and to gather any news of activity and bring it back to command. This would have been the ideal mission except for the rains, why did it always seem to rain when he got the easy missions.

 

[Thlayli]

Sorry for the delay, school's been taking up most of my free time.

Deadline Friday, update Sunday.

EDIT: Possibly not. I've just gotten a load of extra work.

 

[Contempt]

College is taking up much of my time. Thlayli, just do what we talked about a couple weeks ago on MSN, and hopefully things will calm down.

 

[Terrance888]

The Isus Inquiziton

The Men of Isus was herded from their homeland, the sea people reigned surpeme over the once mighty pensula of Isus, thoose trade was magniflyed by the pensular's huge harbor and the jutting of it into the sea. However, The Sea Peoples Came, Slaughtered and conquered, and built and empire of naught but blood. So tis the Men of Isus Roamed into exile, and formed City states in what is know now as Cann'an, The Home Away from Home. And there, overshadowed by the Occuied Pensulas' of Isus, A new nation and beleif was born.

Irayna was old now, and as the advisor the the queen, was disidedly frail for naught but choice pieces of infomation from the late King Avien and from her Journal. The Land called Cann'an was a wide grassland plateu, with the Isus City-States on the Sea Coast, living off the sea as before, but only not with the huge harbor and the cntureies of infanstructure of the HomeLand.

On the streets, scuffles were broken out everyday, and every month a band of 20 or so brught a ship to try to retake a piece of the homeland to be never returned.

But today if different, as she looked out on the streets of Jaynassis. A man was talking, not in a rebellious tone to overthrow the Avien Dynasty and o raise a military state to reconqueor Isusia, but the kind tone of... forgivenis?

The Advisor forced herself and her bag of bones & brains to the group... she had just finished the book with all of King Avien's confieded infomation in a place only she and The queen knows.

A man named Hardrin Ja was preaching the Lore of Forgiveness and producing miricles of A Diety known and the Almighty God.

Blind Man : Young man, how may we defeat the Sea Peop..

Hardrian Ja : Do no talk of war and death, but forgive tem, for every thing as a purpose, and doing so, you my be healed of you woulds of the heart and of the eye.

Blind Man : But how cannot I damn the Murdous Barbar

Hardain Ja : I o, the arrow that peirces the eye. But remember, love your enemys, for one day, they may sell the lands back on the money we earned from honest trading.

Blind man: I beleive You.

Hardain Ja : Good, you have reached forgiveness, may yu see again th truths of the world!

Man : I can see! Thank you! Lord!

Hardain Ja: No, Do not thank me, thank the forgiving Lord!


And so, The word of Hardain Ja and the belief of a forgiving god is spread, along stories and parables of Honest Hargin, who gained enough trust from Lord to be taugh ship building and to be safe from the Great Flood. From Jashila of the First Exile, and how the young shepherd of 8 killled mighy Gargantuan of The Sea Horde (tm). And how they settled Isus before the teachings were slowly forgetting from flooding of the scrolls. A religion is taking hold, and Isus is of one again.

 

[Thlayli]

Okay, that was...mostly coherent. I'll include you in the update.

 

[LightFang]

Charles is improving! That looked legible enough to be read and perhaps even comprehended given a few minutes and exhaustive note-taking.