The Sea of Death (IC/Fantasy Medieval RP/Open)

[Ascium]

Samuel Clagisave

Samuel picked his two best men and then told the others to go to the inn the knight had suggested. He shook the knights hand and then followed him through the city. Samuel was still impressed by the whole scene. He has seen many things, but nothing was quite like the city. It rivaled Barlthac in almost everyway. But Samuel preferred his city as it was more defensible The districts were impressive, but nothing was as impressive as the palace when they came to it.

"Ah King Edmund, yes I have and to ensure that an alliance is made between our people. I must say that your city rivals Barlthac and I am honored to be in you city to experience it. Sir Brackston has been a extremely helpful tour guide as he showed me the city on the way up here." Informed Samuel as he bowed to the king.

[Protestant England and Germany]

Sir Joran

"Fine," Ed muttered resting his head on the ground. "Wake Rod up when you are done, and he'll take second watch. I like to watch the sunrise,"

"Fuck off Ed," Rodrick said. The two went to sleep and waited for morning.

"Fine." Lothar said as he finished the fire. It was warm out to him, but the fire helped provide much needed light and often would be the thing that attracted bandits and highway robbers. "Let them come." He thought as he went over what he had seen so far. He had been traveling through a foreign land for over a month and so far, what he had seen did not impress him. "These southerners fittle away with their days, not caring about the border towns that are ransacked by invaders or the Undead. They do not care for the Men of the North who fight and die to keep the Orc invaders from coming down here." He scoffed and looked around. After a long while, he woke Rodrick up. "Get up." He said, kicking Rod's shoulder with his usual unimpressed look. "It is your turn to take watch."

[Transoxthraxia]

I have talked and collaborated with Armanischa, and it is with his utmost permission and consent that his Empire's mission is appearing at the doorstep of the capital of the Empire of Aqotis.

The Magnificent City of Aqotis, capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Mid-afternoon

The city of Aqotis, known sometimes throughout the Empire as "The Empire's Anchor", "The Glint", and finally, most often, "The Crown Jewel", was a massive city that dwarfed many others of its time. The city, political core to the millennia-old Empire of Aqotis and cultural core to the Aqotic Elves themselves, Aqotis had been around since before the dawn of history. The settlement itself had once been a small fishing village in the depths of prehistory settled upon a relatively large, mountainous island in the middle of a lake. Those that had settled there were the Aqotuq, the genetic ancestors of the Aqotic Elves. They were a relatively simple maritime people who used the lake and the river that ran through it as a source of sustenance and revenue. However, as the economic and social climate evolved around the Aqotuq, the river, now appropriately termed "Aqotuq River" to the local and external markets, became a relatively lucrative trade route that ran straight through Aqotuq territory. By tolling, extorting, pirating, guiding, and doing business with those that used the trade route, the Aqotuq people became immensely wealthy, and with wealth comes population growth.

It is said that the Aqotuq Elves made a pact with the Demon-Gods that, in exchange for the economic livelihood for themselves and their descendants, the Aqotuq traded in their longevity and immense wisdom as a species, though this is often regarded merely as myth or legend by the Aqotic Elves of the present. No matter, for as the wealth of the Aqotuq grew, so too did their settlement, Aqotis. As Aqotis grew from fishing village, to trading town, to a dense, highly-populated city, the inhabitants of the city changed. They became less pure-bred Elves, and something in between Elves and Humans, maintaining their customary skin tone of tanned-yet-pale as well as universal silvery-grey hair, but losing their other Elven non-physical traits. As their technology grew, they discovered that the cliffs that their newly founded city sat upon were limestone, and began rebuilding the city as a city of limestone.QC This here is the foundations of what is now known as the Empire of Aqotis, for it was under the supervision of Syagria the Builder in which the Magnificent City of Aqotis was rebuilt from timber to limestone.

Syagria would go on to found a dynasty of monarchs that would last, literally, two millennia. Under her descendants, the city that she built became the economic, social, and political center of the newly founded Empire of Aqotis. Under the Syagrii, the city would go from a measly population of just under ten thousand to the gargantuan urban center that it is today of over four hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. As the city and the Empire's wealth grew, it became apparent that the city needed to increase its protection against pirates and rival trading powers, as well as increasing its trading capacity. Under Syagria XXVI Megara VI Ainia I, also known as Ainia the Astounding, the city expanded its infrastructure by creating one of the largest harbours the world had ever seen on the Eastern side of the Island, as well as a bridge to the mainland on the Western side of the Island. As well, under Ainia I, the Great Walls of Aqotis were built, massive, 49-feet high walls that surrounded the island on all sides, excepting the harbour, which was left un-walled. However, the walls were built around a section of the harbour, leaving the harbour itself un-walled but having a contiguous line of defense all around the island, leaving but a small area alongside the harbour undefended.

Under successive rulers, these walls were painted over in a golden sheen, shining in the temperate sun of the Aqotic Flood Plains. As the Empire expanded, so did the city. Massive garden complexes, funded almost singlehandedly by the Syagrii, complete with waterfalls, fountains, thick, jungle-like foliage formations filled with exotic plants, and publicly available zoos, were built throughout the city, adding even more to its appearance of excess and far-flung appearance, with massive waterfalls cascading over the sides of towering palaces visible from all sides of the lake.

With gold-tinted walls, bridges, and towers, cascading waterfalls, and massive gardens contrasting the golden and brownish mountainous foundation of the city, the Magnificent City of Aqotis painted a picture of nothing but excess, wealth, and indulgence. This was the scene that the Abaerian diplomatic mission arrived to, the massive, sixty foot tall Gate of Syagria at the beginning of the bridge across the lake to the city letting them through only after the mission had proven its diplomatic, non-hostile intentions. Despite the Abaerian Empire rarely ever launching diplomatic missions, the one that had arrived at the beating heart of the Aqotic Empire had a fairly standard composition; twenty five Abaerian Legionnaries formed into a Falangă, with three standard bearers, a Vexillarius, who bore the standard of the Abaerian Empire, the Aquilifer, who bore a massive standard with a double-headed eagle on top of it, and finally the Imaginifer, who, on horseback, bore the brunt of the Imago, a bust of the current Emperor of the Abaerians, Marcus Ioanis.

As was custom, the mission was led through the steep and winding Syagrian Way, the main road to the Palatial District, where a number of the various Ancient Families of the Empire resided, as well as the Throne of the Empress herself. All around the mission, even the poor seemed to live in absence of disease and poverty; apartments were wide, tall, and made out of limestone. A number of gardens filled with exotic plants and animals many Abaerians didn't even know existed were spaced between the apartments. As they delved deeper into the city, guided on by the ever-faithful Syagrii Palatial Guard, four members to be exact, the bustle of the city seemed to make way for them. The closer to the center of the city they got, the richer the neighbourhoods were. By the time they got to the Palace of the Gods, every single building was built of limestone and plated with actual gold.

The Palace of the Gods, where the Empress and her court resided, was a massive complex, plated with pure gold and surrounded by a miniature lake that contained a number of shark-like creatures, and behind that, a low-hanging wall, the pair of architectural elements obviously simulating the city itself on a smaller scale. Palatial Guards and their shiny, gold-red-yellow armour, stood at attention, unflinching in their duty. As the gleaming sun was overtaken by light grey, non-rain clouds, giving both the guards and the mission a well-deserved break from the stinking heat, the Vexillarius, the Aquilifer, and three legionnaires of the Vexillarius' choice were allowed to venture within the Palace of the Gods once they disarmed themselves. The rest of the mission was to be kept outside of the Palace.

The Palace of the Gods had only one known entrance; the massive double doors that could easily fit two men stacked on top of one another, plated, of course, in gold. Four Palatial Guards stood guard, and swung open the massive doors as the smaller mission ventured through, under the guide of two more Palatial Guards. It was here where Phaltis Syagrii, the head of the Palatial Guards, met the delegation. He had been informed of their presence the minute they had been admitted into the city, but had decided, for effect, to only receive them once they arrived in the Palace itself. The building that held the Empress was massive; an architectural wonder. The ceilings were at least fifteen feet tall, and the walls were plated with gold and silver, and encrusted with gems of various types, shining red, blue, turquoise, green, and purple. The floors and ceilings were marble; the floor being carved and dyed in a number of exotic patterns, and the ceiling adorned with frescoes and paintings of prior Empresses and Emperors, starting with Syagria, founder of the Empire, as the first one to be seen just above the massive entrance to the Palace.

All around the mission were servants, slaves, some of which were obviously castrated or "silenced", having had their tongues cut out. Painters and sculptors ran about, shouting in the hard to understand Aqotic tongue. Phaltis, greeting the mission, gave a customary bow, one knee touching the floor, letting his heavy Palatial Helmet, which weighed nearly fifteen pounds, nearly touch the ground. He, too, was unarmed. He led the mission through the straightforward Palace, until they arrived at the center of the palace, which had a large, open-air atrium. Within this atrium was the Empress, though it would have been hard to tell initially. A large, well-adorned couch, with enough pillows and comforters to adorn a family of a dozen, carved out of pure marble, was surrounded on all sides by servants and guards; the former wearing nothing above the belt, and only a thin, white shroud below it. Chains shackled their feet and neck, which tied them into portas on the atrium floor. Their arms remained unshackled, however, as they were fanning a smallish figure upon the couch, their chests adorned with the letter "A" and below that, the roman numeral "XIV", both of which were scarified into their chests. The latter, clad in their Palatial Uniform, proudly shining their loyalist colours and toting equally colourful double-headed spears.

Theme - Meet the Empress.

The mission, guided by Phaltis, arrived at the center of the Atrium, whereupon Phaltus fell upon the floor neatly, displaying his two empty arms in front of the Empress, his head pressed soundly to the floor. He muttered something in Aqotic, before announcing the delegation. "This is the delegation from the Lesser Empire of Abaeria. Their diplomatic mission has travelled long and far to be granted an audience with the Empress herself. It was on my own volition that they were allowed a personal audience, my Empress." Seated upon the couch was Empress Aelia XI Pasiphae IV Ainia XIV of Syagrii. Physically, she was nowhere near opposing, laying upon the couch, hardly standing at 5'0 and weighing just over a hundred pounds, the small stature a trait of her archbrach. She was dressed in both customary Empress garb, as well as her own house's clothing. A tight wrap of a silk-like material adorned by glittering, silvery-blue material ran from the Sternum to just above the umbilicus. From just below the beginning of her hip joint, and going to just above her knees, was a similar tight wrap, but this one adorned in a glittering gold material. She wore similarly coloured and adorned sandals. Her face was bare, unlike most of the slaves that were in her presence, aside from a greatly-exaggerated version of Egyptian eyeliner that was painted in the blood of a slave. Her lengthy, silvery-grey hair that normally flowed down to her lower back, was done up in a ceremonial tail, that sat high on the back of her head. Her enlarged, pregnant abdomen was clearly visible.

Her tongue was literally silver - dyed, most likely. She spoke with a gentle eloquence that seemed to be backed by undertones of abject rage. She spoke in Aqotic first, but then repeated herself. "Of all the languages that I was taught as a child, the language of diplomacy and trade is perhaps the most dull. So plain, so..." She seemed to pause, moving her eyes up towards the now-clouded sky, as if to literally bring the word she was looking for down from the Gods. "Monotonous. You must know who I am, but I must ask; who are you?"

[Armanischa]

-Snip-

The City of Aqotis, Capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

The city of Aqotis, known to only the well-educated Abaerian elite, was a truly magnificent city of equal size to Capua, the Imperial Capitol. Tiberiu Drusu, Vexillarius bearing the banner of the Imperium, knew from his deep knowledge of history that Aqotis was an extremely important place for the Aqotic Elves. It had grown from a small village into a metropolis - The wealth of Aqotis was apparent, even from outside of the city walls. The massive gate guarding the beginning of a great bridge across the lake to the city was imposing, but not nearly as much so as the Mons Capitolinus, the great hill which overlooks all of Capua, the Imperial City. The Imperium, seldom willing to seek diplomacy over war, sent their mission to Aqotis with Tiberiu Drusu at the head; twenty five Legionaries formed a falangă, with Tiberiu marching as Vexillarius, Dinu Iovianus marching as Aquilifer, and Gallus Tiburtius marching as Imaginifer. The mere sight of the imago, known to Abaerians as the image of the Imperator, gave Tiberiu a sense of great pride.

The falangă was led by Aqotic soldiers through a very steep and winding path, seemingly headed toward the centre of the city. Surrounding the falangă were buildings made from limestone, beautiful despite the impoverished living around and within. Even the poor appeared to be in good order, despite being the lowest of the Aqotic elves in the city. Countless gardens filled with beasts and plants never seen by the Abaerians graced the limestone buildings, enhancing their beauty. As the falangă was led deeper into the city, the people of the city made way, allowing the diplomatic mission through. Tiberiu, carrying the official word of Imperator Marius Ioanus, was in awe of the graceful nature of the Aqotic elves. The only elves he had ever encountered within the Imperium were of a western desert tribe, and they were far from graceful.

The further into the city the falangă marched, the richer the neighbourhoods appeared. By the time they reached their destination, the great limestone building before the falangă was plated with actual gold. Tiberiu assumed that the great building must be The Palace of the Gods, where the Aqotic Empress and her court made their dwelling. It truly was a massive complex, surrounded by a moat filled with rather nasty looking beasts of the seas. Beyond the moat was a wall, plated in gold similar to the other walls of the structure. The guards at the palace stood still, clearly well-trained. They wore armour of interesting colour, which contrasted with the more simple armour of the legionaries. As the warm and comforting sun was swallowed by light grey, unassuming clouds, Tiberiu Drusu, Dinu Iovianus, and three legionaries were asked to disarm and enter the palace. Tiberiu made his selections from amongst the legionaries, choosing three men he knew to be very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and disarmed as requested. He then entered into the palace, following his guide.

The massive doors to the Aqotic palace were majestic, but it did not impress Tiberiu, as he had witnessed the great doors to the Palatium, built from white marble and adorned with carvings of the history of the Imperium. Despite his attempts to appear unimpressed at the sight of the palace interior, Tiberiu couldn't help but to take in the appearance of the place with a sense of awe. The ceilings were very high, and the walls were plated with gold and silver, similar to the rest of the place. Even more impressive were the gems and precious stones placed in the wall, almost shining with their vibrant colours. Much of the floor and ceilings were marble, although not as fine as the marble of Capua. The ceiling seemed to depict former rulers of the Aqotic Empire, similar to the statues lining the walls of the Palatium in Capua.

Surrounding Tiberiu and his men were slaves, some of which were visibly castrated. This was nothing new to the Abaerians, as they often took slaves, and very often performed the same procedures on them. It was a truly effective way to keep slaves from rebelling. All around them were people shouting in the Aqotic tongue, which was still a mystery to Tiberiu. Tiberiu and his men were then greeted by a man who appeared to hold authority. Tiberiu did not speak Aqotic, so he did not speak to the man. He simply saluted, in typical Abaerian fashion, with his arm outstretched, palm facing the floor. The man seemed to bow in a very unique way, allowing his helmet to nearly touch the floor. This made Tiberiu wince, as in Abaerian military law, the helmet was never allowed to touch the floor. To allow such a thing to happen was to invite a flogging by a centurion.

Tiberiu and his men were led by the Aqotic officer through the palace until they arrived at what seemed to be the centre, which was a very large, open atrium. Such a room was much like the atrium of the Palatium in Capua. At the centre of the atrium lay a slight figure upon a well-formed couch of sorts, surrounded by servants and guards in attendance. The servants fanned the figure at the centre, whom Tiberiu assumed to be the Empress. He had been told by one of the Frumentarii that he was to show utmost respect to the Empress, as though he were meeting with the Imperator himself. In preparation to do so, Tiberiu removed his helmet, holding it in position below his left arm.

The officer guiding Tiberiu and his men fell to the floor before the figure on the couch, displaying his two arms in what seemed to be an honourary salute. The man muttered in his own language before stating loudly and clearly, "This is the delegation from the Lesser Empire of Abaeria. Their diplomatic mission has travelled long and far to be granted an audience with the Empress herself. It was on my own volition that they were allowed a personal audience, my Empress." Tiberiu smirked at the mention of Abaeria as a lesser Empire. The Imperium stretched from the northern sea to the southern sea, and from the western edge of the world to the plains on which the Aqotic Empire sat. Unwilling to bow in the same way the Aqotic officer did, Tiberiu and his men all saluted the Empress in Abaerian custom.

The Empress of the Aqotic Empire was beautiful, if not in an otherworldly way. She appeared to be a living form of the Angel Daniela, who spoke the mighty and secret words to Imperator Hadrianus I, inspiring the Imperator to begin the great expansion of the Imperium so many centuries before the modern age. She was very short and very thin, evident despite her being in a comfortable position upon her couch. She wore her hair, silver coloured and straight, up in a seemingly ceremonial manner. Her attire was unlike anything worn by noble women in the Imperium, with its split at the abdomen, displaying skin to any man or woman attending. She was truly hypnotic to look at, and Tiberiu found it difficult to look away. He noticed too that the Empress was in late stages of pregnancy.

When the Empress spoke, the first thing that Tiberiu noticed was her voice. She had an eloquent voice, but there was an emotion in the back of her true tone that made Tiberiu uneasy. Her tongue was dyed silver, which was a feature that Tiberiu found quite strange. She spoke in Aqotic first, which Tiberiu did not understand. She then repeated herself in a tongue that Tiberiu understood. Her words were cryptic, but Tiberiu knew how to respond. The military man stepped forward slightly, saluting once more. He then started to speak in a loud, clear voice.

"I am Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu, of the Imperium Abaeriei. I come bearing a missive from His High Honour Imperator Marius Ioanus, the Eagle in the Skies." Tiberiu broke the seal of the missive, quickly translating the words written on the page from the language of the Abaerian Court to the common tongue. "His High Honour Imperator Marius Ioanus of Abaeria, the Eagle in the Skies, wishes to offer to you, Empress of Aqotis, his hand in diplomatic friendship. Not wishing to see an empire such as yours fall beneath the might of the Abaerian Imperium, Imperator Marius Ioanus wishes to offer peace through mutual benefit. Our Imperator wishes to discuss terms for division of newly conquered territories between our two powers, should both powers conquer new lands. Our Imperator also wishes to discuss means for ensuring such an alliance remain sound. It is Abaerian custom to utilise marriage between nations to solidify a pact. Imperator Marius Ioanus hopes that your majesty the Empress is willing to discuss such a pact, and looks forward to a response."

[Transoxthraxia]

The City of Aqotis, Capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

The city of Aqotis, known to only the well-educated Abaerian elite, was a truly magnificent city of equal size to Capua, the Imperial Capitol. Tiberiu Drusu, Vexillarius bearing the banner of the Imperium, knew from his deep knowledge of history that Aqotis was an extremely important place for the Aqotic Elves. It had grown from a small village into a metropolis - The wealth of Aqotis was apparent, even from outside of the city walls. The massive gate guarding the beginning of a great bridge across the lake to the city was imposing, but not nearly as much so as the Mons Capitolinus, the great hill which overlooks all of Capua, the Imperial City. The Imperium, seldom willing to seek diplomacy over war, sent their mission to Aqotis with Tiberiu Drusu at the head; twenty five Legionaries formed a falangă, with Tiberiu marching as Vexillarius, Dinu Iovianus marching as Aquilifer, and Gallus Tiburtius marching as Imaginifer. The mere sight of the imago, known to Abaerians as the image of the Imperator, gave Tiberiu a sense of great pride.

The falangă was led by Aqotic soldiers through a very steep and winding path, seemingly headed toward the centre of the city. Surrounding the falangă were buildings made from limestone, beautiful despite the impoverished living around and within. Even the poor appeared to be in good order, despite being the lowest of the Aqotic elves in the city. Countless gardens filled with beasts and plants never seen by the Abaerians graced the limestone buildings, enhancing their beauty. As the falangă was led deeper into the city, the people of the city made way, allowing the diplomatic mission through. Tiberiu, carrying the official word of Imperator Marius Ioanus, was in awe of the graceful nature of the Aqotic elves. The only elves he had ever encountered within the Imperium were of a western desert tribe, and they were far from graceful.

The further into the city the falangă marched, the richer the neighbourhoods appeared. By the time they reached their destination, the great limestone building before the falangă was plated with actual gold. Tiberiu assumed that the great building must be The Palace of the Gods, where the Aqotic Empress and her court made their dwelling. It truly was a massive complex, surrounded by a moat filled with rather nasty looking beasts of the seas. Beyond the moat was a wall, plated in gold similar to the other walls of the structure. The guards at the palace stood still, clearly well-trained. They wore armour of interesting colour, which contrasted with the more simple armour of the legionaries. As the warm and comforting sun was swallowed by light grey, unassuming clouds, Tiberiu Drusu, Dinu Iovianus, and three legionaries were asked to disarm and enter the palace. Tiberiu made his selections from amongst the legionaries, choosing three men he knew to be very skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and disarmed as requested. He then entered into the palace, following his guide.

The massive doors to the Aqotic palace were majestic, but it did not impress Tiberiu, as he had witnessed the great doors to the Palatium, built from white marble and adorned with carvings of the history of the Imperium. Despite his attempts to appear unimpressed at the sight of the palace interior, Tiberiu couldn't help but to take in the appearance of the place with a sense of awe. The ceilings were very high, and the walls were plated with gold and silver, similar to the rest of the place. Even more impressive were the gems and precious stones placed in the wall, almost shining with their vibrant colours. Much of the floor and ceilings were marble, although not as fine as the marble of Capua. The ceiling seemed to depict former rulers of the Aqotic Empire, similar to the statues lining the walls of the Palatium in Capua.

Surrounding Tiberiu and his men were slaves, some of which were visibly castrated. This was nothing new to the Abaerians, as they often took slaves, and very often performed the same procedures on them. It was a truly effective way to keep slaves from rebelling. All around them were people shouting in the Aqotic tongue, which was still a mystery to Tiberiu. Tiberiu and his men were then greeted by a man who appeared to hold authority. Tiberiu did not speak Aqotic, so he did not speak to the man. He simply saluted, in typical Abaerian fashion, with his arm outstretched, palm facing the floor. The man seemed to bow in a very unique way, allowing his helmet to nearly touch the floor. This made Tiberiu wince, as in Abaerian military law, the helmet was never allowed to touch the floor. To allow such a thing to happen was to invite a flogging by a centurion.

Tiberiu and his men were led by the Aqotic officer through the palace until they arrived at what seemed to be the centre, which was a very large, open atrium. Such a room was much like the atrium of the Palatium in Capua. At the centre of the atrium lay a slight figure upon a well-formed couch of sorts, surrounded by servants and guards in attendance. The servants fanned the figure at the centre, whom Tiberiu assumed to be the Empress. He had been told by one of the Frumentarii that he was to show utmost respect to the Empress, as though he were meeting with the Imperator himself. In preparation to do so, Tiberiu removed his helmet, holding it in position below his left arm.

The officer guiding Tiberiu and his men fell to the floor before the figure on the couch, displaying his two arms in what seemed to be an honourary salute. The man muttered in his own language before stating loudly and clearly, "This is the delegation from the Lesser Empire of Abaeria. Their diplomatic mission has travelled long and far to be granted an audience with the Empress herself. It was on my own volition that they were allowed a personal audience, my Empress." Tiberiu smirked at the mention of Abaeria as a lesser Empire. The Imperium stretched from the northern sea to the southern sea, and from the western edge of the world to the plains on which the Aqotic Empire sat. Unwilling to bow in the same way the Aqotic officer did, Tiberiu and his men all saluted the Empress in Abaerian custom.

The Empress of the Aqotic Empire was beautiful, if not in an otherworldly way. She appeared to be a living form of the Angel Daniela, who spoke the mighty and secret words to Imperator Hadrianus I, inspiring the Imperator to begin the great expansion of the Imperium so many centuries before the modern age. She was very short and very thin, evident despite her being in a comfortable position upon her couch. She wore her hair, silver coloured and straight, up in a seemingly ceremonial manner. Her attire was unlike anything worn by noble women in the Imperium, with its split at the abdomen, displaying skin to any man or woman attending. She was truly hypnotic to look at, and Tiberiu found it difficult to look away. He noticed too that the Empress was in late stages of pregnancy.

When the Empress spoke, the first thing that Tiberiu noticed was her voice. She had an eloquent voice, but there was an emotion in the back of her true tone that made Tiberiu uneasy. Her tongue was dyed silver, which was a feature that Tiberiu found quite strange. She spoke in Aqotic first, which Tiberiu did not understand. She then repeated herself in a tongue that Tiberiu understood. Her words were cryptic, but Tiberiu knew how to respond. The military man stepped forward slightly, saluting once more. He then started to speak in a loud, clear voice.

"I am Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu, of the Imperium Abaeriei. I come bearing a missive from His High Honour Imperator Marius Ioanus, the Eagle in the Skies." Tiberiu broke the seal of the missive, quickly translating the words written on the page from the language of the Abaerian Court to the common tongue. "His High Honour Imperator Marius Ioanus of Abaeria, the Eagle in the Skies, wishes to offer to you, Empress of Aqotis, his hand in diplomatic friendship. Not wishing to see an empire such as yours fall beneath the might of the Abaerian Imperium, Imperator Marius Ioanus wishes to offer peace through mutual benefit. Our Imperator wishes to discuss terms for division of newly conquered territories between our two powers, should both powers conquer new lands. Our Imperator also wishes to discuss means for ensuring such an alliance remain sound. It is Abaerian custom to utilise marriage between nations to solidify a pact. Imperator Marius Ioanus hopes that your majesty the Empress is willing to discuss such a pact, and looks forward to a response."

The Magnificent City of Aqotis, capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Mid-afternoon

The Empress analyzed the response to the total grandeur of the Palace, as well as those that lived within it. It was not every day that a visitor to the city of Aqotis was so deadpan about witnessing the Crown Jewel of the Empire. If he's impressed, he is surely doing a good job in hiding his feelings. She thought to herself, calculating her response. The Human from the empire, if truly unimpressed with the decadence and wealth that permeated even the lowliest corners of the city, then the empire that he represents must be equally as powerful. "And pride comes before the fall.", the Empress stated in her native tongue, foreshadowing her decision and ensuring that none of the representatives of the far-off empire caught what she heard. She then proceeded to speak in the common tongue, maintaining her guise of gentleness laced with raw aggression. "If our empire is the longest standing one, then yours must be the most powerful." She spoke with a slight accent, pronouncing "u"s as "auh"s. "And I can assure you, that my empire is the longest standing one." She didn't expect the ambassador to pick up on her intentional change from 'our' to 'my'. "But before we go further, I must apologize for Phaltus' diction when he introduced me. He has a penchant for being over dramatic at times, and we have a custom here where the universal idea is that the Empress of Aqotis is the Empress of the World. But such convictions are impractical, primitive and hostile. I, for one, do not recognize them, as they don't tend to be conducive to diplomacy."

She sat up, changing her position from a reclined, relaxed one, to a more active one. As she did so, her dynamic became quite clear, with strong, imposing body language, the Empress kept talking, her silver tongue displaying the wealth of the geographically small realm over which she held absolute domain. Placing her hand over her stomach, she slowly motioned over her child-to-be. "My former husband was not fortunate enough to see his second child, he was taken by the summer sicknesses of last year. It is known by the Aqotic history men and women that Syagria once married her husband, the lead trader of the burgeoning city, in order to secure her place as the builder of Aqotis, and, thus, the founder of the Empire over which I rule, over two thousand years later. Here, in the Empire, we too use the ties of blood to secure the strength of nations. Aqotic Elves have no issue bearing children to Humans, though the child will always be the race of the Mother. Which, of course, secures the child's place as the mother's dynastic heir; not the father's. In other words, the child would bear the mother's dynasty, not the father's. If there is no exception to this, perhaps the wise Emperor of your nation would have a suitor acceptable for an Empress such as myself?" She asked, appearing only semi-interested in the conversation at hand.

Ainia looked over the man that was opposite her. Like many of the men who served within the Aqotic Army, he was tall; massive even, especially compared to someone as small as the Empress. She looked him up and down very quickly, and noted the intense, nearly barbaric way that those in a position of authority within the military ranks of their empire wore the pelts of animals to denote veterancy. His blue, deep blue eyes, contrasted greatly with the traditional Aqotic deep violet that the Empress had been granted. "Any children of your emperor looking for a marriage?" She asked, reiterating her previous statement.

[Armanischa]

The Magnificent City of Aqotis, capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Mid-afternoon

The Empress analyzed the response to the total grandeur of the Palace, as well as those that lived within it. It was not every day that a visitor to the city of Aqotis was so deadpan about witnessing the Crown Jewel of the Empire. If he's impressed, he is surely doing a good job in hiding his feelings. She thought to herself, calculating her response. The Human from the empire, if truly unimpressed with the decadence and wealth that permeated even the lowliest corners of the city, then the empire that he represents must be equally as powerful. "And pride comes before the fall.", the Empress stated in her native tongue, foreshadowing her decision and ensuring that none of the representatives of the far-off empire caught what she heard. She then proceeded to speak in the common tongue, maintaining her guise of gentleness laced with raw aggression. "If our empire is the longest standing one, then yours must be the most powerful." She spoke with a slight accent, pronouncing "u"s as "auh"s. "And I can assure you, that my empire is the longest standing one." She didn't expect the ambassador to pick up on her intentional change from 'our' to 'my'. "But before we go further, I must apologize for Phaltus' diction when he introduced me. He has a penchant for being over dramatic at times, and we have a custom here where the universal idea is that the Empress of Aqotis is the Empress of the World. But such convictions are impractical, primitive and hostile. I, for one, do not recognize them, as they don't tend to be conducive to diplomacy."

She sat up, changing her position from a reclined, relaxed one, to a more active one. As she did so, her dynamic became quite clear, with strong, imposing body language, the Empress kept talking, her silver tongue displaying the wealth of the geographically small realm over which she held absolute domain. Placing her hand over her stomach, she slowly motioned over her child-to-be. "My former husband was not fortunate enough to see his second child, he was taken by the summer sicknesses of last year. It is known by the Aqotic history men and women that Syagria once married her husband, the lead trader of the burgeoning city, in order to secure her place as the builder of Aqotis, and, thus, the founder of the Empire over which I rule, over two thousand years later. Here, in the Empire, we too use the ties of blood to secure the strength of nations. Aqotic Elves have no issue bearing children to Humans, though the child will always be the race of the Mother. Which, of course, secures the child's place as the mother's dynastic heir; not the father's. In other words, the child would bear the mother's dynasty, not the father's. If there is no exception to this, perhaps the wise Emperor of your nation would have a suitor acceptable for an Empress such as myself?" She asked, appearing only semi-interested in the conversation at hand.

Ainia looked over the man that was opposite her. Like many of the men who served within the Aqotic Army, he was tall; massive even, especially compared to someone as small as the Empress. She looked him up and down very quickly, and noted the intense, nearly barbaric way that those in a position of authority within the military ranks of their empire wore the pelts of animals to denote veterancy. His blue, deep blue eyes, contrasted greatly with the traditional Aqotic deep violet that the Empress had been granted. "Any children of your emperor looking for a marriage?" She asked, reiterating her previous statement.

The Palace of the Gods
The City of Aqotis, Capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

Tiberiu could see the Empress shift as she considered the proposal made by the Imperator. He also noticed that she was sizing him up, as if she were a beast looking to take down it's prey. Tiberiu maintained his stoic stance, watching the Empress, waiting for her reply. She spoke in the Aqotic tongue first, which frustrated Tiberiu, but she followed her words with a statement in the common tongue. He was surprised to hear the Empress admit that her empire was not as powerful as Abaeria, although Tiberiu knew that this was the truth. He could not argue with the solid fact that the Aqotic Empire had been around longer. When she apologised for the introduction made by her officer, Tiberiu took an opportunity to ensure that the deal he had proposed was a good-sounding one. "Empress, if you align yourself with our Imperator, you may indeed be Empress of the entire world. Nothing is outside of the Imperator's reach." He let her continue then, after asserting his status and his willingness to interrupt the Empress. It was not done to be rude, but rather to show that the Imperium did not offer an alliance in which they would bow to another empire.

The Empress sat up then, showing her body language, which implied that she was asserting herself as the dominant party in the negotiation taking place. Tiberiu did not change his stance, watching as the beautiful Empress placed her hand onto her stomach, where her child grew. He listened as she described how her former husband was lost to illness, which did bring Tiberiu a feeling of grief. Having lost his father to illness as a boy, Tiberiu knew such feelings. It was strange to him, though, that lineage seemed to be passed through the mother in Aqotic tradition. Such was not the case in the patriarchal society of Abaeria. He continued to watch the Empress, noticing that she did not seem fully invested in the conversation at hand. Tiberiu was determined to leave the Aqotic Empire with good news for his Imperator, so he remained stoic and did not speak. When the Empress suggested that a suitor be made available for the Empress herself, Tiberiu was likely visibly surprised. He knew that the first-born son of Imperator Marius Ioanus, Iulius, was a notorious playboy, and would not make a suitable partner for the Aqotic Empress. Then, he thought of Otho, the second son of Imperator Marius Ioanus. Otho Terentius was a commander in the Abaerian military, and was known for being a brutally efficient commander as well as a very well-spoken young man. Surely, Otho was the right selection to be a suitor.

Tiberiu removed a smaller piece of paper from within his pouch, opening it to read aloud: "With power granted to me by Imperator Marius Ioanus, I, Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu of Legio III declare that the second son of Imperator Marius Ioanus may be considered procus to the Empress of the Aqotic Empire, should she allow it." He looked up at the Empress, saluting once more. "Another diplomatic mission may arrive from the Imperium, should you allow it, bearing Imperator Marius Ioanus himself, along with his son Otho Terentius, Commander of Legio X. Pass your judgement on this proposal."

[New Strausberg]

The IronSkin Dwarven March

There had been months of planning, years of training, and tons of weapons created all for this one final move. The IronSkin tribe having finally discovered the location of the dwarven cities in the mountain marched, 65,000 IronSkin orcs armed to the teeth began there March to what they hoped would become there perminate forge home. Warboss Grimzluck and his IronSkins where going to throw every last thing they had at the mountain, there berserkers would make up the brunt of the fighting. Everyone was excited some orcs even sung if the great battle to come, "Come on lads! Well punt the stunts little men across there great big halls....well mash there heads and grind there bones in there old mountains holes!" A few chuckled and a large drum could be heard as the orcs psyched themselves up for the battle. They had created the drum from human and animal skins they had gathered over there raids in the old northern kingdom.

"Boyz today we are gonna take the stunty little dwarves and kick them out of our new home. Finally we are gonna have the forges to make the biggest and best weapons with plenty of room to grow. Well overrun there holes and put thermal to work for us in those mountains. All that gold is as good as ours now,the metal, the Shiney bobbles all of it belongs to the IronSkins tribe!!!" He raised his axe as his orcs did as well the Wargs were sent in front of them while on top of his great white Warg Grimzluck lead his orcs to the tunnels into the mountain. The IronSkins could practically smell the great flames blessings within the mountain when they arrived. It would truly be a glorious day when they had pushed the dwarves out and slaughtered or enslaved every last one of them.

"Alright boys this is it, where going inside leave the Wargs out where they can get any that try to get away, horse killers and shields go in first followed by arrow boys well move in like the humans do when they tried to push us out of that one old northern city we looted it took our beserker Boyz a long time to get past that so let's give it a try. If that fails the crazy Boyz go in to wear them out and push them in so they can't get reinforcements...we are gonna take this mountain for the IronSkins Klan, for me Grimzluck soon to be Orc king under the mountain, AND FOR THE GREAT FLAME!" The orcs let out a blood curdling cheer as they began to move into the tunnels as there Warboss commanded everything was set and ready it was only a matter of time now before the orcs controlled these mountains the Wargs were used to keep humans away and dwarves from getting away the white Warg of the Warboss Grimzluck headed the pack as an alpha while the warg riders kept her safe knowing it would be there heads if Somthing happen to her.

The Orcish Generals where all set about doing there part to keep the orcs organized, the Quartermaster everyone was in line and had adequate supplies as well as keeping them in formation, the berserker general waited for there oppertunity while the arrow boys and horse killer generals worker together to keep each other moving now all they had to do was wait and see what the dwarves would do they had been quiet for a while now they where getting s bit edgey and some where thinking of throwing a beserker touch carrier into the tunnels to see if he could find anything,

[Transoxthraxia]

The Palace of the Gods
The City of Aqotis, Capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

Tiberiu could see the Empress shift as she considered the proposal made by the Imperator. He also noticed that she was sizing him up, as if she were a beast looking to take down it's prey. Tiberiu maintained his stoic stance, watching the Empress, waiting for her reply. She spoke in the Aqotic tongue first, which frustrated Tiberiu, but she followed her words with a statement in the common tongue. He was surprised to hear the Empress admit that her empire was not as powerful as Abaeria, although Tiberiu knew that this was the truth. He could not argue with the solid fact that the Aqotic Empire had been around longer. When she apologised for the introduction made by her officer, Tiberiu took an opportunity to ensure that the deal he had proposed was a good-sounding one. "Empress, if you align yourself with our Imperator, you may indeed be Empress of the entire world. Nothing is outside of the Imperator's reach." He let her continue then, after asserting his status and his willingness to interrupt the Empress. It was not done to be rude, but rather to show that the Imperium did not offer an alliance in which they would bow to another empire.

The Empress sat up then, showing her body language, which implied that she was asserting herself as the dominant party in the negotiation taking place. Tiberiu did not change his stance, watching as the beautiful Empress placed her hand onto her stomach, where her child grew. He listened as she described how her former husband was lost to illness, which did bring Tiberiu a feeling of grief. Having lost his father to illness as a boy, Tiberiu knew such feelings. It was strange to him, though, that lineage seemed to be passed through the mother in Aqotic tradition. Such was not the case in the patriarchal society of Abaeria. He continued to watch the Empress, noticing that she did not seem fully invested in the conversation at hand. Tiberiu was determined to leave the Aqotic Empire with good news for his Imperator, so he remained stoic and did not speak. When the Empress suggested that a suitor be made available for the Empress herself, Tiberiu was likely visibly surprised. He knew that the first-born son of Imperator Marius Ioanus, Iulius, was a notorious playboy, and would not make a suitable partner for the Aqotic Empress. Then, he thought of Otho, the second son of Imperator Marius Ioanus. Otho Terentius was a commander in the Abaerian military, and was known for being a brutally efficient commander as well as a very well-spoken young man. Surely, Otho was the right selection to be a suitor.

Tiberiu removed a smaller piece of paper from within his pouch, opening it to read aloud: "With power granted to me by Imperator Marius Ioanus, I, Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu of Legio III declare that the second son of Imperator Marius Ioanus may be considered procus to the Empress of the Aqotic Empire, should she allow it." He looked up at the Empress, saluting once more. "Another diplomatic mission may arrive from the Imperium, should you allow it, bearing Imperator Marius Ioanus himself, along with his son Otho Terentius, Commander of Legio X. Pass your judgement on this proposal."

The Magnificent City of Aqotis, capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Mid-afternoon

The seemingly ever-stoic vexillarius outwardly showed little emotion, but the Empress and her extremely high intelligence could easily determine the surprise under Tiberiu's blank expression as the ambassador began to state that the second son of the Emperor was to be an eligible match for her. As the man finished stating that Otho and his father, the Imperator of the Abaerian empire himself, would appear at the court provided Ainia's acceptance of the offer, she spoke. "There is an obvious element of surprise beneath your ever-plain guise, vexillarius Tiberiu." She said in the common tongue, her accent showing through. "But it is of common knowledge that the unity through blood of our two powerful empires may provide for perhaps the most lucrative expansion, both economically and politically, of our two empires yet. And what better, holier marriage would there be than the Prince of one Empire and the Empress of another?" Ainia asked, rhetorically.

"I do not, of course, accept your offer at this juncture. Not because of its inadequacy, but because of my lack of knowledge of this Otho. I do not know the man nor his intelligence. I consent to a second diplomatic mission, but I must be granted a personal audience with the prince of your land, for his intellectual prowess and ability must be measured by myself, personally. All costs of this diplomatic mission, and, if it would please him, the audience of both Otho and his father the Imperator, shall be, of course, covered by my court. Can I assume consent for the deal discussed?" She asked the vexillarius, who, apparently spoke for the Imperator, the practice of which mystified the Empress, as no Aqotic ambassador was legally allowed to speak on behalf of the Empress lest they be genetically related to Syagrii clan.

[The Commonwealth of the South Pacific]

Aramas (Dwarven for the Great Forge), The Kingdom of Thunder Hold
Thorgrim watched as the Orcs marched over the bridge towards Aramas. He raised his sword before bellowing an old Dwarven battle cry. At that signal the Dwarf Thunderers opened fire with the Fire Lances (Magic fire arms kinda like Arquebuses) and the Great Rock Shooters (Giant magical Cannons) fired at the Orc shield wall marching over the ancient bridge. The vast wall of metal streaked through the air and Thorgrim smiled as the projectiles impacted the orcs, several explosions going off as the Great Rock Shooters' payloads exploded amongst the enemy. "Come on boys let's exterminate these dirty Green Skins." He yelled from the walls above the Gate. Gears started turning and a wave of Dwarven Pikemen, Crossbowmen and Axemen streamed out onto the bridge before forming a vast Lorlgran formation. The Lorlgran was an ancient dwarven formation that was designed for use against infantry. It consisted of a wall of Axemen at the front then Pikemen that would hold off any Orcs that got past the Steel Wall followed by another layer of the two until it reached the crossbowmen. If the Orcs got past the Pikes then the Crossbowmen would lay down fire until the Axemen had taken care of them with their huge axes and shields. Thorgrim watched as a immense cloud of arrows descended on the Orcs ripped unprotected skin but unfortunately glancing off their heavy armor. A second wave of Fire lance and Rock Thrower fire ripped into the Orcs as they started to engage the Dwarves. As the melee started a messenger ran up to Thorgrim. As Thorgrim was turning he saw his Crossbowmen start taking fire from the Orcs. "Pull back the Crossbow men, form a Shield Wall out of the Axemen and Pikemen near the gate." Thorgrim watched as they completed the maneuver but cursed when he saw the Orcs cut down several Dwarves heading back to form it.

"My King, the hammer hawks are ready for flight, the messages are ready, also we have received a message from the Rangers, they should be here in a day or so." he panted out between breaths

"Thank you, report to the engineer's guild and tell them they can launch the Hammer hawks."

Thorgrim watched as the Hammer Hawks flew out into the mountains to get the Dwarves some help.

To: Those who receive this message
From: Thorgrim Steelbeard, King of Thunderhold
Greetings, as you receive this you may also receive news of a war in the mountains. Just recently we discovered a vast tide of Orcs tainting the mountains and coming to seize that which we call home. As I write to you they are but mere hours away from our capital. We wish for your help, great kingdoms, empires, republics and tribes, and if you do succeed in helping us, you are guaranteed a share of the treasures in our home.

[New Strausberg]

Aramas (Dwarven for the Great Forge), The Kingdom of Thunder Hold
Thorgrim watched as the Orcs marched over the bridge towards Aramas. He raised his sword before bellowing an old Dwarven battle cry. At that signal the Dwarf Thunderers opened fire with the Fire Lances (Magic fire arms kinda like Arquebuses) and the Great Rock Shooters (Giant magical Cannons) fired at the Orc shield wall marching over the ancient bridge. The vast wall of metal streaked through the air and Thorgrim smiled as the projectiles impacted the orcs, several explosions going off as the Great Rock Shooters' payloads exploded amongst the enemy. His smile soon dissipated as the Shield Wall absorbed their "Come on boys let's exterminate these dirty Green Skins." He yelled from the walls above the Gate. Gears started turning and a wave of Dwarven Pikemen, Crossbowmen and Axemen streamed out onto the bridge before forming a vast Lorlgran formation. The Lorlgran was an ancient dwarven formation that was designed for use against infantry. It consisted of a wall of Axemen at the front then Pikemen that would hold off any Orcs that got past the Steel Wall followed by another layer of the two until it reached the crossbowmen. If the Orcs got past the Pikes then the Crossbowmen would lay down fire until the Axemen had taken care of them with their huge axes and shields. Thorgrim watched as a immense cloud of arrows descended on the Orcs ripped unprotected skin but unfortunately glancing off their heavy armor. A second wave of Fire lance and Rock Thrower fire ripped into the Orcs as they started to engage the Dwarves. As the melee started a messenger ran up to Thorgrim. As Thorgrim was turning he saw his Crossbowmen start taking fire from the Orcs. "Pull back the Crossbow men, form a Shield Wall out of the Axemen and Pikemen near the gate." Thorgrim watched as they completed the maneuver but cursed when he saw the Orcs cut down several Dwarves heading back to form it.

"My King, the hammer hawks are ready for flight, the messages are ready, also we have received a message from the Rangers, they should be here in a day or so." he panted out between breaths

"Thank you, report to the engineer's guild and tell them they can launch the Hammer hawks."

Thorgrim watched as the Hammer Hawks flew out into the mountains to get the Dwarves some help.

To: Those who receive this message
From: Thorgrim Steelbeard, King of Thunderhold
Greetings, as you receive this you may also receive news of a war in the mountains. Just recently we discovered a vast tide of Orcs tainting the mountains and coming to seize that which we call home. As I write to you they are but mere hours away from our capital. We wish for your help, great kingdoms, empires, republics and tribes, and if you do succeed in helping us, you are guaranteed a share of the treasures in our home.

"The stunty ones is dug in! Push forward with the berserkers and keep those shields up you maggots there trying to get past our armor don't let uhm!" Grimzluck continue to shout out orders before moving forwards himself intent on breaking the melee himself if he had too. He had the shieldwall break open to push forward with his berserkers straight into the dwarf lines. The crazed orcs took a few shots but there bloodlust allowed them to keep swinging as they went down. There maddened frenzied bodies swarming with that Orc rage all to familiar with many. When the Hawks started to fly overhead Grimzluck was rather perturbed. "Push forward ignore the birds we take these halls we won't have to worry about what those things do. Ahhh!" There was an explosion next to him destroying an group of orcs those cannons where tearing them apart.

"We need a way to those cannons, arrow Boyz volley fire put some pressure on them Wes moving up push forward maggots!" He forced his orcs forward keeping the dwarves in front of him on edge while the crossbowman began to fire in three directions, a large group fired forward to keep the dwarfs from getting a good clean shot off and killing the berserkers before they could do damage to the dwarves infront of them. The other two groups started to fire bolts at the dwarfs manning the cannons trying to stall them in loading the thing and blowing more orcs off the bridge.

[Relikai]

To: Thorgrim Steelbeard, King of Thunderhold
From: Grand Paladin Ulrich Grachner, The Knightdom of Relikai
Greetings, King. We have received your message. We do not have much to spare, but will deploy our men as reinforcements overground as we break through the Undead, as well as reinforce you with Infantry and supplies from the ancient underground tunnels. Hang tight for a few days.

With that, Grand Master Ulrich Gragner announced, "The Order of Repentance and Deliverance at the frontlines are to divert their efforts North. The Walkers of Light, under Paladin Osiria Shimakaze will spearhead this advance, supported by the Honour Company of the Riders of Relikai, under Rider Julius Silverheart. They will form the mobile arm of the now announced Third Crusade of the North. We shall gather remnant forces of the Northern Kingdom to head north. We estimate about 20,000 Men of the North still in fighting condition, together with volunteers. Meanwhile the Rangers and the Watchful Sentinels will continue to hold the Undead back. I will authorize 8,000 Retinue Infantry to march underground, safe from overland attrition. Behind them will be supplies for us and the Dwarves. For the protection of the Knightdom, I will be summoning heralds to mobilize 50,000 farmers and labourers to the March for retraining and equipping, so they will be able to deploy should the Knightdom come under threat.

As heavy cavalry and elite knights armed themselves to the North, Julius and Osiria came face to face as they prepared to lead their contingent to rally the North.

"You ready for this, O Paladin?" The Rider asked, full of confidence. He has earned his merit as a cavalier during his attachment to the Northern Kingdom against Orcs, and knew their tactics well.

"Better than you. Just because we fight the Living, doesnt mean we cant make them Dead." The Holy Blizzard responded.

Two of the most decorated warriors in the Knightdom, respected and revered by their peers, now led a force of 500 elites through the North. On their way, they met remnants of the Northern garrisons, as well as nationalists who are concerned about the Orcish raids. Making sure that the North would still have an ablest Army, a volunteer force of 8,000 are rounded up as the Paladins and Riders gave a rallying cry to all Men.

"For your King and Country! To the North! Against all who would oppose us! The Banner of the Light shall guide your hand! The Strength of the Light shall smite your foes! We ride to their rear! Onwards Relikaner!"

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Sir Joran

Rodrick slowly stood up and stretched. He spent the night walking around the camp. Nothing interesting had happened. He didn't feel like sleeping much so he stayed up into Ed's session. When the sun finally rose Rodrick had began a fire and cooked stew in a pot. Joran woke up to the sound of Rodrick stumbling over pots.

"Could you please keep it down Rod," Joran said quietly.

"Commander," Rod smiled. "How's the head?"

"How much did I drink last night?" He asked. "I was meant to maintain myself,"

"Y'know how hard it is to keep you from drinking when you've already downed a pint. It's like keeping Ed off a fine young whore, damn near impossible," Rod laughed. He pointed to the stew. "Come sit with me Joran. I've made some stew. M'mum's recipe. Good for the hangovers she's always said,"

"Mh," Joran staggered towards Rodrick. Rodrick poured him a bowl and Joran began to eat.

"Haven't noticed the other one have you?" Rodrick asked.

"What other one?" Joran asked confused.

"The Northman down by Ed," Rodrick pointed. "Helped us drag your pathetic arse back here. He's scouting down south for new lands for his people. Good folk from my understanding. Fleeing Orcs. Ed offered him to come with us and the man accepted. An' I don't see any harm in it," Rodrick said.

"No," Joran said. "No harm at all. We'll wait for the two to wake up, eat, and then we'll pack and leave,"

King Edmund 'the Weary'

"Barlthac was a glorious city from what I remember. It has been decades since I visited the city last. I came first as an envoy for my father. Glorious city it was. I spent a year there representing Qyrys. My first posting I believe. I fear I'll never see it again, but the good times I've had there. What I'd give to be a young man again," Edmund smiled. "In truth few cities do rival Qyrys. As it is the only remainer of the first empire. Our line as you know stretches far back to the first kings of the world. Ay, Brackston is a good lad. I'm glad he was good to you. On the matter of the marriage. You are young and without wife, and my niece is young and without husband. Lady Emilia of Wentsby. Her father past years ago, but she holds good title if that's what you are concerned for and is well sought after I assure you. She is bright and pretty and without doubt will make a good wife," Edmund said. "Ah, but where are my manners. Come let us eat and drink. You must be tired from the journey,"

The Knight

To King Thorgrim Steel Beard of Thunder Hold,

The Order of the Forest has been tasked for centuries with the duty of protecting the races of the world from the unnatural. First Commander Julius Blackfyre had made peace with the Orcs of the Forest and therefore we are bound not to attack them. The Orcs ravaging your kingdom, however, are not bound to that truce. As it is our duty to protect the races of the world from the unnatural and Orcs are most certainly unnatural in our eyes we will ride to your aid. A thousand riders of the Order have been sent to ride against the Orcs. We have not forgotten our duty. The Orcs pose a greater threat if your kingdom were to fall and we cannot stand for that.

Signed,
First Commander Harold Brackston.

[Transoxthraxia]

Charborg
A Keep a few dozen miles outside of the Empire's territory
Early afternoon

Charborg was not the most impressive fortress as fortresses went, unless you considered the fact that it was less than a year old. A ditch shaped like a 'V', twelve feet wide and nine deep, surrounded the fortress, whose walls were nine feet of turf and earth held together with stakes and fascines and topped with six feet of newly cut hardwood. Inside the circular wall, the fortress was a hundred and forty yards from side to side and contained barracks for the four hundred soldiers and two hundred servants, wives, children and whores who were attached to the company, and stables for the more than eight hundred horses and two hundred mules that allowed the company to move so swiftly.

This was the description that Haliai of the Gift had been given of the small fortress that she had been presented as she crested one of the few hills that bordered the fortified town from the West. On horseback, with a few retainers with her, including one that had carried, all the way from the capital, a massive, crested-with-gold standard with the Syagrii coat of arms inscribed upon it. A cold, harsh wind blew over the small party, and the previously sunny morning had become a cloudy and dreary afternoon, the sort of clouds that meant no rain, but still covered the sun up. Charborg certainly lived up to the reputation of unimpressive and, quite frankly, dirty, thought Haliai. Haliai of the Gift was a slave from the Caste of the Gift, initially in service to the Syagria line of the Syagrii dynasty, but as her diplomatic skills became more well-known throughout the kingdom, so too did the Empress' desires to make her one of the dozens of court diplomats grew.

There was little she or her former master could have done to resist her "promotion" to court diplomat. Though she hadn't exactly done poor by herself. Despite her old age, she had found herself a comfortable residence in the city of Aqotis, and despite her infertility, had married another former slave. And, of course, despite her humble origins, the excess within the city of Aqotis and the Empire in general had led her to forget her humble beginnings, and look down upon the dirty, non-Aqotic fortresses that dotted the landscape outside of the Empire.

She grimaced; her tight lips pressed into a thin, tight line across her slim face. "Come now, I've been called to torture!" She shouted back at her retainers. "Hut!" She edged her horse forwards, her companions in close pursuit. As they neared the wall of the unimpressive fortress, which Haliai had been informed that the Company the Empress sought was behind the ditch and earthen walls. As she approached the edge of the fortress, she noticed the squalor of the walls themselves, and quietly vowed to her ancestors that she would burn the clothes that she currently wore the second that she got back within the confines of her own home.

She was challenged at the entrance of Charborg, and stated her intentions. "I am Haliai of the Gift, humble representative of the Magnificent Empress of the Ancient Empire of Aqotis. I wish to speak with the leader of The Red Company, who I have been told resides within this fortress currently." Her riding wear, which was as fancy as it came, was a humble but well-crafted brown - non-noble servants of the crown had to, by tradition, don only brown clothes. However, the seams and the edges were inlaid with gold, or a gold-like material. Her tight-fitting leather-like shirt covered her entire upper body, and below, tight leather-like pants that matched the shirt showed no skin nor nobility. As she awaited the response from the gate guard, her horse sputtered.

[Armanischa]

The Magnificent City of Aqotis, capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Mid-afternoon

The seemingly ever-stoic vexillarius outwardly showed little emotion, but the Empress and her extremely high intelligence could easily determine the surprise under Tiberiu's blank expression as the ambassador began to state that the second son of the Emperor was to be an eligible match for her. As the man finished stating that Otho and his father, the Imperator of the Abaerian empire himself, would appear at the court provided Ainia's acceptance of the offer, she spoke. "There is an obvious element of surprise beneath your ever-plain guise, vexillarius Tiberiu." She said in the common tongue, her accent showing through. "But it is of common knowledge that the unity through blood of our two powerful empires may provide for perhaps the most lucrative expansion, both economically and politically, of our two empires yet. And what better, holier marriage would there be than the Prince of one Empire and the Empress of another?" Ainia asked, rhetorically.

"I do not, of course, accept your offer at this juncture. Not because of its inadequacy, but because of my lack of knowledge of this Otho. I do not know the man nor his intelligence. I consent to a second diplomatic mission, but I must be granted a personal audience with the prince of your land, for his intellectual prowess and ability must be measured by myself, personally. All costs of this diplomatic mission, and, if it would please him, the audience of both Otho and his father the Imperator, shall be, of course, covered by my court. Can I assume consent for the deal discussed?" She asked the vexillarius, who, apparently spoke for the Imperator, the practice of which mystified the Empress, as no Aqotic ambassador was legally allowed to speak on behalf of the Empress lest they be genetically related to Syagrii clan.

The Palace of the Gods
The City of Aqotis, Capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu noticed as the Empress appeared to be analysing him. She was quite intelligent, as demonstrated by her ability to garner attention merely by speaking. Even if she weren't Empress, Tiberiu figured that the woman would be quite well-followed. She was able to recognise the surprise that Tiberiu felt, no matter how well the Abaerian warrior hid such an emotion. Her mention of his surprise brought a grin to Tiberiu's often stone-like face. "I am indeed surprised, and for the reasons one might expect. A negotiation so quickly moved along as this is either that of a grand alliance, or a grand catastrophe. We shall see which of these options is selected by our merging divine providence." Tiberiu gave thought to the denial that the Empress gave, not surprised at all by the hesitance shown by the Empress. Otho had not arrived with the diplomatic mission, and thus he was not known to the Empress. Tiberiu was confident, though, that the Empress would be impressed with the strong young Otho.

"Of course I understand why you do not accept our offer at this time. Otho Terentius, Principe al Aromâniei, is a strong commander of his legion, as well as an accomplished scholar. I will return to the mighty city of Capua with your request, Empress, and I will then return to this place along with Prince Otho, and quite possibly our Imperator himself." When mentioning the Imperator, as was custom, Tiberiu would look at the ground, then quickly would return to normal position. Such was the honourary bow performed by all Abaerian units. "We accept the offer that you have made, and we make our request to leave from your presence in order to journey back to Abaeria, where we will inform our Imperator."

[Hastiaka]

Empire of Alfar
The Great Walls of Alfar, Borderlands
Fort Serene

---

Fort Serene is one of the twelve great fortress-complexes of the Great Wall of Alfar. Although construction began five hundred years ago, several sectors of the wall are still being completed under the newest Emperor. The walls were definitely detailed as it's stunning decorations of gilded eagles and stonework would amaze passersby outside the border. It was to be a show of power, of wealth of the Alfarian Empire. People consider the empire as a backwards country, a backwater to be more precise. Inside these stunning walls are fourteen thousand elves working day and night to isolate their empire from the pestilence of international politics. But today was not like another day. Today was a day that was different, little did they know that the Emperor has issued a decree that would conscript able body Alfarians to defend their country from all threats and that is to join the Alfarian garrison stationed at the Great Walls and it's fortress-complexes. A total of twelve thousand newly recruited conscripts are to join the current forces stationed there.

Emperor Aquilarios had to cancel a trip to Qwyrys as important things were happening outside them. Instead he would send a message to neighboring countries if they need any help. The Emperor, being so young yet so deadly was interested if the Alfarian Empire could play a significant role in international politics contrary to the traditional Imperial policies. Because of that, the Emperor is visiting Fort Serene, a complex of four keeps that are vital to the first line of defense of the Empire.

The Emperor arrived in a great carriage, it obviously stood up from other carriages as it was also designed with intricate models of statuettes and other things that would say that the one who is riding there is nonetheless the Emperor. He stepped out from the carriage and held his hands into the heavens and ''blessed'' the soldiers who were stationed there.

He was indeed in the center of the crowd. ''This wall was built by our ancestors as a means to defend our own Empire. We will not let the outsider's filth touch our lands as for their barbarism will be their own undoing. As you see, the descendants of refugees from the great wars before have fought again in the forms of ''orcs'' and our southern neighbor, an organized group of tribes called Helvanthia who also claims to be a kingdom is being sacked by undead hordes. '' the crowd was amazingly stunned. Questions began to emerge. ''Your Imperial Majesty, what shall this great empire do? Will we show the world our superiority at warfare?'' asked one officer.

''Of course. I will be sending General Alexstraza and the army of the Capitol into battle with our enemies outside of our civilized nation.''

Alfarian Empire

To: Whoever reads this message

The Empire of Alfar is ready to help your states from war. Please, feel free to send back a message so that we can organize our forces into a swift and vicious attack against the heart of the enemy.

Alfarian Empire

To: King of Qwyrys

Due to certain circumstances, we are unable to visit your great nation. However, we would like to resume the visitation once hostilities end between the forces of good and evil.

[New Strausberg]

Grimzluck and his orcs pushed forward, they used all there might to drive back the dwarves into the mountains, they needed to shore up defenses inside of these walls or else they knew that they would be caught in the middle of a title wave of death from both sides now that the dwarven Hawks had been released. "Warboss we shot down one of the hawks..they had these attached to them" the Orc scout handed over the messaged and the Warboss growled, "send out our own message...we offer a better deal to those who will help us..." He put the quartermaster on quickly writing down a message to those who would help the orcs offering them what they felt would be a better deal if the dwarves where put out. Meanwhile the berserkers where thrown into the thick of the battle. Slamming against the dwarven defenders they Ment to flay them with there heavy swings. The arrow boys where quick at work firing more and more bolts from there crossbows at everything that moved infront of them. "I want that damn hold move up you maggots smash past them!" He let out a sickening scream as he charged forward with his orcs slamming the toughest of his forces right at the weakened dwarves. Soon he would bring up a few of the Wargs to try and take out the cannons that where so eagerly shooting at them.

"The letters are ready send put a few of the riders we need allies..."'the quartermaster send a few of his quickest Wargs on the job, they wore white face paint to show they where a diplomat and hopefully not be shot as quick. The message they would deliver read this.

We iz the IronSkins Klan, the Stunty dwarves are in our new home and we want em out, help us and we will give you strong weapons, trade into the mountains, and anything else the dwarves could offer, we want a home and the dwarves are stuck in it. We can do anything as good as a dwarf if not betta. Help the IronSkins and well help you when it's over.

[Relikai]

The Third Crusade
Crusaders Surface Division
Commanders Julius Silverheart and Osiria Shimakaze

"No sooner we help them, we can expect them to stab us on our backs." Julius Silverheart muttered as he read the message from the Orcs. The messenger lay dead, two arrows poking from his eye slits, with his ride suffering a similar fate. Julius and Osiria has spotted the rider at near maximum range of their longbows, and had a bet, to hit the eye of their target. Apparently this ended in a draw.

"They think they can bribe the old relations of the Dwarves and Humans, especially the Knightdom." Osiria muttered. "It's about a day's ride to the entrance of the mountains, the infantry will catch up on the third day. There we can expect a camp on flatland. We lack siege weapons for now, but the area has abundant resources for the creation and construction of such. Or you Riders can do a flypast with flaming arrows to torch up their supplies."

"Nah nah. We have a secondary force marching through the mountains, they should have reached the Dwarven Capital by now. There we will hem them in, restricting movement and strategic mobility. I have received a message that the Order of the Forest are inbound too. We shall link up with them, probably a few days after we start the siege. Eight thousand men. Poorly armed and equipped, but we do have abundant food. Training can be honed on site as well as on the battlefield unless they run. I'm counting on your Paladins to guide them through this mess."

"Do not worry, Rider. The Paladins will stand at the forefront against those who wish death upon others. It is the Will of the Light that peace be maintained, and aggressors be put down." The Paladin replied.

Eight thousand militiamen has been called up from the Northern Kingdom for this March. Lightly armoured and armed with spears, daggers and axes, they arent the force needed for a true Crusade, but would make a decent anvil in the Knightdom's tactics. Most of them are provided a light crossbow for ranged attacks, and the commanders are hoping that they would stand firm with the elites of the Knightdom.

The Third Crusade
Crusaders Mountain Division
Commander Ander Marin

Pushed on by an order of Forced March, and guided by several Dwarves who lived to the South of the Mountain Ranges, the Knights Retinue managed to reach the Dwarves in relatively quick order. Exhausted but eager, the men regrouped outside the Capital where they had some much needed sleep and resupply. Commander Ander Marin, a decorated Pikeman, sent the following message to the Dwarves, requesting shelter and protection while they regroup before moving forth to advance positions along the frontline.

To: Thorgrim Steelbeard, King of Thunderhold
From: Commander Ander Marin, The Knights Retinue, The Knightdom of Relikai

Greetings, King. I am Ander Marin, and I carry the Banner of the Knights Retinue of Relikai. We are currently camped two miles from Thunderhold, and request urgent opening of the gates for my men. We have marched hard and fast, and are tethering on the brink of exhaustion. We are also on the other side of the frontlines, therefore cannot get to the front without entry through the Capital. We are a Division of eight thousand Pikemen of the Knights, with light ranged weaponry. Should our equipment be insufficient for underground combat, we seek your guidance in outfitting us and standing side by side in battle.

Another force of the Knightdom will be encircling the Orcs on the flatlands, they are led by our ablest commanders. We hope that the alliance of Man and Dwarf would be further cemented in battle.

[Aqizithiuda]

Charborg bustled with activity. Outside the walls some men worked horses and mules, building up strength lost over winter months, while others sparred and engaged in close order drill. On one side, archers had set up butts and were loosing arrow after arrow into them, grateful it was now warm enough they didn't have to worry about their bows breaking.

The inside of the camp was no less busy. Stores were brought out into the open, examined for spoilage, and then replaced in storerooms. Tents were examined for mold or mildew, arrows, shields, spears and bows made during the winter months were counted, tested and stacked ready for distribution or storage. Women sold or bartered aketon, dresses and new shirts with soldiers or their wives, while the smith was beginning to dismantle his forge. It was spring now, and the company would soon be leaving Charborg for unknown pastures.

With all the drill and preparations going on, the company was more at risk of an attack than usual. In order to prevent certain disaster, Captain Arngrímr Hergrímsson had sent out five teams of his best scouts, mounted on the best horses his company had, to cover all likely approaches. One of them, lead by Þengill Longtoe, had just cantered back to alert them to a small party approaching from the Aqotic Empire. When he described the banner they carried, Arngrímr knew it must be an official embassy from the Empire itself, not just one of the various noble houses. Whether they were here to offer the company employment or to politely suggest that it might want to head further north, Arngrímr wasn't sure, but either way he wanted to make the best impression possible.

"Francis!" He called.

The young servant appeared as if by magic. Young, pretty and dressed in the red and dark blue of the company, he looked much too soft for this line of work but had so far proven adaptable and possessed surprising endurance. He was also quite good with a sword, and had even beaten a couple of the older men, until they'd begun to take him seriously.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I suspect we're going to have official company soon. Get down to the west gate and bring them to my quarters."

"Of course."

Francis gave a precise how and then hurried away to the gate.

The fortress had four gates, one for each cardinal direction. They were large enough for two men to easily ride out abreast, but there was a ninety degree bend in the road and a second internal wall, following the line of the outer wall for ten metres and ending in another set of gates. Anyone who succeeded in breaking down the outer gates would find themselves harried on both sides, and the right angled bend would form a natural choke points hindering reinforcements.


From the inner gates, the internal roads bisected the camp, north to south and east to west. The roads had been laid with a gravel base for drainage, and wooden boards formed the surface. There was no ankle deep mud here to suck at feet or wagon wheels here.

In each quarter of the camp, as divided by the road, was a cluster of four longhouses, each a hundred feet long and twenty five feet wide, with a central, smaller longhouse in their centre and stables and workshops radiating from the fortress wall inwards. Each of the major longhouses could sleep fifty men or women, and three of the four longhouses in each quarter were full. The uninhabited longhouse in each quarter was used as a storeroom, while the central longhouse housed one of the company's officers.

Arngrímr's longhouse was in the centre of the north-east quadrant and he headed there now, determined to make as good an impression on his unexpected guests as he could. He had been sparring when the news had come, so he was dressed in a somewhat pungent aketon - winter had not offered much in the way of washing opportunities - and full armour. With some potentially employers he might have continued to spar, right where they could see him, but he suspected that some pretense at civilisation might be in order. The Aqotic nobility tended to be matriarchal, and Arngrímr knew well enough that women were often scornful of warlike pursuits.

Arngrímr's longhouse was half the length of the main longhouses, but he had only himself, Francis and the girl to house, so it was obscenely spacious in his point of view. The building was constructed of wattle and daub, with a wooden single roof, and the walls had been whitewashed inside and out. The outside was plain, but inside the walls had been painted in colourful designs and the beams had been half carved with the knotwork of his homeland. Winter had allowed for such luxuries.

The longhouse was divided up into two sections: the living area, with the cook fire, large table he used for meetings and Francis' pallet was the large of the two, taking up three quarters of the building's length. The other room was his private quarters, where he and the girl slept. The girl was sitting in the light of an open window, sewing him a new shirt. Dressed in a rich green dress of fine wool, trimmed with red and thread of gold, she looked like a proper lady, not some slave girl taken after her father's army had been defeated. She smiled warmly at Arngrímr as he entered and carried on her work without looking down.

"You're back early. Hildebrand put you down too many times?"

Arngrímr felt a crooked smile coming on and allowed it this once. The girl - he never allowed himself to think of her as a person - was becoming more and more bold as the days went on, and he was having a hard time just thinking of her as a mere object. She also knew him too well. Hildebrand was the kind of fighter that everyone stormed off after fighting: irredeemably smug and skilled enough to get away with it. Even Arngrímr couldn't stand the man.

"Ha, no, not this time. Looks like we've got official company. Aqotics, by the sound of their banner."

The girl paused in her sewing and tilted her head to look at him.

"A new contract?"

He shrugged. "Could be. Could be a big 'fuck off', too."

She nodded, set aside her sewing and stood, a small half-smile on her face.

"Want some help undressing?"

Arngrímr gave a snort of amused derision.

"I'm not senile yet, girl. The day I can't get in and out of my own clothes is the day I die. Get the place ready for our guests and give them wine if I'm not out by then."

---

At the gate, Francis bowed to the representative of the Empress. He was impressed by the banner and rich clothing worn by the embassy, even Haliai's choice of colours did seem bland. While there was plenty of fancy jewellery and armour amongst the company's men, only the Captain and his girl wore clothing this fine on a semi-regular basis.

"On behalf of Captain Arngrímr Hergrímsson, I welcome you to Charborg. If you will follow me, I will take you to him."

With that, he turned and began to lead them through the camp.

[The Commonwealth of the South Pacific]

The Third Crusade
Crusaders Surface Division
Commanders Julius Silverheart and Osiria Shimakaze

"No sooner we help them, we can expect them to stab us on our backs." Julius Silverheart muttered as he read the message from the Orcs. The messenger lay dead, two arrows poking from his eye slits, with his ride suffering a similar fate. Julius and Osiria has spotted the rider at near maximum range of their longbows, and had a bet, to hit the eye of their target. Apparently this ended in a draw.

"They think they can bribe the old relations of the Dwarves and Humans, especially the Knightdom." Osiria muttered. "It's about a day's ride to the entrance of the mountains, the infantry will catch up on the third day. There we can expect a camp on flatland. We lack siege weapons for now, but the area has abundant resources for the creation and construction of such. Or you Riders can do a flypast with flaming arrows to torch up their supplies."

"Nah nah. We have a secondary force marching through the mountains, they should have reached the Dwarven Capital by now. There we will hem them in, restricting movement and strategic mobility. I have received a message that the Order of the Forest are inbound too. We shall link up with them, probably a few days after we start the siege. Eight thousand men. Poorly armed and equipped, but we do have abundant food. Training can be honed on site as well as on the battlefield unless they run. I'm counting on your Paladins to guide them through this mess."

"Do not worry, Rider. The Paladins will stand at the forefront against those who wish death upon others. It is the Will of the Light that peace be maintained, and aggressors be put down." The Paladin replied.

Eight thousand militiamen has been called up from the Northern Kingdom for this March. Lightly armoured and armed with spears, daggers and axes, they arent the force needed for a true Crusade, but would make a decent anvil in the Knightdom's tactics. Most of them are provided a light crossbow for ranged attacks, and the commanders are hoping that they would stand firm with the elites of the Knightdom.

The Third Crusade
Crusaders Mountain Division
Commander Ander Marin

Pushed on by an order of Forced March, and guided by several Dwarves who lived to the South of the Mountain Ranges, the Knights Retinue managed to reach the Dwarves in relatively quick order. Exhausted but eager, the men regrouped outside the Capital where they had some much needed sleep and resupply. Commander Ander Marin, a decorated Pikeman, sent the following message to the Dwarves, requesting shelter and protection while they regroup before moving forth to advance positions along the frontline.

To: Thorgrim Steelbeard, King of Thunderhold
From: Commander Ander Marin, The Knights Retinue, The Knightdom of Relikai

Greetings, King. I am Ander Marin, and I carry the Banner of the Knights Retinue of Relikai. We are currently camped two miles from Thunderhold, and request urgent opening of the gates for my men. We have marched hard and fast, and are tethering on the brink of exhaustion. We are also on the other side of the frontlines, therefore cannot get to the front without entry through the Capital. We are a Division of eight thousand Pikemen of the Knights, with light ranged weaponry. Should our equipment be insufficient for underground combat, we seek your guidance in outfitting us and standing side by side in battle.

Another force of the Knightdom will be encircling the Orcs on the flatlands, they are led by our ablest commanders. We hope that the alliance of Man and Dwarf would be further cemented in battle.

Deep within Aramas, The Kingdom of Thunder Hold
"My King we found a messenger outside one of our secret tunnels. He said he came from the Knightdom of Relikai and that they are camped near here, to help us fight the Green Skins!"

"Then what are you waiting for, send a message back and tell them they can get here through the tunnels." replied the King.

"Yes Sire, I will complete it as soon as possible."

Thorgrim watched as the servant ran outside of the throne room to write the message before sending it to the Knights.

To: Commander Ander Marin, The Knights Retinue, The Knightdom of Relikai
From: King Thorgrim of Thunder Hold

Greetings, Commander. I am pleased to have found the Hammer Hawks completed their mission. I have read your message and am sorry to say we are unable to let your men through the gates because of the Orc push there. We are however able to let your men in through the many secret tunnels surround Aramas to rest and recuperate before the battle. We hope to receive your answer soon and we wish your men the greatest of thanks.

Thorgrim was about to leave the room when another of his servants entered. "My King, General Hammerfist requests your presence on the front lines. He says the Orcs have pushed past the Gate. They have breached the Outer Chamber."

[Transoxthraxia]

The Palace of the Gods
The City of Aqotis, Capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu noticed as the Empress appeared to be analysing him. She was quite intelligent, as demonstrated by her ability to garner attention merely by speaking. Even if she weren't Empress, Tiberiu figured that the woman would be quite well-followed. She was able to recognise the surprise that Tiberiu felt, no matter how well the Abaerian warrior hid such an emotion. Her mention of his surprise brought a grin to Tiberiu's often stone-like face. "I am indeed surprised, and for the reasons one might expect. A negotiation so quickly moved along as this is either that of a grand alliance, or a grand catastrophe. We shall see which of these options is selected by our merging divine providence." Tiberiu gave thought to the denial that the Empress gave, not surprised at all by the hesitance shown by the Empress. Otho had not arrived with the diplomatic mission, and thus he was not known to the Empress. Tiberiu was confident, though, that the Empress would be impressed with the strong young Otho.

"Of course I understand why you do not accept our offer at this time. Otho Terentius, Principe al Aromâniei, is a strong commander of his legion, as well as an accomplished scholar. I will return to the mighty city of Capua with your request, Empress, and I will then return to this place along with Prince Otho, and quite possibly our Imperator himself." When mentioning the Imperator, as was custom, Tiberiu would look at the ground, then quickly would return to normal position. Such was the honourary bow performed by all Abaerian units. "We accept the offer that you have made, and we make our request to leave from your presence in order to journey back to Abaeria, where we will inform our Imperator."

The Magnificent City of Aqotis, capital of the Empire of Aqotis.
Mid-afternoon

Ainia was relatively pleased with the deal, and hopefully a marriage to the Imperator's son would secure the much-needed alliance. Ainia wasn't a pessimist by any means; she was, however, a realist. There was a storm coming, and the Aqotic Empire would need each and every asset that they had in order to secure the Empire's future, as well as the continuation of her family and dynasty. On paper, the Empire's loyalists were the much stronger of the two forces; the disloyal Ancient Houses had only a small number of troops, and while the families that opposed the Empress' proposed reforms were generally extremely wealthy, they were some of the oldest houses, and their dynastic members were small in number.

However, the opposing Houses were lead by the slimey Iphitus Syagrii,who was known, not only throughout the Empire, but the known world for her incredible tactical and strategic skills, as well as her lapdog Kirse, who was nearly equally as skilled. On top of that, Iphitus was the commander of the Equitatii, the only cavalry arm of the Empire, and was well-liked among them, leading them to potentially switch sides at the last moment. It wouldn't have been the first time, since most of the Equitatii favoured their commander over their empress. And Ainia could count on one hand the amount of skilled commanders that she could trust entirely.

The Empress came out of her daydream as the vexillarius was finishing his courtesies, and asked for his leave. Ainia gave a dismissive wave, before uttering in Aqotic; "May luck be with you on your travels", a traditional Aqotic farewell. As the Abaerian delegation began to depart, Ainia considered her options. Despite her advantage in numbers, she had little over her disloyals, and, at this point, civil war was inevitable; the traditionalists weren't interested in the best for the empire, just what would fill their pockets even more. Once she knew that the Aberian delegation had left the Palace of the Gods, Ainia turned to one of her attendants, and, in her native tongue, told the man to fetch her brother, Phaltus of the Palatial Guard. Her fifty seven year old brother, who had guided the delegation out of the palace, appeared before her in the atrium. He began to kneel, but Ainia waved him back up upon his feet. "In the far off lands, outside of the Empire's borders, I have been told of weapons fire metal balls and can slaughter entire ranks of any enemy force."

As Ainia finished speaking, Phaltus already knew what he was going to say, as he had known what weapon the Empress was talking about, but would not interrupt her. "They are called Rifles, my Empress. They say that their stopping power is untested, but have a significant demoralizing effect on any enemy who has not encountered them before." The head of the Palatial Guard continued, "No unit within our standing army, nor the levies of the Ancient Houses, currently employs them. Their expense practically forbids their large-scale use, but-"

"We're the oldest and most wealthy empire in the known world, and then some, Phaltus." The Empress interrupted, tiredly. She was practically starving. "I think we can afford some of these 'rifles' of yours. I want to buy enough to equip a Megaquadrum with. That's seven hundred and twenty nine weapons, if I'm remembering correctly. It is by my word, Phaltus. Direct some of the funds directly from the family's coffers if you need." She would have reminded her painfully average brother of the coming inevitable civil war, but to speak ill of the Empress or the Empire, even if you were the Empress, was high treason.

---

Charborg bustled with activity. Outside the walls some men worked horses and mules, building up strength lost over winter months, while others sparred and engaged in close order drill. On one side, archers had set up butts and were loosing arrow after arrow into them, grateful it was now warm enough they didn't have to worry about their bows breaking.

The inside of the camp was no less busy. Stores were brought out into the open, examined for spoilage, and then replaced in storerooms. Tents were examined for mold or mildew, arrows, shields, spears and bows made during the winter months were counted, tested and stacked ready for distribution or storage. Women sold or bartered aketon, dresses and new shirts with soldiers or their wives, while the smith was beginning to dismantle his forge. It was spring now, and the company would soon be leaving Charborg for unknown pastures.

With all the drill and preparations going on, the company was more at risk of an attack than usual. In order to prevent certain disaster, Captain Arngrímr Hergrímsson had sent out five teams of his best scouts, mounted on the best horses his company had, to cover all likely approaches. One of them, lead by Þengill Longtoe, had just cantered back to alert them to a small party approaching from the Aqotic Empire. When he described the banner they carried, Arngrímr knew it must be an official embassy from the Empire itself, not just one of the various noble houses. Whether they were here to offer the company employment or to politely suggest that it might want to head further north, Arngrímr wasn't sure, but either way he wanted to make the best impression possible.

"Francis!" He called.

The young servant appeared as if by magic. Young, pretty and dressed in the red and dark blue of the company, he looked much too soft for this line of work but had so far proven adaptable and possessed surprising endurance. He was also quite good with a sword, and had even beaten a couple of the older men, until they'd begun to take him seriously.

"Yes, Captain?"

"I suspect we're going to have official company soon. Get down to the west gate and bring them to my quarters."

"Of course."

Francis gave a precise how and then hurried away to the gate.

The fortress had four gates, one for each cardinal direction. They were large enough for two men to easily ride out abreast, but there was a ninety degree bend in the road and a second internal wall, following the line of the outer wall for ten metres and ending in another set of gates. Anyone who succeeded in breaking down the outer gates would find themselves harried on both sides, and the right angled bend would form a natural choke points hindering reinforcements.


From the inner gates, the internal roads bisected the camp, north to south and east to west. The roads had been laid with a gravel base for drainage, and wooden boards formed the surface. There was no ankle deep mud here to suck at feet or wagon wheels here.

In each quarter of the camp, as divided by the road, was a cluster of four longhouses, each a hundred feet long and twenty five feet wide, with a central, smaller longhouse in their centre and stables and workshops radiating from the fortress wall inwards. Each of the major longhouses could sleep fifty men or women, and three of the four longhouses in each quarter were full. The uninhabited longhouse in each quarter was used as a storeroom, while the central longhouse housed one of the company's officers.

Arngrímr's longhouse was in the centre of the north-east quadrant and he headed there now, determined to make as good an impression on his unexpected guests as he could. He had been sparring when the news had come, so he was dressed in a somewhat pungent aketon - winter had not offered much in the way of washing opportunities - and full armour. With some potentially employers he might have continued to spar, right where they could see him, but he suspected that some pretense at civilisation might be in order. The Aqotic nobility tended to be matriarchal, and Arngrímr knew well enough that women were often scornful of warlike pursuits.

Arngrímr's longhouse was half the length of the main longhouses, but he had only himself, Francis and the girl to house, so it was obscenely spacious in his point of view. The building was constructed of wattle and daub, with a wooden single roof, and the walls had been whitewashed inside and out. The outside was plain, but inside the walls had been painted in colourful designs and the beams had been half carved with the knotwork of his homeland. Winter had allowed for such luxuries.

The longhouse was divided up into two sections: the living area, with the cook fire, large table he used for meetings and Francis' pallet was the large of the two, taking up three quarters of the building's length. The other room was his private quarters, where he and the girl slept. The girl was sitting in the light of an open window, sewing him a new shirt. Dressed in a rich green dress of fine wool, trimmed with red and thread of gold, she looked like a proper lady, not some slave girl taken after her father's army had been defeated. She smiled warmly at Arngrímr as he entered and carried on her work without looking down.

"You're back early. Hildebrand put you down too many times?"

Arngrímr felt a crooked smile coming on and allowed it this once. The girl - he never allowed himself to think of her as a person - was becoming more and more bold as the days went on, and he was having a hard time just thinking of her as a mere object. She also knew him too well. Hildebrand was the kind of fighter that everyone stormed off after fighting: irredeemably smug and skilled enough to get away with it. Even Arngrímr couldn't stand the man.

"Ha, no, not this time. Looks like we've got official company. Aqotics, by the sound of their banner."

The girl paused in her sewing and tilted her head to look at him.

"A new contract?"

He shrugged. "Could be. Could be a big 'fuck off', too."

She nodded, set aside her sewing and stood, a small half-smile on her face.

"Want some help undressing?"

Arngrímr gave a snort of amused derision.

"I'm not senile yet, girl. The day I can't get in and out of my own clothes is the day I die. Get the place ready for our guests and give them wine if I'm not out by then."

---

At the gate, Francis bowed to the representative of the Empress. He was impressed by the banner and rich clothing worn by the embassy, even Haliai's choice of colours did seem bland. While there was plenty of fancy jewellery and armour amongst the company's men, only the Captain and his girl wore clothing this fine on a semi-regular basis.

"On behalf of Captain Arngrímr Hergrímsson, I welcome you to Charborg. If you will follow me, I will take you to him."

With that, he turned and began to lead them through the camp.

Charborg
Early afternoon

Haliai was actually relatively impressed with the appearance of the delegate that welcomed the group into the fortress. Haliai, always the stoic, just nodded, and followed the guide, Francis. She doubted, very much, that the men and women who worked for a mercenary company would be sticklers about proper diplomatic conduct, especially not for the Aqotic culture. She scoffed to herself when she remembered that the mercenaries probably weren't even aware of what the proper Aqotic diplomatic conduct was. "Nevertheless, remain pleasant." She muttered to herself, following Francis on horseback. As she did so, she observed the fortress for the first time since she got inside. It wasn't as bad as she had previously dictated, but it certainly wasn't any Aqotis either.

All around the party, dirty men, women, and children bustled to and fro, from one side of the fortress to the other, making themselves busy, or, alternatively, making themselves look busy. As they traveled through the camp, wordless, both towards one another and their guide, the silence of the group was constantly broken by the bustle of the fortress. Haliai spoke towards their guide, who had his backs to them. "So what business does the Red Company have occupying a place such as Charborg?" She asked, inquisitively.

---

The Castle of Green
Evening

Green was one of the newest large-scale constructions in the Empire, being around a century and two decades old, built by the first of the Megara archbranch. Like many of the other castles and villages within the Empire of Aqotis, the castle was built upon the Great Plains, and all around it were gentle, rolling hills covered in green, yellow, and red crops, all meant to feed the castle, and furthermore, the Empire. The Castle, and the family that was within it, were known as the "Smallholders of the Empire" for the amount of food that they produced for the Empire. It was said that the food produced in a single harvest by the Megara-Acacallis-Syagrii family could feed the entirety of the city of Aqotis for half a decade.

The castle itself was rather unimpressive, at least, to those who observed it from the outside. The short wall was merely twenty feet in height, lacking any sort of metallic plating, and the gate, made out of iron-plated wood, showed the youth of the dynasty. But the minute the gates opened, the true nature of Green was observed. Green was built on a large crater, and the small appearance of the towers was an optical illusion; they reached past the walls of the castle from the pit of the crater, many of the limestone towers, painted with the bleached-bone white colour of the dynasty, and some were nearly one hundred feet in height. Despite some of these impresssive towers, some of which had siege machines mounted on the tops, the one that held the Megara-Acacallis-Syagrii quarters was actually situated underground, at the very base of the crater. Here, dozens of feet of tunnels and defenses led to a large dining chamber, a hundred feet in length and half that in width; attached are a number of residences.

It was here that Iphitus Syagrii, her second-in-command, Kerse of the Green, and a number of other Ancient Family members, dined. While Iphitus, like the Empress, wasn't particularly imposing, her lieutenant, Kerse of the Green, was as tall as a woman could get. Iphitus sat at the head of the extremely long, marble table, which had been bleached white that dominated the center of the dining space that she and her guests currently sat at; all of the members attending were potential dissenters against the empire. The amount of clamour and sound from the invitees arguing among one another reverberated against the cavernous walls of the underground dining area, making it all but impossible for anyone to understand anyone else, and giving Iphitus a massive headache. After trying to signal the invitees to settle down, Iphitus gave a dismissive gesture towards Kerse, who stood up, and in Aqotic, yelled; "Stop!". The powerful voice seemed to shake the dining area, and silence was immediately achieved.

Iphitus stood up. Standing slightly taller than the Empress at around 5'4, she was aged thirty nine years, but had never bore a child, nor married. Her face, structured similarly to the Empress', as the two Archbranches were closely related*. Despite this resemblance, the massive scars that ran from the edges of her mouth to the tops of her cheekbones altered her appearance completely. These scars, referred to simply as "The Smile", within the Empire, was a sign of an extremely popular and skilled military commander. Unlike many who receive The Smile, Iphitus prided herself on it, going so far as to applying white makeup to the rest of her face, and blood-red makeup to the scars to make them stand out more. She wore her hair in traditional Aqotic fashion, like the Empress, but it was more straggly and less pure than the Empress'. The Equitatii commander, who, due to her house's colour, always wore white, slowly leaned herself onto the table, supporting her body by placing both of her hands on the cool marble. She waited for a second, and then began speaking of the Empress' high treason and betrayal of the Ancient Houses.

* As close as first cousins.

[Armanischa]

On the Abaerian Path
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

Tiberiu and his men had collected their horses just outside of the city of Aqotis, thus enabling them to move quickly towards the Abaerian Path. The path was not so much a true path, but more of a valley in the middle of two impassable ranges of great mountains. Tiberiu looked up and to his right at the mountain there, called Gebeleixis. The mountain was well-known to all Abaerians, and most of the folk from the provinces. The name, Gebeleixis, came from the name of the ancient Abaerian God of thunder and lightning. It was said that the God Gebeleixis was a very handsome God, always with a straight white beard. The great mountain to which the God lent his name was similar in some ways. The rocks of the mountain sides were not jagged, but rather smooth and uniform, as if made by human hands. The peak was so high that a perpetual layer of snow graced it, appearing as if it were the beard of Gebeleixis himself. Tiberiu then looked to his left, at a much more frightening mountain. Neto, named for the ancient God of war, was a fearsome and dangerous mountain. In legend, the two mountains were formed after a great battle between Gebeleixis and Neto, in which Neto was defeated. As punishment, Gebeleixis pleaded with Sabazio, the father god, and the mountains were formed. Now, Mount Gebeleixis watches over Mount Neto, making sure that Neto never again assaults another deity. Once through the so-called Gates of Abaeria, Tiberiu knew that they were near to Capua, the grand capital of the Imperium. Although he was born in the northern provinces of the Imperium, Tiberiu had grown to love Capua, even in his short time there. As his mission began to ascend the Mons Capitolinus, the great hill which overlooks all of Capua, Tiberiu began to feel a great rush of excitement fill his body. Upon reaching the top of the great hill, his excitement was validated.

From the top of the Mons Capitolinus Capua looked magnificent. The city proper was a massive circle, clearly divided into three sections. Each section formed a ring, and each ring was separated from the others by a wall. The walls of the city were made from stone, however they were coated with white clay from the southern provinces. At several points on the outer wall, the circle was broken by great turrets, roofed with red clay tiles. Windows from which archers could fire out their arrows were apparent, as well as the ports for the great scorpio ballistas to fire out of, destroying any enemy foolish enough to approach the Abaerian Capital. At the very centre of the city was the Imperial District, where Imperator Marius Ioanus entertained himself and the nobility by hosting great blood-games. The arena, called the Amphitheatrum Ionium, was very easily visible. Banners waved from atop the arena, which was rather close to the Palatium. In that marvelous building, made from white marble, was the senate of the Abaerian Imperium. The senate directed all potential laws during the process of debate and writing, but it was the Imperator who passed the final judgement. His residence, within the Golden Hall of the Palatium, was the most highly guarded location in the entire Imperium.

The central ring of the city proper, called the Circulus de Ignis Imperialis, was the location from where the military was officially commissioned. The high commander of the Imperial Military, Drusus Tacitus, made his home within that section. In addition to the military headquarters, the Cohortes Urbanae and the Garda Aromânii were based in the Circulus. The urban cohorts functioned as the police on the streets of the residential areas of Capua. They were known for being brutal, but prone to corruption. The Garda Aromânii, on the other hand, were known only for their brutality. As the personal bodyguards to the Imperator, they were required to meet very strict physical and mental requirements. They were elite soldiers, selected from the most elite cohorts within the Imperial Legions.

Finally, the outer ring of the city was home of the merchants. Thousands of stalls and shops lined the streets of the outer ring, where civilians and senators would often bump elbows in order to make purchases. The people of Capua did not live within the walls of the city proper, but rather spread out around the centrum. A city such as Capua was nearly impossible to lay siege to, as the populace were in the way of any marauding army. It was through the populace of Capua that Tiberiu made his way, then, looking as several interested onlookers watched him ride past. Children ran to Tiberiu's horse, likely dreaming of being in such a position as Tiberiu in their adulthood. No matter the insistence of the children, Tiberiu remained stoic on the back of his horse. Then, he entered the city of Capua.

---

Pallatium
Within the Imperial District of Capua
Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu

Tiberiu was nervous, as any man would be when approaching the Pallatium of Capua. Four members of the Garda Aromânii stood tall at the entrance to the great palace. They were each easily six feet and six inches tall, and very strong. They had dark blonde hair and green eyes, typical of the Aromâni people of the southern provinces. They had high cheekbones, and strong, angular jawlines, all traits selected by the Imperator for entry into the Garda Aromânii. Tiberiu stopped several paces in front of the guards, standing at attention, as members of the guard were of a higher rank than Tiberiu. "I am Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu, on return from the capital of the Aqotic Empire. I bear a response for our Imperator, Marius Ioanus, from the Aqotic Empress." The guards didn't reply to Tiberiu, simply stepping to the side and allowing Tiberiu to pass. Two of the guards opened the great doors to the palace, and Tiberiu entered.

After waiting for some time, and being led to different sections of the palace, Tiberiu found himself in the chamber of judgement, where the Imperator judged criminals and other miscreants. He stood straight, with his eyes fixed straight ahead, not willing to show any sign of exhaustion. He heard a door open, then two sets of rather heavy footsteps, as though made by heavy boots. Tiberiu turned his head towards the sound, immediately kneeling down and placing his fist over his chest upon seeing the maker of the footsteps. Imperator Marius Ioanus was a very handsome man, despite his clear history of war and conquest. His hair was very dark, and was cut close to the scalp in military fashion. His eyes, although not particularly bright managed to strike fear into the heart of Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu. With the Imperator walked Arminius, the Chief of the Garda Aromânii. Arminius was a massive man, like most of the guards. He had long blonde hair, kept straight and long, reaching the bottom of his neck. He had a neatly trimmed beard, and piercing blue eyes. He was more muscular than the average guardsman, which was saying much. Arminius was not a man that any Abaerian wanted to see at their doorstep. Not wanting to keep the Imperator waiting, Tiberiu stood, then began to speak,

"It is with great joy that I return to you victorious, my Imperator. The Empress of Aqotis is receptive to a proposal of alliance through marriage. She wishes to be married to his honour Otho Terentius, noble legatus. She wishes to wait until she is able to meet with his honour Otho Terentius, noble legatus, to finalise the agreement that we made." Once he finished speaking, he returned to one knee with his eyes facing the floor. His fist returned to its place across Tiberiu's chest.

Imperator Marius Ioanus, pleased with the result of the diplomatic mission to Aqotis, stood from his throne-like seat at the head of the great hall. He cleared his throat, prompting Tiberiu to stand. The Imperator, despite his rank, was never one to bask in his authority, and hated to see a successful soldier bow. "Rise, Vexillarius," said the Imperator in a loud, almost booming voice. "Your success may bring great comfort to the people of Aqotis, as they will soon know the kind embrace of Abaeria and her might. You will fetch my son from the Circulus immediately, and you will bring him here. We will discuss this arrangement further after you have completed this task."

---

On the Abaerian Path
Hours after the Hall of Judgement
Legatus Otho Terentius, Mariusiei

Otho didn't know what to think as he passed through the Abaerian Gate on his horse, Seaxnet. The son of the Imperator knew that he had many responsibilities, but he never knew that one of those responsibilities was to marry a foreign Empress. Otho was a military commander, and he was extremely skilled in his role. He had been married once before, but it ended in a way which Otho preferred not to discuss. Now, he rode with fifty legionaries, as well as five members of the Garda Aromânii. Otho looked up at the great mountains as he passed, riding out into the plains which were between him and the Aqotic Empire. He then looked over at Vexillarius Tiberiu Drusu, whom Otho knew very well. The two men were of the same legion, and Otho had appreciated the skill and loyalty of Tiberiu on multiple occasions. He chose to speak to his loyal Vexillarius on his situation.

"Vexillarius, my mind is not at ease. I ride now to a place I have not been before. This would not be strange, if I were riding intent on conquest, but this time I ride intent on meeting a woman I am to marry. Such things are not common to many men, I imagine." He paused momentarily to take in the surrounding landscape, his eyes scanning a treeline to the north, instinctively checking for any sort of hostile movement. "What is this Empress like, Vexillarius? I worry I may not be attracted to her."

"Your honour, Legatus Otho Terentius, you needn't worry. The Aqotic Empress is beautiful in a way that I have never before seen. She is more than beautiful, as well, as she is sharp in wit and mind. Very attractive qualities, your honour." Tiberiu was surprised that Otho was nervous. The Legatus was of an impressive form, sitting upright on his horse. Otho was tall, six feet and four inches like his father. His muscle was very prominent, and very toned, after several years of constant battle and training. His brown hair was cut short, in military fashion, and his beard was neatly trimmed close to his face, accentuating Otho's strong, angular jawline. The man was utterly magnificent to behold, yet he was nervous about meeting a woman. Such ironies made Tiberiu question the order of the world.

Otho didn't reply to Tiberiu, lost in his thoughts. He remained silent for a long time, contemplating what he might do when brought before the Aqotic Empress. If she was as Tiberiu described, both beautiful and intelligent, Otho would have no trouble when meeting her. If she were lesser, then Otho would find himself uninterested. As he thought deeply about his upcoming encounter, as well as remembering various orders that he would need to pass down to his legion, time moved on quickly. Before Otho could speak again, the mission was arrived at the Aqotic Empire.

---

The Bridge to Aqotis
Within the Aqotic Empire
Legatus Otho Terentius, Mariusiei

Otho and his cohort, made up of fifty legionaries, as well as five members of the Garda Aromânii, approached the gates of Aqotis. The city looked magnificent, even from outside. Otho, unlike several of the other members of the cohort, was openly impressed by the place he was made to look at. The limestone walls were impressive, and Otho was unwilling to dishonour the elves by stating otherwise. The Legatus, once directly before the gates to the city, shouted out an order for the cohort to stop. All fifty-six horses stood on the bridge, watching the gates. Otho shouted to whomever might hear him to open the gates,

"I am Otho Terentius, Abaerian Legatus and son of Imperator Marius Ioanus. I have come to seek audience with your Empress, on her own request. Allow us entry." He sat there, upon his mighty horse, waiting for a response.

[Aqizithiuda]

"My Lady?" Francis stopped and turned to Haliai, not sure if he had heard Haliai correctly. Then, seeing that she really didn't have any idea what the company's role had been, he bowed to her and explained as he continued the walk.

"My apologies, Lady Haliai, I had thought you knew. The company was originally employed by King Leopold to establish Charborg in order to wrest control of this region from Duke Louis. We arrived in late spring and began construction. We conscripted local farmers and had most of the walls finished within the week."

There was a smile in Francis' voice as he continued,

"The duke tried to stop us, but we managed to ambush his first thrust ten miles from here, and then harried his levy to slow its formation. We won a second battle on the other side of the river and then King Leopold's own army arrived. He decided to leave us here to tie up the garrison of Châtégué."

Francis pointed across the river at the stone castle, slightly damaged from light cannon bombardment, and then continued.

"We threw up some earthworks and kept the garrison bottled up, but made sure the farmers we'd conscripted continued work on the fortress here."

He shrugged.

"Eventually the king brought the duke to battle and won, so the castle surrendered. Winter was coming, and we needed winter quarters, so the captain negotiated with the king for permission to stay here over winter."

That hadn't quite been the case, but Francis didn't want to say anything that might jeopardise the company getting a contract. The real truth of the matter was that after the garrison had surrendered, the captain had had the company withdraw to Charborg before declaring that they would be staying the winter. King Leopold, fresh from a bloody campaign, had taken one look at the fortress and decided that letting the mercenaries winter in the fortress was the lesser evil and just ignored them.

By now they had arrived at the four longhouses surrounding Arngrímr's quarters. Francis halted here and bowed once again to Haliai.

"If you and your party would like to dismount here, I will have someone take care of them and lead you to the captain."

[Ascium]

King Edmund 'the Weary'

"Barlthac was a glorious city from what I remember. It has been decades since I visited the city last. I came first as an envoy for my father. Glorious city it was. I spent a year there representing Qyrys. My first posting I believe. I fear I'll never see it again, but the good times I've had there. What I'd give to be a young man again," Edmund smiled. "In truth few cities do rival Qyrys. As it is the only remainer of the first empire. Our line as you know stretches far back to the first kings of the world. Ay, Brackston is a good lad. I'm glad he was good to you. On the matter of the marriage. You are young and without wife, and my niece is young and without husband. Lady Emilia of Wentsby. Her father past years ago, but she holds good title if that's what you are concerned for and is well sought after I assure you. She is bright and pretty and without doubt will make a good wife," Edmund said. "Ah, but where are my manners. Come let us eat and drink. You must be tired from the journey,"

Samuel Clagisave

"Ah King Edmund, I'm sure we could arrange a visit in Barlthac if you so desire. Many things have changed since you were last there. The entertainment district is one of the most popular in the city. But yes, I do remember reading about this city. Also I am astounded by how long your family's records go back." Informed Smaiel as he thought for a moment. "Title doesn't concern me as it would most nobility. I'm more concerned in the matter of how well we get a long. After all in times of war she may have to run the palace and I need someone who will be able to do that. If the need so raises. But yes, your niece's beauty is well rumored in Barlthac. But no thank you King Edmund, I don't drink while I'm on business. Once everything has been decided I will gladly drink with you." Informed Samuel as he smiled at the king.

[New Strausberg]

The Third Crusade
Crusaders Surface Division
Commanders Julius Silverheart and Osiria Shimakaze

"No sooner we help them, we can expect them to stab us on our backs." Julius Silverheart muttered as he read the message from the Orcs. The messenger lay dead, two arrows poking from his eye slits, with his ride suffering a similar fate. Julius and Osiria has spotted the rider at near maximum range of their longbows, and had a bet, to hit the eye of their target. Apparently this ended in a draw.

"They think they can bribe the old relations of the Dwarves and Humans, especially the Knightdom." Osiria muttered. "It's about a day's ride to the entrance of the mountains, the infantry will catch up on the third day. There we can expect a camp on flatland. We lack siege weapons for now, but the area has abundant resources for the creation and construction of such. Or you Riders can do a flypast with flaming arrows to torch up their supplies."

"Nah nah. We have a secondary force marching through the mountains, they should have reached the Dwarven Capital by now. There we will hem them in, restricting movement and strategic mobility. I have received a message that the Order of the Forest are inbound too. We shall link up with them, probably a few days after we start the siege. Eight thousand men. Poorly armed and equipped, but we do have abundant food. Training can be honed on site as well as on the battlefield unless they run. I'm counting on your Paladins to guide them through this mess."

"Do not worry, Rider. The Paladins will stand at the forefront against those who wish death upon others. It is the Will of the Light that peace be maintained, and aggressors be put down." The Paladin replied.

Eight thousand militiamen has been called up from the Northern Kingdom for this March. Lightly armoured and armed with spears, daggers and axes, they arent the force needed for a true Crusade, but would make a decent anvil in the Knightdom's tactics. Most of them are provided a light crossbow for ranged attacks, and the commanders are hoping that they would stand firm with the elites of the Knightdom.

The Third Crusade
Crusaders Mountain Division
Commander Ander Marin

Pushed on by an order of Forced March, and guided by several Dwarves who lived to the South of the Mountain Ranges, the Knights Retinue managed to reach the Dwarves in relatively quick order. Exhausted but eager, the men regrouped outside the Capital where they had some much needed sleep and resupply. Commander Ander Marin, a decorated Pikeman, sent the following message to the Dwarves, requesting shelter and protection while they regroup before moving forth to advance positions along the frontline.

To: Thorgrim Steelbeard, King of Thunderhold
From: Commander Ander Marin, The Knights Retinue, The Knightdom of Relikai

Greetings, King. I am Ander Marin, and I carry the Banner of the Knights Retinue of Relikai. We are currently camped two miles from Thunderhold, and request urgent opening of the gates for my men. We have marched hard and fast, and are tethering on the brink of exhaustion. We are also on the other side of the frontlines, therefore cannot get to the front without entry through the Capital. We are a Division of eight thousand Pikemen of the Knights, with light ranged weaponry. Should our equipment be insufficient for underground combat, we seek your guidance in outfitting us and standing side by side in battle.

Another force of the Knightdom will be encircling the Orcs on the flatlands, they are led by our ablest commanders. We hope that the alliance of Man and Dwarf would be further cemented in battle.

Deep within Aramas, The Kingdom of Thunder Hold
"My King we found a messenger outside one of our secret tunnels. He said he came from the Knightdom of Relikai and that they are camped near here, to help us fight the Green Skins!"

"Then what are you waiting for, send a message back and tell them they can get here through the tunnels." replied the King.

"Yes Sire, I will complete it as soon as possible."

Thorgrim watched as the servant ran outside of the throne room to write the message before sending it to the Knights.

To: Commander Ander Marin, The Knights Retinue, The Knightdom of Relikai
From: King Thorgrim of Thunder Hold

Greetings, Commander. I am pleased to have found the Hammer Hawks completed their mission. I have read your message and am sorry to say we are unable to let your men through the gates because of the Orc push there. We are however able to let your men in through the many secret tunnels surround Aramas to rest and recuperate before the battle. We hope to receive your answer soon and we wish your men the greatest of thanks.

Thorgrim was about to leave the room when another of his servants entered. "My King, General Hammerfist requests your presence on the front lines. He says the Orcs have pushed past the Gate. They have breached the Outer Chamber."

"I've had enough of this...order the Boyz back I'm going in alone for a challenge" Gimzluck and his horde gathered in the outerchamber in what. Could be described as a fighters Pitt. "If you dwarves think your so thought come on down here and face me!" Grimzluck and his orcs pound d at the ground issuing a challenge to the very honor of the dwarven King. "If you kill me my orcs will leave and never come back, but I kill you and these mountains become my mountains you dwarves have to leave for good." The Orcs blocked off the bridge path so no one could enter from that way and all other attempts to move forward where halted the orcs where very serious about there offer.

"So what's it gonna be you stunty King? Are yOu gonna honor a challenge? Or are you gonna sit behind your Boyz like a coward while the real stuntys do all the fighting for you? At least I fight with my Boyz I don't hide behind defenses, I TEAR THEM DOWN!" The Warboss let out a loud shout which was quickly followed by his own soldiers cheering, even if they would die by there Warboss.

[Armanischa]

Northeastern Limits of the Imperium
Kunirīhhi Ackar, The Kingdom of the Fens
Vergilius Aristides, Legatus Legionis de Legio II

Legatus Vergilius Aristides knew his orders. The Fennish King Radistis had been a thorn in the side of the Abaerian Empire for several years, constantly assaulting Abaerian villages and capturing the villagers. Unlike the other regions captured and conquered by the Imperium, the Fens were proving to be nearly impossible to assault. The land was wet and soft in most places, and covered with high, jagged mountains in the others. To march a Legion into the Fens was be impossible, as learned by the Second, led by Vergilius Aristides. His legion had marched proudly into the Fens, renowned throughout the Imperium as a fearsome fighting force, but they were immediately stuck in the deep mud of the borderlands. True masters of their lands, the Fennish forces under their warrior King Radistis had rushed to assault the Second Legion at the opportune moment, killing many of the Abaerian legionaries. Of the 5,120 regular legionaries in the Second, merely 4,132 remained. Such a number was impressive in many scenarios, however when faced with the Fennish army, numbering nearly ten thousand, in accordance with reports from forward scouts, the Legion seemed in dire straits. Now, Vergilius stood before the eleven remaining centurions of Legio II, unsure of what he should say. It had rained for seven days without end, and the men were beginning to fall ill. The Fennish were not attacking, which worried Vergilius. His men would not be able to hold off an assault effectively against the superior numbers of the Fennish, but if his men were allowed to remain ill, they would be slaughtered. Unwilling to betray his Imperator, Vergilius was in a very difficult position.

What was meant to be a meeting of legion officers turned out to be a session in silence, as none of the men knew how to comment on their predicament. The Fennish armies fought ferociously, despite being barbaric by Abaerian standards. As Vergilius walked amongst the sagging and drenched tents of the Abaerian camp, nearly sunk to his ankles in thick mud, he was startled by a great sound from the mountains to his east. He looked to the mountain as a great light appeared on the face. Many of the men of Legio II did the same, still tired from their sleep. With horror the Abaerians looked on as the side of the mountains appeared to catch fire. What must have been thousands of boulder, engulfed in flame, were rolling down the mountain on a direct path to the camp. Vergilius shouted above the noise of panicked troops, "Form shield walls! Companies of fifty men must form separately! Absorb the force of this assault when it comes. This is not our day to die." Even as he was shouting his command, Vergilius was running to a group of the veteran soldiers in the legion, knowing that they were his company, should something go wrong. The Abaerian legionaries, extremely skilled from years of training, formed their shield walls quickly, but the boulders moved fast. Not all of the men were able to form shield walls in time, and were crushed by the flaming projectiles. Only half of the Legion was camped at the encampment there, but the others were too far away to be likely able to see what was happening. Then, the boulders began to hit the shields. The force was too strong, and many were killed.

After the last of the flaming boulders tore through the legionaries and their defenses, Vergilius looked around. He noticed that he was one of only three men still alive in his company. Most of the other companies appeared to be in the same situation. Hundreds of tents were on fire, lighting the night sky and sending embers of flame high into the air. Vergilius hoped on both the old gods and the One God that the other half of his Legion could see the burning encampment. The others, safer within a fortress, would likely respond with great force, should they see the destruction. Vergilius readied himself to call out new orders, clearing his smoke-filled throat first. He was interrupted by the sound of thousands of swords being beaten onto shields. Such a sound was ominous in the night, as Vergilius knew what the sound meant for him and his men.

Six thousand Fennish warriors charged the Abaerian encampment that night, slaying legionaries with a hatred bred from the constant fear the Fennish people felt, living each day not knowing whether the Abaerians would kill them or not. Amongst the men of the Fens marched King Radistis. Radistis was a tall, powerful man, an experienced thirty-eight years old. His father, Alaricis, had been killed by an Abaerian messenger, blinded by a dumb hope that Abaerians could be reasoned with. Radistis cut the throats of legionaries on the ground, and cut down any of those left standing. The encampment looked like a great pool of blood and gore by the time the sun came into the sky. Vergilius Aristides was on the ground in a bloodied heap, suffering from several wounds. His time was short, and he knew it, as he watched the Fennish King approach him. Then, with one clean chop of Radistis' sword, the Second Legion was without a commander.