Update 7 - 2007 FF The Year of the Running Leopard
Battles and wars have not ceased on the Southern Continent since the beginning of the new century. But although the fighting still continues, other perils await those who live in this time of strife. Far more people have fallen victim to the claws of plague and famine this year, and the political map has changed considerably since the last. First of all, a little...
SPOTLIGHT: Southern border of Shaemar, early morning winter 2006/2007
Garga held her body close to that of her dragon companion, Fralitzki. They were soaring high above the ground, straight south of the capital on a mission to scout the southern border for illegal immigrants (lol, I gotta laugh at this. It sounds so... Texan), but Fralitzki proposed that they investigate the clouds a bit first. The odd cloud cover that now claimd the entire sky acsorr the Blade Coast and beyond was... unsettling, even for dragons. It was unnatural, and Fralitzki had been very tense since the problem had begun with the coming of fall. Garga literally felt his concern, but did not speak of it (and did not need to since she could use their empathic link). She thought mostly that it was just another sign of the troubled times, with plagues and wars, but the dragons were all very interested in the clouds. They often said that they were dark with ashes, but how much wood must have burned to darken the entire sky? It was ridiculous, but concerning nonetheless that the dragons felt it that way.
Garga sighed and decided to remind Fralitzki of their mission. with a wink on their empathic link, she got his attention. He took the sign immediately, and let out a thought-mutter and descended. then she was aware of him beginning to scan for the ground far beneath them. After a minute of gentle descent, the dragon was aware of the surface, then he saw the rough features, then the rivers drew themselves clearly over the terrain. They were almost out of the dark clouds, when Garga suddenly sensed the startlement of Fralitzki. She thought-asked what it was, but received no answer. After a moment, Fralitzki said "see for yourself this is grave news". Garga could not understand what is was, but complied, straining her eyes to see down through the dark fog. Bit by bit, she saw the terrain. First, the river started to appear now and then, then the general landscape. after a while she saw sparse trees that dotted the landscape in small clusters - not trees!
Garga remembered suddenly all too vividly her last trip out here, and one thing she remembered was how bored whe was of the bare rolling hills that dominated the landscape. The trees she saw below here were moving. They were people. With horror she realized that they were Shiremen fleeing, fleeing in hordes across the border. Moreever, they did so purposefully, since all the others had been taken by the border patrols and sent back. They wore desperate faces, almost no clothes, and some of them, clear marks of the plague. She vaguely sensed Fralitzki thought-saying "be strong young one remember our orders". HHhow she wished for the boring but bare rolling hills now. One sentence went on and on in her mind: "Incinerate all trespassers." With it came tears, but also steely resolve. They stooped down, Fralitzki and Garga, to do their duty, however futile or meaningless.
Global News: the cold weather is starting to creep northwards. Now, Westshire, southern Delenlor and most of Shaba risks having snow even over the coming summer. The Spine of the World is reputed to be submerged in snow, and that more snow is still piling on the tops. Other countries are affected as well, although the more mild climates of coastal regions are somewhat shielded. Still, the cold is showing no signs of stagnating. As it is, people are fleeing the southern inland to seek out the warmer regions where crops actually can be harvested. The poor harvest has struck a particularly hard blow against Delenlor and Shaba (-1 Eco level)
As if the cold weather wasn't enough, a thick cover of dark clouds has settled over the entire Southern Continent. the clouds are not as severe out at sea, but still enough to block out most of the sunlight. This has caused a massive crop failure across the entire world, leading to famine in some places. the cloud cover has lightened some in the winter, but the damage done to the mainly agricutural economy still remains. (-1 Eco level to all nations)
Westerns Shelf: Westshire is in ruins after the cold weather has worsened. The King, Teddard the Just, has taken ill from the plague and due to his charitable effort to share his food with the people. With his people fleeing across the borders to bellfern and Shaemar, he seems to have little left to lose, but his imminent death weighs heavily on his subjects. The inhabitants of Solopolis have defied their urges to pack up and leave at once to await his death and bury him properly. While this was a very patriotic and noble act, the city is snowed in, and the river is quickly thickening it's layer of ice. If there is any hope for Westshire at all, it will be that the people will be accepted among their neighbors. Westshire is the third of the nations to fall victim to the Fall of Fa'e...Wu'di. (Yes, third)
Bellfern has taken in most of the refugees from Westshire. This has led to a boost in population, as well as a flourishing plague. Poor people huddle in the streets of the cities, as many of them dead as dying. Still, Bellfern has found ways to make their crops more resistant to the cold and dark weather, and has not had a famine as many other countries. (cancel -1 Eco)
Shaemar has not taken in much else than the plague. those who managed to come in from Westshire barely had time to spread their sickness before succumbing to it. Still, their eastern border has seen a military victory. With successfully bribing the officers in the mountain pass, Shaemar took control of the route east through the Dragonridge Mountains.
Heartlands: As expected, the army from Turin came to the northern borders of Horus. It appeared to be the entire force under Barragh's command. The Horusian Adepts hastly activated their main defence: the sea. They burst the dikes holding the masses of water out from the vast trench they had built, and flooded the defence works. This made a nice canal between the enemy and them, buying them precious time to regroup and prepare for the invasion. Horus also expected Barragh to launch his Reign of Fire, assumedly a powerful spell to call down huge molten rocks from the skies. Their assumption was quite correct, but this remains unknown (IC, duh!) since it was never unleashed. The defenders stood on the banks watching the army of Turin doing nothing. Eventually it broke up, and retreated. Rumors began at once to circulate about the reason for this. Some suspect a different threat in the north, some claim a popular revolt against the tyrannous Barragh. Some rumors even speak that the Prince is dead, killed by his own spell, but these are generally laughed at.
Ramon has takon over the Academy city on their eastern border from Delenlor. This happened through a ceremonious "removal" of all Delenlor forces from the city. By a mistake, the Delenlor Adepts who were in the Academy were also forced out. This caused them to panic, think they were going to be robbed their access to the Scrolls of Life, and led them to take a hasty decision to activate their safety that was installed in case Ramon was going to invade the city. With one spell, the pressurized air beneath the Academy bursh up, blowing the entire building up to smithereens. The Academy, along with its contents, are ruined, forever lost. With the onset of the plague, many grieve the loss of this magic lore that might have provided a cure against the ravenous plague. Moreever, this might spark a new conflict between Ramon and Delenlor...
Delenlor is experiencing more problems domestically with logistics. Even with their infrastructure and air magic, the effects of the piling snow and stretched borders are weighing heavily on the administration. the same goes for Shaba as well, which does not have access to air magic to mitigate the problem. the people are also calling for something to be done with the cold, and the answer to this is more and more appearing to be a migration of the entire people. Where they want to move remains to be seen.
Lirkland: Galadinia has collapsed! With the pressing war, the Senate decided to prepare in secret for an evacuation. The people was going to be informed about this over time, but the plans leaked, leading to a violent revolt. The Senate was forced to order military action against it's own people, and fled as fast as possible out at sea. There they have made a new capital on one of the islands. The mainland, without a government, stood up to defend the remains of Galadinia with their lives. The oncoming armies of Pashawan finally clashed with the Galadinians in the summer, despite numerous attempts to negotiate by both sides. The main prblem was the lack of government in Galadinia, and the fact that the army of Pashawan was awaiting news from their own envoys, who had fled with the Senate into exile, unable to turn back in the bloody revolt. Thus, the army and the locals clashed, leading to a horrid battle and untold bloodshed. Finally, the army of Pashawan won through, but with many fallen and the blood of thousands of civilians on their hands. (-1250 LI, -500 HI, -350 WH, -250 HC) Galadinia: (-12800 "LI", -1450 LC)
Rollux also advanced into Galadinia from the west, but they had a more violent and macabre approach. The death Adepts went through the land, killing every man, woman and child they saw, laying waste to the land. This put the period to the tragic story of the end of Galadinia. Although the Senate still lives as the mock remains of the historical nation, they are but a nation in the name, and will be a disgrace to the memory of their forsaken country. Rollux: (-55 A, -1150 AG) Galadinia: (Many, many dead)
Islands: Yet another battle has been fought between the Empire navy and Felaskhar. This time, the Empire came on top, and defeated the felaskhar navy. Even with the superior strategies of the rebels, these were not enough against the sheer mass of ships from the empire. The resistance was quickly crushed, and the islands of moonshard all belonged to the Empire again... Empire: (-30 Ck, -25 Fr, -15 AS) Felaskhar: (-40 Ck, -20 Fr, -100 B, -50 LB)
Kulta: The mass emigration continues, now with approval by the witch queen. The leopard witch Orzema has issued an emigration to the islands of Moonshard. Only the healthy and fit were taken along, for fear of further contraction of the plague. The others were allowed to flee to the islands of Bralan. the invasion of Nether islands went fast and furious. The exhausted Kultans literally overran the defences and took firm control over the islands. A new capital has been made, but the tensions between the natives and the westerners has been non-existent so far. Many even have sympathy with the Kultans who have been struck severy by the plague, but most are just happy that only the healthy came across to Nether. Now the islands are closed against ships from the outside, and the numerous Kultan ships are on constant vigilance to prevent stray ships or intentional incursions. Naturally, some of latter may come in huge numbers if the Empire decides to take back the islands...
Spire of the World: Konahn continues to expand relentlessly. But what was once a glorification of one single leader has become shattered as one popular warrior after another claimed their own patch of the forest as their own dominion. Now there are four "Konahn"s, and the word is becoming the synonym word of a country. there are numerous tribes in the forest, and a more sound cause is needed if Konahn wants to unite them all. As it is now, their common enemy is only the dark clouds, and not something that Konahn can point the business end of his spear against.
Steppes: Shaba is experiencing hard times under the heavy clouds who continue to pile on more snow. Still, the battle against the Eastern Empire has gone well, and another city has been captured. Logistics and infrastructure is hurting, especially in the western reaches, and the roads are becoming difficult to use at best. The people yearns for release, and the granaries that were stocked up before the crisis struck are all emptying. The only solution seems to go north, but that path is blocked by the Empire. Another option could be to go west (pun intended) but it is unclear if the western rebels are willing accept the people of Shaba among them. One thing is sure, there will be no staying, and the people will leave wether or not the government is coming with them. Already the souther regions are emptied of the living, and the dead are littered everywhere. EE: (-250 LC, -450 HC, -200 B, -200 LB) Shaba: (-950 LI, -550 SB, -150 HC, -5 A)
cairo: is taken over by the Eastern Empire. Still, governor Terrator has managed to hold on to the city itself, along with the famous Cairen Defenders. A small battle was fought in the valley mouth west of the capital where the now besieged Cairens soundly defeated the Wudians. Yet, the harsh weather and unforgiving cold is tearing on the supplies, and the holed up defence must breach out soon or be forced to surrender. What more, the Cairens are defending the last Academy of Life, a key piece in the future of the Southern Continent. If the plague can be stopped, the answer must lie within it, and the Cairens are prepared to defend it from the evil hands of thetriad with their lives. EE: (-3600 LI, -850 HI) Cairo: (-1200 CD)
That's it. I prepare myself for the worst of comments, but I sincerely feel I wrote a pretty good update, not only a long one. So. Any objections?
) 
.
We're setting up Les Miserables at school. It just reminded me of that song "Look Down"...
