stNNES VI: A New Fantastic Point of View

hey, i was the first demonic military order on this land, so poo :p
 
Then who's Stalin?
 
FRICK!

Let's be honest here--I'm not getting this freaking thing done for another day. Gods, I hate it all. I HATE IT ALL!

*ahem*

Yeah, I really can't get this done. Really. Not kidding. I tried my best and it sucked. In the worst_possible_way. No, I am not making this up. I tried my very hardest to get a working update out today, and it has gone out the window. I am incapable. I am so utterly lost and annoyed with myself that this has driven me half of the rest of the way to insanity. I am NOT making this up. I am seriously going half mad from trying to write this, and can only ramble on and on. God, I hate myself.

This is not closed. I give no curses about what you people think, but this is not closed, it has not been, it will not be. I am going to finish that freaking thing tomorrow or day after, and if not, then I will be driven the rest of the way to insanity and you won't have to worry about me.

Cheers, :beer:

*bashes head against wall*
 
I am going to finish that freaking thing tomorrow or day after

Tomorrow, dont set yourself up for another delay by saying 'tomorrow or the day after' Just say tomorrow and we will be better off.

PLEASE let the update be tomorrow and not in three weeks.

Sorry if Im starting to sound mean NK, but this is starting to happen with every StNNES, and lots of players are no doubt angry because your NES ideas are so great but then they never get off the ground :sad:

Although, I'm probably overreacting.

Anyways, hope to see the thing tomorrow, goodluck :)
 
Nope!
 
Herr Nord Konung, we await your report. You were summoned here to give us the information on the recent history of this land, as we missed out on it due to our long wanderings. The Council of Mages MUST know what threats should we expect, must know what mistakes were made in the past.

We trust that you have the required information. Know that on it, the future of the Superior Elven Race depends.
 
Well, since we're all waiting for the update, here's a nice little quote from Valua's emperor to keep you occupied for several precious.....seconds. :p

Trade is the lifeblood of civilization. Yes, yes, we know, militaries and navies are useful, and research always helps. But without trade, armies evaporate, cities decline, and nations collapse. The grand conquerer whose great hordes carve a massive empire will quickly be overthrown if the society is unable to sustain itself economically. On the other hand, the wise sultan who has studied the inner workings of economics and trade may have a smaller empire, but will rule a more prosperous land.

Emperor Enrique Valdez I,
The Good King
 
I never said that was me talking. :p Each of my leaders have different preferences, personalities, etc. and Enrique Valdez I just happens to be one of those who think trade and economics are the biggest worries for a leader. ^^ I like keeping variety in my leaders, as it always keeps people guessing about what the next leader will do.
 
Update 1:
The Year? Uncertain.
The powers? Less certain.
Who shall rule? That we know least.


Go, Alkysynters! I never wished that we might part, no, but it is necessary, by the gods. Go, for by staying here, you ensure death for all three of us, but if you go, then while Hundredswords and I might die, the humans shall not fall into anarchy. They will not go leaderless. I know you would rather die for me--for us--than for yourself. But it is not for yourself that you must go. Go, for my sake, if not your own! -- Evelyn Seura, "The White Wolf", to Alkysynters at the Pass of Last Refuge.

The Great Northern Collapse

It came, ironically not on a dark and stormy night, but on one of the nicer summer days.

In the great capital city of Trae, the Aurian Empire steamed steadily along with the city’s business, while in the heart of the great keep, far fewer men met to discuss the business of the Empire. One of these, of course, was the Emperor. The others were lords of some various places or others, except of course for him. Him being the representative to the council, Meiron, of the order of the green.

Anyway, while deep in a discussion about the problems of policing the new border with Saja, the bells tolled noon. And suddenly, Meiron stood up. Now this was rather unusual in council meetings; one does not stand up randomly to stretch while talking with one’s sovereign.

As all the council looked at Meiron inquisitively, he drew the ceremonial sword that all the council members wore to these meetings. But then they realized it was a real sword, not just a ceremonial sword. A few began to rise, and the king opened his mouth as if to call for the guards, but then Meiron plunged his sword into the king’s heart, killing him near instantly. Then one of the council members did call for guards.

However, the guards that entered the room to apprehend the lord were mixed with a sudden influx of new soldiers, and were, in a few moments, cut down by several dozen swords. The order seemed to have struck on so many levels.

The assembled lords, of course, were helpless, with only flimsy wooden swords to defend against half a hundred iron. Meiron announced that the old monarch had been corrupt and found guilty by the gods, and thus he had been ordered by them to take the king’s life. The king, it was also revealed at that point, had left in his will his desire for his only son to be heir, and Meiron to be regent.

All this smelt of more than a little treachery. Well, actually, it stank of downright corruption, but what could one do?

In any case, the kingdom was shortly couped by the order, and the lords went home after swearing fealty. In a flash, though, they broke that oath, and a dozen nations suddenly broke off, leading to three years of near constant war.

The battles raged back and forth throughout the entire land, but finally the Aurian Empire was stopped from reconquering it all at the pivotal battle of Elleone’s fork, where the forces of the new Sanaen Empire managed to halt the royal army.

Slowly the world rearranged itself, with the few northern nations aligning themselves with the Sanaen Empire, and the central ones going to the reformed Aurian Empire. The south was still bustling with Saja’s influence.

And the status quo prevailed for about twenty years...

*******************

The Rise of Jacob Martell

It was one of the colder winters that the north had experienced, and the people of Deneheirn were shivering in their hovels, when suddenly the fury broke.

Twenty thousand well armed barbarians crossed the fords near Ytterbaen and lay siege to the city, keeper of the bridge. The local garrison commander, Mattais Covinus, was certainly a leader, but he had little to lead; only the small garrison of the town, a mere thousand, all in all. Recognizing his situation as hopeless, he managed to smuggle through a message to the king, asking for aid.

The king of Deneheirn at this time, Edwin Videll, was well acquainted with the garrison commander, who was, in fact, one of his top men. Hence, he heeded the call with all haste.

Calling the northern banners to the black castle of Deneheirn, he soon had a respectable force under his command, perhaps 18,000 strong. Enough to beat these undisciplined barbarians, he certainly thought. Most others thought this as well, but he still sent a quick message to the southern emperors to perhaps respond with quick haste.

Of these, Aeburan Salys was one of the few who called his own men and marched north with about 10,000 horse. Emperor of Sanaea he was, and the kingdom of Deneheirn was their ally since the war twenty four years past.

In the meantime, though, Edwin began to march with his rather small host northward at an excruciating pace, annoying most of his subordinates. They thought that he ought not to march with no reinforcements in sight, but if he were, then he ought to bring an army with more haste than he was showing.

Among these subordinates was Jacob Martell, a rather undistinguished leader of a small feudal holding’s host from somewhere near the Frozen Ford. Where exactly is a bit of a mystery, what is known is that he was hired into the service. His memoirs reveal a bit about life then, for certainly they would become well known and easily accessible later.

In any case, the army continued it’s slow pace agonizing between overconfidence and overcautiousness. When it finally arrived on the battlefield at Ytterbaen, the barbarian host had swelled to 40,000 and seemed to still be getting reinforcements. The more learned men were astounded; had the barbarians finally united in their hatred of Deneheirn?

Though outnumbered 2:1, the army of Deneheirn finally reached the decision as the emperor, in one of his rasher moments, declared they would advance the following day. Through the night were preparations by both sides...

Around midnight, Jacob Martell was consulting the best maps, studying where his force was to go. In the midst of it, he decided he had better consult on one of the parts of his orders; and hopefully clear up a very unclear thing as to the rest of the army’s orders. Anyway, going to Edwin’s tent, he called inside, trying to get the attention of the emperor. When no answer came, he stuck his head inside to see what was going on–and gaped at the sight that greeted him.

The king appeared to be in bed–with Elleone Ovira, one of his best knights.

As the oft’ quoted line went: “Gods sir! Adultery!? With one of your knights

Furious with Martell and himself, Edwin ordered the commander out in a furious tone that brooked no argument, and Martell went to solve the difficulties by himself... but at the same time he could not forget what he saw. This was not the king he had wanted to serve... An adulterer...

Somehow the rumor slipped his mouth, and soon the whole camp was well alight with wilder and wilder tales, the most preposterous of which involved a certain mammoth from the Shattered Sea... But no matter. In any case, we will suffice it to say that the morale of the troops was rather dimmed by these latest tales, and they did not get up the following day to fight with much glee.

When they formed up to fight in their neat battle line, the king was too shamed faced to give a speech to his men; another blunder. In it’s place, the commanders were forced to encourage the men themselves; Martell himself speaking rather eloquently and managing to get his mens’ hopes up.

When the battle lines finally stood at the ready, the king of Deneheirn merely rode up to the fore of his household guard, and roared a furious “charge”. The Deneheirn host leapt into a furious advance against the barbarian forces, who were caught in the knob of a river, pinned. However, they were ready, and the line of spears that rose to meet them, while rather undisciplined, managed to hold up against the army’s advance, for a little while. Several units managed to advance all the same, Martell’s among them.

Plowing into the horde, they fought gallantly, furiously. But all of a sudden, an arrow volley from men from the Drifted Keep, under the direction of the jealous younger brother of the king–Samour Videll–felled the king; wether deliberate or accidental is unknown to this day. A furious barbarian charge turned the battle against the civilized forces quickly enough, though, and they were forced to fall back.

Slowly, the Deneheirn line collapsed, and the army fell apart, disintegrating as a fighting force. Good commanders managed to get their men out of there to regroup near the capital, greedy commanders were bribed by the barbarians, and stupid, bad commanders got themselves killed. All in all, it was an utter massacre, with 10,000 of Deneheirn’s 18,000 dead, wounded, or captured.

The remnants, a tiny force by any measure, were now under the command of the somewhat craven Samour Videll, who was in no mood to fight on such uneven terms, waiting instead for the help that was to arrive from the south. Indeed, he sent several more messages, one even to the Aurian Empire, begging for help, as the barbarians were liable to take Ytterbaen at any moment and advance on the great black city days after that.

Meanwhile, poor Elleone was convicted for somehow seducing the king into a homosexual fantasy, and executed. It was only later that Jacob Martell found that Elleone had actually been Elaene, a young women of mysterious origin.

In any case, Martell tried to convince the king into a number of strategic ploys, but without the Sanaens, the man would not budge. In any case, Samour suddenly ran into a power struggle of his own as the young prince of Deneheirn, Gerje Videll, tried to claim his father’s mantel, even though his uncle claimed he was too young.

As the men of Deneheirn lay squabbling, the barbarians took Ytterbaen, though Covinus managed to escape to Deneheirn to serve under their banner again. By now, the floodgates were open, and a whole horde of barbarians, 60,000 strong, gathered on the northern plain, with the northerners seemingly helpless before them.

Finally, though, Aeburan Salys had arrived with his promised 10,000 horse and 15,000 infantry as well, to bring the combined total of the northern force to a round 33,000. Also, a few smuggled letters let it be known that forces of the Aurian Empire had landed in the East and were making their way up the coast to find and fight the barbarian host from the other direction.

In a bold move, the northern forces massed and struck bravely towards the enemy force, smashing the barbarians head on. However, the latter did not break until a full company of horsemen, led by Mattais Covinus, smashed into their flank from a hidden trail. The commander in question was seen to shy away from the fighting, but still his troops secured the victory for the allies, and the barbarian host was cleft in two.

Aeburan Salys was greatly pleased with this development, and ordered his forces to make a forced march to Ytterbaen to catch the rest of the barbarians mingling about between him and the Aurian forces, who he sent an urgent message to asking for them to attack with all haste.

In a miraculous two days and nights of marching, the troops crushed the barbarian force between them in a tremendous battle that lasted an entire night, the torches of thousands of warriors burning in the night air as they clashed, the barbarian shield wall caving to a massive horse charge like that not seen for twenty years.

With the northerner’s host thus strengthened, they were now at 40,000 men to perhaps 20,000 barbarians, as far as they could tell, the war was within their grasp. Against the pleadings of Jacob Martell among others to restrain his hunger for glory, Aeburan led the army across the northern river into the Shattered Sea to chase the remnants of the barbarian host.

They were doomed from day one, it seemed, the allied army marching through this horribly harsh and unforgiving terrain, the razor sharp edges of the holes their boots made in the snow nearly cutting them, the utter care with which they must place their feet. It was a terrible drudgerous march, but that was not all that awaited them.

They had come upon a somewhat pleasanter valley to make camp when suddenly from all sides, the barbarian army, reinforced further, fell upon them, 50,000 strong. The allied army was cut to pieces by this furious charge, like wolf upon sheep. Interestingly, it was here that Jacob Martell began to shine. In the nadir of the military history of the civilized world, he managed to salvage the army in a spectacular turnaround, rally them, and set the men to a massive charge.

In a sudden rush, they turned and drove off the barbarians; by the end of it, though, both the heirs to the throne of Deneheirn were dead, as was Aeburan Salys, the brave but foolish emperor of Sanaea.

Again Martell managed to hold the army together against all odds, and led the ragtag allied host back to Ytterbaen, where they successfully held the crossing there against barbarian attacks for three months. They waited through all of the fourth month, but it was apparent that the barbarians had shot their bolt; the invasion would not come again.

The problem was, while the barbarians might have lost, the north had as well. All the rightful kings and emperors were dead now, and pretenders struggled for the Sanaen throne already, with the Aurian Empire looking greedily on.

At this point it appears Martell tried to hand over leadership to Covinus, or anyone else, but the army was furious with this development, and at their combined insistence, he was suddenly raised to the throne of Deneheirn. He appears to have justified it to himself and the people of Deneheirn with a rather fabulous story that perhaps he didn’t even believe.

The surname Martell had rarely been heard before, never in use of referring to a leader. The reason for that was simply that he was not born into a noble house; he was the bastard child of Darys from the Drifted Keep. She, in turn, somehow traced her bloodline to the bastard of the first King of Deneheirn, and thus from there to the original line of the Aurian Empire... And thus he was a direct descendant of Alkysynters Giantsbane.

Wether even he believed this is somewhat in question; but in any case it secured his first throne and put him well on the road to the next.

The troubles in Sanaea

Now by this time, the Sanaen Empire had fallen to pieces in the south (well, relative south). About a hundred different kingdoms had sprung up, each claiming to be Emperor and thus each warring against the other (incidentally, the nation of Nahor was likely founded about now, though the current dynasty was nowhere near their current power).

Jacob Martell, now King-Regent of Deneheirn (as rumor had it that the Queen of Deneheirn was pregnant with a new heir), had a rather mixed army under his command. There were Aurians, Sanaens, and of course men of Deneheirn. The second part of this suddenly urged him to put a stop to fighting in the south; these petty kingdoms were destroying the holdings of his ally, after all, and to let this stand was a considerable travesty.

In the end, their persuasion seems to have won him over, and he marched south, to Icesheer. This small mountain town was a critical place to pass, and he needed to get through. After a full night of negotiations, Martell emerged from the house of their leader, and announced that Icesheer was swearing loyalty to Deneheirn in exchange for their laws being honored; and that Icesheer would offer 1,000 elite pikemen to march with his army. In addition to this news, the men of Tripeaks had also sworn allegiance, and were to march via the Low Road to meet up with his army, perhaps they could subdue the forces nearer the mouth of the Greatwater, and meet up with him towards Elleone’s Fork. Reluctantly, he agreed.

Marching south with all haste now, his army came and completely surprised the warring factions, suddenly in their rear and with a huge army, 20,000 all told. They either resisted him and were defeated or joined him, adding to his numbers, in a rather quick campaign that went rather too quickly to be necessary to cover in any depth. He met with the forces of the Tripeaks at Elleone’s Fork (the small elvish dominion of Dol Aetteriel swearing fealty to the new emperor), and there rested his beleaguered men, sending out a few important messages that would perhaps come in handy in the future.

Meanwhile, the men of Sanaea proclaimed him their Emperor, another throne, he supposedly complained, that he didn’t want.

The Aurian Empire, of course, agreed that he shouldn’t want this throne. Nor, they said, did he deserve it. After all, this empire was what, 20 years old? Compared to the glorious Empire’s 2,500? This was preposterous. He should give up that crown, now.

Martell, though, seemed intent on the course that had been forced on him. He may not have wanted the crowns, but he sure as heck was going to keep them.
 
A bit of trouble with them gold obsessed chaps
And thus–war... –the historian Yevin Tathos’ favorite phrase regarding Martell

In any case, the Emperor of Auria, the Golden Empire, whatever you particularly want to call them, called his banners into action. All told, the Empire should have about 20,000 from Meccelan, 10,000 from Nippon, 10,000 from Avernum, 30,000 from Goldenfield, and 50,000 from the Province of Auria itself; 120,000 men. Against this, Martell had perhaps 15,000 of Deneheirn’s own now to call on, 10,000 men of the passes, and 30,000 men from various parts of the Sanaen Empire, or 55,000 total.

In case you didn’t catch on, he was just a tad bit outnumbered.

But this, of course, was Jacob Martell, the famed conqueror of a kingdom and an Empire, and thus the Emperor of Auria, Aduran Tyros, a weak puppet, was not too eager to face Martell, and advanced rather slowly up the highway to Elleone’s Fork, but then thought better of even that, and doubled back to the Golden Gate, a large fortress square in Martell’s path, to await the reinforcements from Avernum, Nippon, and Meccelan.

However, Martell had problems of his own, and was nowhere to be seen at this critical moment. Unbeknownst to all but a few of even his own men, he was riding his fastest horse with all possible haste southward to Meccelan...

What transpired there is unknown, but apparently he befriended a rather highly placed cavalry captain, Aleksyndrus, who persuaded the king to turn on the Aurian Emperor. This was, after all, Jacob Martell (ironically, hearing this, Martell is said to have sighed internally, being quite tired of hearing “after all, he is Jacob Martell”).

Thus, the army of Meccelan, 20,000 strong, departed for the Golden Gate, but for a very different purpose than the Aurian Emperor thought.

On the way back, Martell managed to forge an alliance with the nation of Jaindelle, an independent elvish kingdom that had managed to gain independence a while back, who was rather eager to get back at the newest, racist incarnation of the Aurian Empire.

And thus he raced back north to his own army with about 40,000 troops turned to his side.

After a month of forced marches, the battle seemed set. His 55,000 issued from their holdfast in the north to face the Aurian host, which had 100,000 on it’s side. With a bit of contempt, the emperor, influenced by the order of the green, sent forth the forces of Avernum and Nippon to deal with this host, supported by the order’s elite knights, who numbered perhaps 5,000 among them.

They marched north and gave battle, a furious fight ensuing between these two armies, and while Martell’s forces were more battle hardened and numerous, there was no question that the southrons had much better equipment.

Suddenly, though, to the west, appeared a huge army, just barely visible from the tops of the towers of the Golden Gate. The gleaming host advanced, in full battle armor, a huge army of nearly half mounted warriors and half foot. They trotted dutifully up towards the fortress, and the Emperor was overjoyed to see this addition, which seemed twice as strong as he had called for. With this, surely, he could deliver a massive blow that would crush Martell.

But then, as his own men went out to link up with this army, the Meccelan and Jaindelle soldiers lowered their lances and pikes, drew their swords, and began to trot forward. Something was wrong. In a considerable bit of confusion, the Aurian soldiers were ordered to halt and wait for these men to link up.

But then, they burst into a gallop, coming at them in full, a massive gleaming horde of steel, straight towards the unprotected flank of the Aurian Army.

In a huge clash, they suddenly caught the Aurians in a huge pincer, and even while still outnumbered, they managed to crush the larger army in between them.

It was victory, glorious victory, on a scale of that which had never been seen, and the forces of Martell stormed the seemingly impenetrable Golden Gate. The forces of Avernum surrendered, their lord seeing no point in fighting on, the Nipponese fought to the bitter death. But for all their struggle, it was a huge victory, which had utterly smashed the enemy, taking almost all of their army down. Only 35,000 Aurian troops remained to challenge the newfound dominance of the Martellian host, which now numbered 90,000.

Martell gathered his troops quickly and marched directly south for the capital city of Trae. In a brief battle, he defeated the demoralized enemy army again, and the Aurian Empire, it seemed, was his. Most of the Empire recognized his rule, as did Avernum, Meccelan, Jaindelle, and even the faraway realm of Qajar-Khitai.

It would take a considerable bit of negotiation to allow Nippon to rejoin it’s lost fold, but finally Martell managed to hammer out a decent agreement, which was solidified when he fell in love with and married a Nipponese Princess. Gythsheirn even soon sent men to acknowledge their sovereignty.

It was only Goldenfield that resisted now, under the glorious leadership of Baelon Kamnos, “Golden Lance”, who led an army to a very glorious... defeat north of the Goldenwood. The Double Emperor, Martell, pardoned the defeated warrior, and melded his force into his army.

For he knew the fighting was not yet done.

***********************

The Ride of Saja

However, it was not the fight he expected to fight. By all accounts, he seemed to believe himself Alkysynters Giantsbane reborn, and thus was gathering a force at the Pass of Last Refuge to fight evil once and for all...

But somehow that became sidetracked. He suddenly had to march southward, to fend off an invasion from Saja.

In a forced march of forty days, he managed to arrive not a minute too late to repel the invasion. Attacking furiously, he was without his usual grace, and the horse archer army of Saja managed to draw the battle out.

It was a desperate clash of kings, the north against south, the great internal struggle... and both lost.

In the midst of the fighting, ironically, both Emperors died in nearly identical ways. Both received an arrow through the eye.

*********************

The Black Years

For a dozen years thereafter, the empires fractured, each successor proclaiming dominance over the Empire, while Aleksyndrus Daemos, great friend of Martell, tried to keep the Empire’s peace as his Regent; but alas, it was all in vain. The Aurian Empire fell apart to four warring factions, Daemos defeating two, uniting with another through marriage, and finally succumbing to the third north of the Goldenwood.

A few years after, a great meteor was seen in the western skies, and a brilliant light filled the sky, an irony of the gods. For following the light was darkness, darkness for a century, filled with war, famine, plague, and despair. Old Empires fell apart, and the minor houses of the various empires became kingdoms in their own rights.

Even the mythical kingdoms beyond the seas, Thiranoa and the fabled Metanna, they fell too, refugees from the former coming into the land. Elves from the area of the latter seemingly founded Aiesetra.

The old empires have almost gone, and new ones must take up the mantle of the old, as they emerge from the ashes of civilization.

Can the world rise like the phoenix?

Portents say no. Darker times loom, and the barbarian kingdoms to the northwest grow stronger, many seeming to have unspeakable creatures dwelling in them...

And over all the world hangs the prophecy.

Ah, yes, the prophecy that Martell thought he would have to deal with, but never did; the prophecy a thousand years old, made by the elvish sorceress on the eve of the New Era.

”The waters ebb
Old foes retreat,
But like the tide that flows at dawn,
These waters are not gone.

“Old rivals come again,
The tides will return,

“At this second coming
All men will tremble as they should.
Homesteads will burn;
Families be slaughtered;
Empires fall;
Legacies shattered.

“To herald this return
Will be an age of terror;
In the interim there will be found:
The Swords.
The Nine Swords of the Nine of Twilight;

“Snow, Phoenix, Brimstone...
Fleet, Hearfire, Longtooth,
Brimstone, Dragonbreath...
One by one they shall be found,
These invulnerable swords of old.
And at the last, dire hour,
Shall be found Aesuna.

“Fear finding them,
That you should.
But retain them when you do;
For the Midnight Riders will ride again.”



OOC: OK, guys, I'll post the map and then I'm done for tonight. Stats tomorrow, you'll be finding a few modifications to your own then. As for who's who on the map, well, I assume you can find yourselves. As for the NPCs, just ask them or use common sense.

Who do you have contact with? Just about everything within reason. :)

I would like to see stories before I do stats from every nation, so I know enough about them to begin really creating real stats to them. :)

Good night! :D
 
AHEM. MAPALA OF DOOM!

Like I said, good night.

I think I'm getting quite better,
that is to say, I'm mildly sane now. :)

Oh, BTW, if some of you still want to join (I know a few were from the preview thread and didn't post here yet
then go ahead. :)
 
Dol Aetteriel
Player/Ruler: das/ard ri Shirael Ettengrem Itil
Age: Iron Age
Units available: nuclear warheads, ICBMs

Anyone else see a problem in the stats.... :lol:
 
fhak.

I missed an update and all that; when sthe next one, i want to be on top of things for it
 
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