Arcanum Earth IC (Eastern and Central Asia)

[Danbershan]

OOC Thread Here!

Everything east of Persia, as far as Japan and the Chukchi Peninsula, and as far south as Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Borders on the Ring in the southeast.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Kingdom of Siam – Grand Palace in Bangkok

The King of Siam, Rama the third, was not pleased. Every year he had to deal with this same man making the same request. Every year he answered him the same way.

“My master demands you cede the territories in your North to his control. My lord, King Bodawpaya of Burma considers himself the protector of the Laotian people, and will not stomach your continued dominion over them!” The diplomats words came with the same feigned fiery anger that Rama had heard the previous year. Technically, he and Burma were still at war with one another. But it had settled into the slow simmer of a war neither side was too interested in prosecuting heavily. The Burmese had to face the pressure of the colonial powers in their west, and Rama’s Kingdom had to hold most of its military power in its South-lands to secure against the vile goblins that called that region home.

But face had to be maintained.

Leaning forward in his throne, Rama put a false anger into his voice that still sounded quite convincing.

“Go back and tell your master that his demand is rejected. Let him come and assert his power over the Laotian peoples. If they want him to reign over them once more, perhaps he can succeed in a military campaign.” The ambassador from Burma blanched. The last sentence had been a new one, and was shaming to the king of Burma. As the ambassador left, Rama tried to bring himself to care about the slight he had committed against the man, but he could not. He tired of this game between their countries. The true threat to them came from the disgusting Europeans. Not to mention the unclean tribes of man-imitating creatures in the Ring Sea. Those threats were too major for anything but a united front be displayed against them.

But a united front did not exist. At least, not against the European colonial powers ever-expanding into India. Burma was increasingly falling under their sway, and Rama feared how long he had before his neighbor to the Northwest, his sworn enemy of almost fifty years, was gobbled up by the colonial powers and their unclean “technology”.

“Mag Ni Yo!” He called out. From the darkened corners of his throne room a solitary man stepped out. Or at least, he resembled a man. He stood a full two heads above than even Rama, who was one of the taller Siamese people, and Rama knew that, had his hooded robe not hidden his head, he would have a sharp pair of ears that stuck out from his head slightly, marking him as an elf.

“What is it, Celestial Master?” he asked, his voice having the odd sing-song quality that reminded Rama of the eunuchs that had entertained his court a few years prior. The elf in front of him was one of a very few who lived in the Kingdom of Siam. Rama had never been able to get the elf to answer much of anything about his history, so all he knew about the elf and his people were they existed, they originated from the strange land of "Salirian" that lay far to the East of Japan, and were incredibly gifted with magic. So much so that many of the Hindus in his country had begun to venerate them slightly above others, believing their race to be a step closer to moksha, an idea that was also increasingly popular with the Buddhists of his country as well. Though their take on it was less formalized.

What Rama and his people didn’t know was the powerful mage their king now called upon as his personal wizard was comparatively weak to his long-abandoned former masters in Salirian. Masters that had treated the man as a second-class citizen and, in many cases, even held his race of people in bondage.

“I must confer with you about the coming rice harvest. I feel we may need to organize a summoning for additional rain, it has been a dry year as of yet and…”

Thus went another day in the Kingdom of Siam.

[Old Tyrannia]

Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

There was some commotion in the streets as a sedan chair was carried amidst much parade through the main road in the Chinese Empire's capital. The visitor to the city was quite clearly of some importance, or the Emperor would not have organized such a grand welcome; with a good idea who the visitor actually was, hundreds of Chinese peasants amassed on the sides of the street, respectfully watching the column march past and perhaps offering up a little prayer. Those who caught a glance of the small ornate box carrying the illustrious visitor would know immediately that they were right in their suspicions; the sedan chair was entirely black, and only a vampire travelled in an entirely black sedan chair.

At the gates of the Forbidden City, hundreds of Imperial guards were gathered to greet the approaching envoy. Three figures dressed in the robes of the Imperial bureaucracy commanded respectful looks and much bowing as they glided rather elegantly through the courtyard at the front of the huge palace complex. Much to the shock of all onlookers, the three mandarins themselves bowed deeply, as if to a superior, when finally the black box was brought to the head of the procession and the black curtains were pushed aside. It was clear that the mandarins were all vampires themselves, from their wizened looks, squints, constant sniffing and air of authority, but the new arrival was someone rather special, if even they were treating him with deference.

Lord Cao, King of Wei, Grand Secretary of the Great Shun Dynasty, stepped down from the sedan chair and with a mere glance had the entire cohort of Imperial Guards kowtow before him as they would the Emperor himself. Lord Cao, it was known, had spent the last fifty years in the prescence of the oldest of Their August Majesties the Four Dragon Kings of the Celestial Empire, Ao Guang Himself, the Dragon King of the East. If Cao Cao himself were not a character to demand a certain degree of awe, the fact that he almost certainly brought word from the Dragon King was sufficient to ensure he would be treated with full honours. The most senior of his three vampiric brethren stepped forward and bowed again. This time, Cao Cao seemed to catch a glimpse of his counterpart's face, and bowed even more deeply in return.

"My Lord Zhen," he said, "How excellent to meet with you again. I did not believe you would still be at court after all this time."

"Neither did I, my Lord Cao," responded Lord Zhen. "But here I am. I welcome you in the name of His Majesty the Emperor, may he live for ten thousand years. If Your Excellency would follow me, the Emperor requests your prescence. I am hopeful that we will be able to speak privately later."

"Of course, my lord," replied Cao Cao. The four vampires turned and walked through the great gates of the Forbidden City, and were led by an escort of guards to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the largest hall in the Forbidden City, where it seemed the entirety of the Imperial Court had assembled to welcome them. Amidst much ceremony, the four vampires walked into the hall. It was rare for any vampire to make such a fuss over their prescence- normally they preferred to skulk behind the throne, as most of the court's vampires did even now, rather than take the centre stage. But always it was clear where power lay. The Emperor ruled, of course, but he was expected to do as his ancient advisors suggested, and besides, were they not all servants of the Four Dragon Kings?

"Your Imperial Majesty," said Lord Zhen, bowing, "I present to you His Excellency Lord Cao, King of Wei, envoy of His August Majesty the Ambassador of Heaven and Dragon King of the East, Lord Ao Guang."

A gasp went up at the mention of Cao Cao's name, and a bigger one at the mention of the Dragon King. Cao came forward and prostrated himself before the Emperor, before rising, but it seemed as though it were the Emperor who was subservient to him, such was his bearing.

"Majesty," he began, "I request Your Most August Personage's permission to speak."

"It is granted," the young Emperor replied. Cao Cao bowed, then responded, "I come from His Majesty the Dragon King of the East due to news that Your Majesty so graciously had sent to Their Majesties the Dragon Kings regarding the visits of foreign barbarian envoys to the Imperial City. Their Majesties are deeply angered that these envoys from lands to the West treat Your Imperial Majesty as their equal, when clearly the Son of Heaven is master over them as Your Majesty is over all under Heaven. That the King of Japan and the barbarian khans to the north seem to have forgotten Your Majesty's superiority is even worse. The world forgets its place, Your Majesty. It was suggested by His August Majesty the Lord Ao Guang that envoys be sent to all neighbouring barbarian tribes and petty kingdoms in order to begin reasserting the Celestial Empire's pre-eminence over their petty warlord states."

"And you were sent here by His Most Azure Majesty to suggest this course of action to us?" asked the Emperor.

"Yes, Your Majesty, but not for that alone. I am to remind Your Imperial Majesty that a year remains until the Dragon Kings come to Beijing to inspect the affairs of the Empire, as is their custom. And finally, I am to request most humbly that Your Imperial Majesty will release the philosopher Zhu Ping from Your Majesty's custody, on the grounds that Their Most August Majesties have found him innocent of treason. It is Their Majesties' belief that criticism is good for Your Majesty's Government. I am to relay the words of His Majesty King Ao Guang exactly, I believe they were, 'perhaps if the Son of Heaven would listen to his own subjects' grievances he would be more aware of the happenings within his Empire,' " Cao Cao paused, then continued, "Their Majesties are displeased with the increase in corruption within the Imperial Bureaucracy that Their agents have reported."

The room held its breath. If any other soul had dared publically challenge the Emperor in this way, he would be executed for the insult. But this was Cao Cao, the Vampire King of Wei, first among the servants of the Four Dragon Kings and delivering one of the said Dragon Kings' own words exactly. One of the other vampires stepped forward to reply on the Emperor's behalf, but the Emperor waved him away, before responding, "Their Majesties' will is clear. We are the most loyal servant of Heaven and the Dragon Kings speak for the Jade Emperor; Master Zhu is to be released from his imprisonment immediately and the officials who charged him with treason are to be brought before the Imperial Court for judgement. We will immediately organize a full investigation into the allegations of corruption and begin a purge of the Imperial Bureaucracy. Let it be remembered that we were an Emperor that did not suffer corruption, nor humiliation, except at the hands of the Four Dragon Kings to whom we are forever loyal and subservient. Their Majesties' other suggestions shall also be implemented as soon as is practically possible."

"I thank Your Majesty for so generously granting me an audience," responded Cao. "It is my judgement that His Majesty the Emperor will prove a fine ruler for the Empire, and I will take great pleasure in expressing my views to Their Majesties the Four Kings when they come for their inspection."

The Emperor nodded, partly in gratitude, partly to dismiss Cao Cao, who bowed one more time and then backed away before finally turning and leaving the Hall.

"Have a missive sent to our servants beyond the Middle Kingdom," the Emperor commanded a vampire. "Demand that they pay what tribute they owe to the Son of Heaven and reassure them that they will have the Empire's protection for so long as they do so."

"Yes, Your Majesty," responded the vampire, who quickly hurried away to do the Emperor's bidding.

---

To the tributaries of the Celestial Empire,

I write in the name of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty, may he live for ten thousand years, and Their Majesties the Four Dragon Kings of North, South, East and West to request that your Majesty reaffirms your lasting loyalty to the Shun Dynasty and to the Celestial Empire by sending the due tribute to the Imperial Capital of Beijing. Do so, and in demonstrating your obediance and faithfulness, you will earn the continued protection of His Majesty the Son of Heaven.

Signed,
珍永紅
Lord Zhen, Grand Secretary of the Great Shun Dynasty and the Empire of the Four Dragons
Your Superior

(OOC: Communique is mainly for the attention of Siam.)

[Occupied Deutschland]

Kingdom of Siam – Docks of Bangkok

King Rama III slowly paced up the row of tributary items that were bound for China. He had received the missive from the so-called “Celestial Empire” a few days prior, and had proceeded to ignore its lofty promises. The Siamese had received no “protection” from the Chinese at any point in history. The Siamese held off the goblin attacks that incessantly nipped at their southern border and threatened to let the foul creatures loose upon the rest of Asia. The Siamese actively worked against the hated Europeans ever-growing presence in Asia. What did China do? China sat on its laurels and fed its ego, demanding tribute and ignoring the vast changes in the world that had taken place in the last three-hundred years.

Rama III grunted as one of the merchants bound for the Forbidden City presented a stylized golden statue of a dragon in coiling flight. He knew the stories of the Four Dragon Kings, thanks to the goodly number of Chinese immigrants in his country he also counted himself among the few who knew the creatures actually existed and weren’t just another expression of Chinese arrogance. He remembered the stories his father had told him of their supposed last trip into the Chinese capital, who he had learned from a Chinese trader who decided to stay in Siam. His father told him of how the trip had boded a drastic change in some of China’s domestic policies, a simple statement that had influenced Rama III greatly. The incident presented the dragons as the seemingly sole source of forward-looking thought in the Empire. Though they too seemed unconcerned about the threat of the Western powers in Asia if their silence up to this point was any indication.

When his inspection of the tributary goods was completed, the ships set sail and slowly moved their way out of Bangkok's river harbors and began their journey East to the South China Sea. The king had bought his country a little more time of peace with China. Rama could not help but hope however that either the Chinese would begin to focus their efforts on the Europeans threatening the Asian nations or would at least leave him alone as he did the same.

He grew weary of prostrating himself before his inferiors.

To the most esteemed Celestial Empire of the Four Dragon Kings

Please accept these gifts in the name of Rama III, the current avatar of Vishnu in this world. We hope these simple gifts from as simple a nation as ours will be worthy of your highly developed tastes. We wish your Emperor an endless life and wish even greater knowledge upon the Four Dragon Kings.

May your chakra never be interrupted.
Chengo Chennikona, Foreign Minister of his grace, Rama III.

Kingdom of Siam – Grand Palace
One day following the departure of the Chinese tribute fleet

Rama III held up a hand, and silence fell over the small group of advisors in front of him. On his right was Mag Ni Yo, and to his left was his current favorite concubine, who had the good grace of remaining silent during the proceedings. Beyond those two sat the monks. One a Buddhist Bhikku, was dressed in his typical flowing robe while his counterpart across the table, a Hindu, instead opted for the long shirtdress that had come into style in his order.

Rama could tell the Bhikku was consciously avoiding looking at the elf that sat next to him. The Buddhist priests considered themselves the proper caretakers of magic in Siam, and the usurpation of that role hundreds of years earlier by the elves still stung them. The Hindu, meanwhile, practically beamed at the elf. It had taken Rama’s functionaries a full minute to get the man to quit bowing to the elf when the council had first convened. At the opposite end of the table sat Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the head of the Siamese military forces.

“Please, we have business to attend to my friends.” Rama said casually. His use of the term told them immediately this would be a much less formal session than usual. When he held public meetings such as this, he was forced to address them by their titles. Good in theory, but in practice it just got in the way of doing business. Especially Rama’s own exceedingly long title. When one held various positions of power in the three major Laotian tribes, was the king of Siam, the king of Vietnam, and the god-king of Cambodia, one’s title became exceedingly long for everyday use.

“Let us proceed straight to business. We don’t want to burden ourselves with excessive ritual and formality as our most esteemed neighbors to the North do.” There was a mild round of laughter around the table. China was slowly becoming a joke to the general population of Siam, influenced undoubtedly by their disregard for the colonial powers actions to their South.

Mag Ni Yo was, as per usual, the first to respond to the king’s silent request. “Your Celestial Majesty, the Mage Temple at Wat Chaiwatthanaram is beginning to fall into disrepair and…”

The meeting continued in a similar vein for four full uninterrupted hours. His advisors presenting the more major works that demanded his attention and him okaying them or declining them in succession. When the meeting ended, Rama III returned the deep bows of his advisors with a shallow one of his own and awaited their exit so he could withdraw to his chambers with his concubine. It was good to be the king.

Alas however, he noticed Mag Ni Yo hesitate before leaving and allow the other advisors to proceed out ahead of him. A situation the Hindu seemed to be almost uncomfortable with. They had an almost unhealthy fixation on the elves.

“Majesty, there is a matter I do not want to discuss in front of your other advisors…” the elf trailed off, and for the first time it appeared to Rama as if the man was almost embarrassed.

“Majesty…I have been…” Once more the elf trailed off, raising one of his arms he ran his hand slowly up and down the back of one of his ears, a gesture Rama III had only seen him practice when he was exceptionally nervous.

“Go on Ni Yo. Whatever it is, I am interested.” The king stepped forward slightly, “as your king and your friend.”

This seemed to hearten Ni Yo and he approached the king until he stood directly in front of him. Almost whispering, he stated his concern. “Majesty, I have been practicing my dhyana of late, and, well, I believe I have been given a gift of knowledge for my studiousness.” Rama III nodded slowly. Mag Ni Yo was renowned around the palace for his commitment to following the tenants of Hinduism, likely one of the contributing factors beside his lineage that inspired so much respect for him among the Hindu’s in the Kingdom.

“King,” the elf continued, lowering his voice slightly, “I have had…visions. Of Salirian. Of my former homeland.” The king instantly recognized what troubled his friend. Something about his former home was wrong…or, could he possibly hope it was right and the elf felt the desire to return to his home?

“King, I fear…in time there may be trouble from Salirian that could result in terrible tragedies befalling your people.”

Rama III nodded slowly, but below his calm demeanor he suppressed a frustration. The elf clearly knew more than he was telling the king. Clearly there was something more than a concern for Siam in his revelation.

“Mag Ni Yo…I cannot help you if you do not allow me all the information you know.” The king let a slight amount of steel enter his voice in the soft rebuke, and the elf jerked at it in shame. “Please my friend, you have done so much for me and my people. What can we do to assist you or your people?”

At the mention of ‘your people’ the elf’s calm demeanor vanished for a moment, replaced by an obvious anger and frustration. Reaching up, he clasped Rama’s shoulder, an action unthinkable had there been anyone in the room but the concubine Rama had brought.

“There is much I need to tell you of Salirian my king. My last time there was almost 800 years ago, but from what the more recent escapees from those kingdoms tell me, little has changed.”

Rama wondered for a moment at the elf’s use of the phrase ‘escapees’. After the elf’s explanation of the elven hierarchy, he wondered no more.

He condemned. The Lesser Elves were clearly being treated just as the colonial powers were treating the “subjects” unlucky enough to be included in their territorial acquisitions. It disgusted Rama. Something would have to be done.

He had little idea what, but something had to be done. The King of Siam, Avatar of the God Vishnu, withdrew to his quarters for thought, the concubine he had had with him dismissed with not a single word.

Something HAD to be done about the Lesser elves in Salirian...Of course, of equal importance was the European colonization to his west in India. Which took priority? Could both be accomplished?

Rama III fell asleep after much thought, no answers immediately apparent to him.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Paracell Islands – some 200 miles east of the coast of the Kingdom of Siam
Docks

Mag Ni Yo; or as some of the lesser elves of the Kingdom who had known him in infancy still called him, Estelmist, stepped off the junk that had transported him to the island in the South China Sea. He was weary from the trip, having been the mage responsible for propelling the junk through the water. In most cases a pair of Buddhist mages were used for the strenuous task, but the pair this junk had had available to it were required for a healing at the outskirts of the city it docked at. As such, Mag Ni Yo had been the sole mage in the area with the capability to move the vessel. He hadn’t been able to maintain the same speed the pair of humans got out of it, though he had come close. Now however, he felt the beginnings of fatigue setting in from his efforts, threatening to drag him down in their bone-crushing tides much like the ocean he had spent the last day crossing.

Even so, his steps were light now as he threaded purposefully through the docks and workers unloading the ship’s cargo. Off to his right, a trio of Buddhist mages sat in deep concentration as they magically lifted a stack of five or six 200-pound rice bags out of the ship’s hold and slowly moved them through the air to the side of the dock where more conventional methods would carry them to the town’s markets. Ahead lay the semi-thriving village that served as a rest-stop for the Siamese and…other travelers who went through the island.

Though technically the island was neither part of China or Siam, the island chain’s people had very friendly relations with Siam and some portion who had fled from their native Hainan island to the north were outright hostile to the Chinese Empire. There was a small amount of tension that seemed to be developing in the islands politics every time Mag Ni Yo visited, though what or who it concerned he could never place his hand on. But the lesser elf regretted the situation greatly. The island chain served a wonderful purpose as it was, and he feared any hostilities that developed might interrupt it’s current role.

Stepping onto the gangway that lead to a small warehouse at the head of the docks, Mag Ni Yo steeled himself for what he was about to see as he approached the solitary door that blocked off view of the inside. The building wasn’t large by any means. The single brothel in the village proper was larger, but the warehouse served its purpose admirably enough. Much like the Paracell Islands.

Mag Ni Yo opened the door, and despite his preparation gasped.

Inside the dimly lit building was a group of lesser elves. They were perhaps 17 or 18 in number, though there could be some others in the darkness that pervaded the corners of the room. All them in ragged clothing that reminded Mag Ni Yo of that he himself had had when he still served as a serf to one of the elven nations on Salirian. All of them with their eyes locked on him as if fearing he would prove to be a figment of their imaginations.

But it was not the group of elves that had elicited Mag Ni Yo’s gasp. Over the years he had grown used to seeing the ragged groups of runaway lesser elves who fled their masters on Siamese boats to the Paracell islands. No, instead, it was the solitary one who stood in the rear of the building, her face holding the same shocked expression Mag Ni Yo’s did, who surprised him. The reaction wasn’t inspired by any physical attribute of either of them, though Mag Ni Yo’s was enhanced by the other elves young demeanor, but it was brought on by what each of them noticed about the other’s magical aura, what the Hindus Mag Ni Yo had spent so much time with called chakra.

I have a sister? Was the only thought he could process at that moment.

---------------------------

Bangkok, Kingdom of Siam
Grand Palace

Mag Ni Yo waited for the king to summon him. Today he was receiving local farmers and the like from the outskirts of the city in order to listen to their concerns and address them as best he could. Even the elf had to wait in such an instance.

The trip back from the Paracell Islands had been much, much quicker. Although weakened by their journey, the seventeen lesser elves who were picked up from the island to be brought back to the Kingdom’s mainland were still able to contribute to the ship’s propulsion. Though each individually was less help than even a human monk would have been in their weakened state, combined they wielded a very strong power that allowed the ship to slide through the water with unbelievable speed. Combined with that, the nearly empty holds of the vessel made the return trip much easier than the trip to the island had been. Mag Ni Yo even had the chance to sleep for a short while, following a very long talk with his sister, who sat at his side even now. She had been born only 45 years prior as the second child of Mag Ni Yo’s parents, of which Ni Yo had been the first more than 900 years before. Apparently, his parent’s had sent her to the Western coasts to seek out the Siamese outpost there.

By her presence, Mag Ni Yo knew she had succeeded where a good portion of lesser elves who ran from their masters did not.

“The king will see you now.” A court functionary said, smiling while clapping his hands in front of him and bowing. Mag Ni Yo felt Efellin jerk at being bowed to. It was not a thing a lesser elf was accustomed to, and Mag Ni Yo had needed almost four years to grow comfortable with the practice.

Stepping into the king’s throne-room, Mag Ni Yo sensed his sister withdrawing within herself and assuming the slightly hunched posture lesser elves in Salirian walked around in so as to be able to bow at a moment’s notice. As slyly as he could, the lesser elf shifted and knocked one finger into his sister’s arm. She straightened immediately. He had quickly learned that though they bowed, the humans of Siam despised poor posture, believing it to be extraordinarily impolite.

The king almost seemed to hop from his throne and spread his arms wide, a variety of necklaces and baubles clinking together as he did so. “Ahh, Mag Ni Yo! I have awaited your return!” the king shrugged off the necklaces and amulets he had to wear when addressing common people and began to walk down the steps that led to his throne.

Instead of stopping when reaching the bottom however, Rama III continued and quickly crossed the short-distance to Mag Ni Yo. Stopping before him, the King of Siam, his most august and royal majesty the God-King of Cambodia, the Lord of the Laot and the protector of Vietnam clapped his hands in front of him and gave a slight bow. Mag Ni Yo blushed and quickly returned the gesture, wishing the king had been a bit more formal, his sister was uncomfortable enough as it was and…

“And who is th—“ The king’s words cut-off as he shifted his position slightly and focused on Efellin for the first time. Rama III was normally a very controlled man, but the beautiful thing in front of him almost caused him to completely lose track of what he was saying. “—this?” he said, as if he had simply run short of breath in the middle of saying the word previously. He clapped his hands in front of him again and began to bow once more.

Before he could truly begin the motion however, Mag Ni Yo felt the floor shake lightly and turned his gaze to his sister. She had collapsed to the ground before the King and held her arms out in front of her in the upraised position and her face pressed against the ground. It had been the customary bow the lesser elf servants were required to perform back in Salirian to their high elf masters. At least, where Mag Ni Yo and Efellin had grown up it had been.

“Superior of mine,” Efellin spoke in the halting Thai she had been taught while waiting in the warehouse in the Paracell Islands. “Please forgive my transgressions against you and—“ Efellin stopped abruptly and Mag Ni Yo almost fainted.

Rama III had squatted in front of her and now laid his hand across her shoulder. Squeezing, he slowly pulled up until the lesser elf got the message and began to rise. Was he blushing? Mag Ni Yo thought as his king slowly stood as well, his arm still on the elven woman’s shoulder. Removing it, the king clapped his hands before him, smiled, and gave a light bow to Efellin.

A look of understanding dawning in her eyes, the lesser elf mimicked the motion, though she bowed slightly deeper than the king had. Mag Ni Yo smiled, she caught on very quickly to the humans and their customs, much quicker than he himself had so many years ago. Perhaps Salirian had not made such an impression on her before she had left.

“Why didn’t you tell me of this sooner Mag Ni Yo? I could have delegated more ships to trade with the Paracell’s, I could have delegated more ships to our outpost on Salirian, I could have—“ The king trailed off as he shook his head, looking at Efellin he smiled, “But, self-reproach can wait for later. Would you be so kind as to tell me your name?”

The meeting continued for some time, with Mag Ni Yo taking a sideline to the king’s polite interrogation of what his sister had gone through on Salirian.

He tried as best he could to ignore the obvious infatuation the king had with his sister.

[Old Tyrannia]

Forbidden City
Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

The Kangzhen Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty and the Empire of the Four Dragons inspected the tribute sent from the King of Siam from atop his throne, items being held up for his inspection by one of the dozens of vampire mandarins surrounding the throne. Beside him, Lord Cao, King of Wei, newly promoted to the rank of Minister of Works after the incumbent was found to be guilty of corruption and sentenced to execution by slicing, read the message sent for the Emperor by the Siamese.

"Please accept these gifts in the name of Rama III, the current avatar of Vishnu in this world. We hope these simple gifts from as simple a nation as ours will be worthy of your highly developed tastes. We wish your Emperor an endless life and wish even greater knowledge upon the Four Dragon Kings." Cao Cao turned to the Emperor. "Vishnu is a god of the barbarians to the south, Your Majesty. Our loyal subjects in Siam view their King as his living incarnation upon the Earth. Whether he is truly of divine nature or not is, of course, irrelevant, as all under Heaven must kneel before Your Imperial Majesty's most august dynasty by order of the Jade Emperor, passed on through the medium of Their Majesties the Four Dragon Kings."

"Kneel," Minister of Defence Zhang Xianzhong (also a vampire lord) added, "or be knelt. None may stand unbowed before the Son of Heaven, that do not come as emissaries of Heaven Itself."

"Of course," Lord Zhen agreed. "Speaking of which, a barbarian of a queer race known in their primitive tongue as orcs has come from the distant south as an emissary of his ruler, and wishes to have an audience with Your Majesty. If the Lord of Ten Thousand Years is finished reviewing the tribute from the Siamese, perhaps Your Majesty would grace him with the incomprehendible honour of setting eyes upon Your Celestial Majesty's most august personage."

"So be it," the Emperor replied, ordering that the treasures from Siam were to be carried away with a vague hand gesture. "We will meet with this strange barbarian. You may grant him permission to enter our prescence."

"Yes, your beneficence," replied Lord Zhen with a low bow, before disappearing for a moment. The Emperor turned to Lords Zhang and Cao, both of whom bowed, and began, "whilst we await this barbarian emissary, we would discuss an issue of some importance with you both. Our sources suggest that the fair barbarian peoples across the Eastern Sea, whom we are told provide the Earth's finest mages, stir for the first time in centuries. We are told that the many splintered factions of this barbarian race have began to gather after many years to engage in negotiations. There are fears among the few traders who have settled the shores of the far land that they grow angry with mankind and would seek to strike at us. Meanwhile, we grow increasingly concerned with the growing influence of the Western foreign devils in the south, who do not bow before the Imperial Throne and spread their own insidious influence throughout our realm. Though the tribute that now arrives daily from our tributaries demonstrates that the Celestial Empire is not without great influence of its own, that the Four Dragon Kings would send forth orders to demand this tribute shows that Their Majesties, too, feel that the harmonious rule of the dynasty is undermined."

"Your Majesty has wisdom and knowledge beyond his years, it would seem. No doubt Your Majesty's intelligence has been increased since the corrupt officials were purged from the bureaucracy," responded Lord Cao. "What advice would the Son of Heaven ask of us?"

"We firstly wish to state our intent to mobilise the armies of the Middle Kingdom and prepare for war," the Emperor responded. "Any target will suffice. Some nation must be humbled that the rest of the world may be reawakened to the power of the Empire. What do our advisors think?"

"Your Majesty," responded Lord Zhang, "I am in full agreement. Now that the Imperial Bureaucracy is purged of corruption Your Majesty will no doubt find that it will be far more efficient at assembling such a force, and will soon be ready to march. We need only choose a target."

"Whilst Your Imperial Majesty speaks with great clarity and truth, let not rash decisions undermine Your Majesty's great intellect. War is a terrible thing, and we shold think long and hard before committing to it," said Cao Cao. "But now, let us turn to more immediate matters. It appears that the emissary of the Orcs has arrived."

Indeed, the great doors of the Hall of Supreme Harmony were now pushed open and, surrounded by an escort of Chinese guards and led by a group of vampires which itself was headed by Lord Zhen, the orcish ambassador came before the Imperial Court of the Empire of the Four Dragons. Cao Cao turned to the arrivals.

"Prostrate yourselves before the Son of Heaven, may he live for ten thousand years!"

The guards and vampires all fell to the ground and pressed their foreheads to the hard, cold floor. All eyes were on the orc.

[The Nuclear Fist]

Forbidden City
Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

The Orc diplomat was an average fellow, some two and a half meters tall and weighing about 275 kilograms. However, even being of average height, he was quite clearly the largest thing in the room. His eye blazed red with ferocity and determination. He was an older Orc, his face having many crags, one of his tusks having had the tip broken off and the other being a dull yellow, runes having been carved into it decades ago. A myriad of scars zig-zagged across his face. He wore the deel typical of Golden Orcs, a manner of dress not terribly different from the men who stood in the room. His was a burgundy colour, the clasps being made of sapphire and the sash being a deep cerulean. Unlike other diplomats, he did not wear sandles. Instead, he wore the thick, leather boots typically worn by Orc horsemen, the tops of them having a ring of fur, the cap of the foot having a metal plate that protected from arrows. He wore two plates of shoulder armour over his deel, the steel scarred and chipped from seeing many battles. He wore a golden ring in his snout that pierced through the middle flesh that separated the nostrils. But most strikingly were the four human skulls that dangled from strings tied to his sash, each having been polished until they glimmered, the eye sockets having gemstones crudely jammed into them. It was custom in Golden Orc culture that, upon dealing with a nation of a different race, to wear the skulls of that race on the sash. It showed dominance and power. The furred cap upon his head only served to complete the bizarre juxtaposition of barbarian horseman and diplomat.

The Orc diplomat's name was Temuj Urgak. As a show of humility, he removed his furred cap and pressed it to his heart, giving a curt bow to the Chinese emperor. In Golden Orc religion, prostrating oneself to a non-Orc was a grave sin, and being a devout member of the Cult of the Golden Khan, he had not intent on committing such a sin for a sniveling human. All of these spineless, effeminate, weak humans. He hated them all, and would be happy if they all perished in flames. But, being a diplomat, he forced himself to smile pleasantly and be. . . diplomatic. Having bowed sufficiently, the Orc rose to his full, imposing height. His piercing gaze met that of the Emperor's, twinkling with what, on the outside, appeared to be pleasantness. "Greetings, I am Temuj Urgak, diplomat for the Golden Khanate and prophet of the one true god, His Eternal Majesty the Golden Khan, leader of all Orcs and benevolent overlord of all life. I have traveled a great distance to foster communication and trade between our two great peoples, and to spread the glorious word of the Golden Khan. As a servant of Him, and I grateful that you would receive me so graciously," explained Temuj in his deep, gravelly, booming voice not unlike most Orcs. Although he was grateful to be away from the watchful eye of his Khan for a while, and pleased that he didn't have to wait long to see the Emperor, he was deeply angered at having been forced to waste his time with the humans. But, at the very least, he wasn't stuck paying a visit to the Goblins. That would have been far worse.

[Old Tyrannia]

Forbidden City
Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

"You do not kneel before the Lord of Ten Thousand Years," said Zhang Xianzhong in a matter-of-fact voice, as if noting an odd and interesting occurence. He managed to be menacing without having a hint of menace in his voice. "And you speak of your deity as if he is Son of Heaven. Benevolent overlord of all life, you say? It is fortunate, then, that I am no longer alive."

Cao Cao turned and whispered something to the Emperor, who then said to Lord Zhang, "Remain silent." The vampire grimaced, but bowed and backed away from the throne. He nonetheless fixed his cold eyes on the Orc, cold and calculating, filled with hatred and disgust for the barbarian that had been brought into his Emperor's prescence. Besides Zhang Xianzhong, there were five vampires surrounding the Dragon Throne. To the right of the Emperor, from the Orc's point of view, and closest to the throne was, of course, Lord Cao. To Cao Cao's left was Lord Zhen, who had left the Orc's escort to take up his place among the Emperor's undying advisors. To his left was Sima Qian, the most ancient vampire at court who could remember when Emperor Wu of Han, the Vampire Emperor, still reigned and who served as Prefect of the Grand Scribes and official historian of the Imperial Court. Next to Lord Zhang, Zheng He, the greatest admiral of the Ming dynasty and resident expert on foreign devils thanks to his experiences during his expeditions, stood serenely and watched the Orc while nodding, recognising the species, culture and accent of the diplomat. Finally there was Song dynasty scholar, historian and chancellor Sima Guang.

"You come before us," said the Emperor, "and refuse to kowtow to us. You show some politeness, but then speak as if we were the inferior to your god-king, this Golden Khan of whom you speak so highly, when it is Heaven's will, dictated by the Four Guardians of the Empire on behalf of the Pure August Jade Emperor, that we rule over all under Heaven as Huangdi. Perhaps you realise not whom you stand before. In our graciousness, we absolve you of your sins in recognition that as a foreign devil you may be ignorant to the ways of the Celestial Empire and its court. You may now pay homage to Our Esteemed Self, and be welcome in our court as a guest and representative of your people. We will then speak of trade and communication."

[The Nuclear Fist]

Beijing, China

Temuj Urgak snarled in contempt of these arrogant pests. It was a booming, beastial, roar trapped in the throat of a brutish, hulking creature. The Orc placed his hat back on his head in defiance, choosing to cross his arms afterwards. He had no intention of bowing to his inferiors, nor prostrating himself to spineless infidels. These creatures were scum beneath his boot, not worthy of even speaking to him, let alone expecting him to bow to them. His brow furrowed and his ferocious, crimson eyes locking with the Emperor's. He did not understand the meaning of Zhang's comment, as he had never come into contact with a vampire before. However, his nostrils flared as he inhaled the scent of the ancient being. A demon, most likely. These humans are worse than infidels, they are heretics. They are the whore playthings of a sinister force. I must report this to my Khan, he thought, his face a mask of power and cool defiance.

"I bow to no human, I kowtow to no infidel," he said, a wry smile twisting upon his face, made jagged by his protruding tusks, thus revealing several of the grisly teeth within. His eyes twinkled with what could only be described as an odd juxtaposition of glee and hate. "There is but one god, one guiding force in the cosmos, and that is the Golden Khan. From His throne, he puts forth the events of the earth, placing them together in a delicate puzzle. I do not feel contempt towards you, human, because in your ignorance and racial inferiority, you have mistaken the heavenly warmth of the Golden Khan as another, his earthly minions as great beasts. Perhaps, someday, you will learn to accept the Golden Khan, the Undying Orc, as your master. Perhaps, you will even learn to bow before your Heavenly Master. But, then again, perhaps not. I will not sin against Him to placate your feeble pride, Emperor. I came to offer a message of peace, of prosperity through trade and communication. If you choose to reject it, it will be only your nation that withers. But I ask only once, will you accept the hand of the Khanate in peace, or will you force it into your breast?"

[Old Tyrannia]

Forbidden City
Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

"I will not sin against Him to placate your feeble pride, Emperor. I came to offer a message of peace, of prosperity through trade and communication. If you choose to reject it, it will be only your nation that withers. But I ask only once, will you accept the hand of the Khanate in peace, or will you force it into your breast?"

The Kangzhen Emperor felt his rage simmer quietly as the beast spoke. How dare this foreign devil, this barbaric creature, come before the throne of the Celestial Empire and levy threats against the Emperor? It was unheard of. No one threatened the Emperor in his own palace. And what was more, he had gone further in his blasphemy and dared to call the Four Dragon Kings 'beasts'! Great beasts, perhaps, but beasts none the less. The arrogance of such a comment was sufficient to warrant an execution. No doubt the Imperial Court was thinking the same thing. There were knowing glances between the Emperor's advisors, both mortal and vampire. Aware that any visible sign of outrage would be unbefitting the Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty, he waited for a moment before he replied, allowing his hot temper to cool.

"We are most gladdened that your great leader would be so keen to establish good terms with the Celestial Empire of the Four Dragons, ruling all within the four seas and continuing throughout the ages, and are ourselves keen to make friends and allies of such a prestigious ruler of barbarians. Such kindness has your leader shown us that we shall return his kindness by relieving him of the burden of such a poorly spoken, incompotent and undeserving servant."

The Emperor gave a nod to the guards, who began to advance on Temuj Urgak menacingly, but it was Lord Zhang who was at the orc's throat the quickest; with unholy speed he lunged at the orc, revealing a long and ornate dagger which he delicately and expertly used to disembowl the orc, before tearing the diplomat's head off and presenting it to the Emperor with a bow. The Emperor looked somewhat stunned and even nervous for a moment, before Lord Cao, regarding the severed head and his vampiric brethren coolly, advanced and seized the head before retreating back into the shadows.

"Lord Zhen," he said, "I propose that you pen a letter of greeting to the Golden Khanate's most honourable leader expressing the same sentiments that His Majesty the Emperor has just expressed and explaining why said letter will be arriving alog with the severed head of his blundering diplomat. With His Imperial Majesty's express permission, of course," he added, and the Emperor nodded. Lord Cao smiled and bowed, and then added, "I further suggest that this mess his cleaned up immediately, before the sacred floor of the Hall is stained with blood. And will someone take... This? The blood is dripping on my robes."

---

To the most illustrious leader of the Golden Khanate,

I bid you greetings as a servant of His August Majesty the Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty, Heavenly Sovereign of the Empire of the Four Dragons, ruling all within the four seas. His Imperial Majesty was greatly pleased that Your Excellency would seek closer ties with the Dragon Throne and the Empire is always keen to propogate trade in the interests of greater prosperity for all involved. Your Excellency's kind offer was well received in the Imperial Court, but the messenger sent to deliver it proved rude and incompotent, an unworthy servant of one so great as yourself, therefore, O Khan, the Emperor saw fit to deliver you from the burden of such a blundering servant. Please send one more suited to the delicate task of diplomacy to the Imperial Capital so that we may continue our bargaining. Blessings of the Most August Pure Jade Emperor and Their Majesties the Four Dragon Kings of the Celestial Empire upon Your Most Esteemed Excellency.

Signed,
珍永紅
Lord Zhen, Grand Secretary of the Great Shun Dynasty and the Empire of the Four Dragons

(OOC: I hope you don't mind me killing off your diplomat, TNF. I can edit the post if you like, just TG me.)

[Occupied Deutschland]

Bangkok, Kingdom of Siam
Grand Palace

Rama the third carefully picked up a small clump of rice mixed with chicken and vegetables and popped the mixture into his mouth with the chopsticks, savoring the moist perfection and hint of spices that served to bring out the flavor to the utmost.


“This is fantastic Efellin. Better than many of my cooks can do even! How did you learn to do this in so short a time here?” Rama had meant the question to be friendly, but he immediately realized it broached a dark subject by the frightened expression that overtook the lesser elf woman who sat beside him in his private dining quarters.

“My former master in Salirian was very enamored with Asian dishes…” She trailed off, chasing a water chestnut across her plate with the end of her chopsticks. Rama put his down and leaned over and placed a hand on the elf’s shoulder that wasn’t covered by the sbai dress she wore, unsure how to react. The task was by no means easy however, as he had to lift himself up slightly in order to place his hand on the sitting elf’s much higher shoulder blade.

Efellin leaned into the hand and Rama could see the focus she was exhibiting attempting to hold back tears. This woman, this beautiful foreign woman, was still haunted by her bondage on Salirian and at some of the most inopportune times her thankfulness at no longer being there would manifest itself. She had been getting better though. The presence of her until recently unknown brother likely helped at that, but Rama was vain enough to hope his own kind words and tutelage had some small impact as well.

The doors to his private dining room boomed open and Rama began to jerk his hand away from the lesser elf. He hoped she understood, if the palace servants…Rama almost sighed in relief and stopped the motion when he saw who it was.

“Mag Ni Yo! Come, sit. Your sister was kind enough to cook for us.” Rama’s voice was formal but he knew Mag Ni Yo could tell the warmth hidden in it after so many years. Rama’s offer fell flat however as the lesser elf quickly crossed the distance between the doors and Rama and bowed slightly.

“Your most August Majesty, there is something of import we must discuss.” Mag Ni Yo spoke the words and Rama could tell he was hinting at sending his sister away.

Rama shook his head. “My friend, Efellin is family to you and you are family to me, please go on with whatever news you have.”

Mag Ni Yo seemed taken aback for a moment, but then nodded imperceptibly. “Lord, the Burmese diplomat has arrived back at the gates of the palace. We allowed him in because of the news he had with him and we assumed you would like to speak with him—“

Rama raised a hand. “Slow down, friend. What is the news he brought?” his voice betrayed nothing but beneath it Rama felt a cold chill run up his spine. Had the Burmese king finally decided to resume the war Rama and he’s kingdoms were still engaged in? Was the diplomat bringing word of an alliance between the Burmese and the more dissatisfied Lao in the north? Rama’s initial fears were put to rest with Mag Ni Yo’s next words, but they were replaced by different ones.

“August Majesty, he claims that European traders on Ramree Island have armed a number of traitors there and are in open rebellion. He says that even now the Europeans and their lapdogs are marching on Mandalay with the intent of deposing him and installing one of their puppets on the throne!”

Rama nearly jumped out of his chair and began to give a cursory bow to Efellin before he realized she was standing as well and was already headed towards the throne room. Mag Ni Yo hopped between her and the door for a moment and gestured his head at Rama. Efellin stopped and whirled.

“Ah, forgive me my Lord.” She began to bow but Rama waved off the apology and continued on his way to the throne room, gesturing for the elven siblings to follow him.


5 minutes later

“This is troubling news indeed.” Rama said to the diplomat from Myanmar from his throne high above him. “But what is it your master wishes from me?” The question was halfway rhetorical, but interested Rama nonetheless. For the last minutes as he had walked to the throne room and listened to the diplomat describe events, Rama had dreamt of marching his armies across the border and taking advantage of the chaos no doubt being caused by the Europeans.

He had also been slightly frightened however, especially while listening to the diplomat. It seemed as if Mag Ni Yo’s initial summation had been entirely correct, there wasn’t even an official army or nation behind the uprising now taking place in Myanmar. The whole thing had been orchestrated by a number of large European trading companies seeking wider access to the riches of the orient, and thus acting in concert with one another to gain it. From what Rama heard from the diplomat, they were being fairly successful in the venture. So successful that Rama worried about how open the Siamese ports in the west were to the same treatment.

“My master wishes to beg your assistance in putting down the insurrection in his borders. The one time we have engaged them in a pitched battle we were defeated soundly, he has freely admitted that his armies are now powerless to stop the Europeans, and begs you for your assistance.”

Despite the control he wished he could exert over it, Rama couldn’t keep his mouth from dropping open. King Bodawpaya was inviting him into his country? After almost a hundred years of continuous war?

Rama was about to speak, but was again surprised when instead there was a soft, feminine voice from below him. “Why should the Kingdom of Siam assist your master in beating back these Europeans?” Efellin questioned. Rama clicked his mouth shut and nodded, as if he had meant for the woman to speak. ‘She is very…brash’ Rama thought.

“My master begs you to do so in the interest of curbing the undue influence these Europeans have in Southern Asia.” The diplomat from Myanmar abruptly lowered himself to a knee. It was not the entirely prostrated posture one would take when in worship, but it was close. “He offers to subjugate himself to your will King Rama, so long as you beat the Europeans out.”

Rama suppressed an intense desire to laugh in pure, uncontained joy. Instead he folded his hands in front of him, as if in thought. In truth, he had made up his mind as soon as Efellin had asked her question.

The Europeans had to be taught a lesson in their relations with the Asian peoples.

“Return to your master.” Rama said, savoring the stricken look the diplomat’s face displayed for a moment. “Our armies will be right behind you.” The diplomat smiled genuinely for the first time in all the years he had met with King Rama. He clapped his hands together in front of him and bowed, “Thank you, your most August Majesty.”

[Occupied Deutschland]

Western Border - Kingdom of Siam

Thakshini Shinawatra quelled the slight panic that threatened to set in as his elephant took its first step forward through the dense undergrowth that, despite him and his fellow guards best efforts could not be kept from shooting up in the wetland area around the river. It was not the elephant that made him nervous, almost fifteen years of practice ‘speaking’ to the beast through magic had made him confident in his abilities to handle the massive creature without worry. No, what made him nervous was where the giant animal’s steps were taking him.

Thakshini and his cohorts had watched over the Thai end of the thin tributary river that served as the boundary between the Siamese and Burmese kingdoms for years. Getting brought back to the farms and the cities now and then when there was a particularly good harvest or their leader believed them in need of a rest from their duties. The small strip of land that they watched over had become like a second-home to him and his friends, even the Burmese detachment across the river that watched them had become a part of the scenery to be enjoyed in the mornings.

Now? Now they were leaving that safety and rushing to the aid of the very person they had been set against days earlier. It was confusing, to say the least.

“Thakshini!”

Thakshini turned at the sound of his name and waved in response to the other elephant-rider who was just a slight ways behind him attempting to catch up. Even with the brisk pace Thakshini believed himself to be doing however, his friend was beside him in what seemed like an instant.

“We will have to cross a little ways further down. It’s not too deep here but I’d rather not take a spill because my koone got frightened.” The elf on the other elephant patted its ears affectionately as he spoke. Thakshini had always been slightly curious of the elf’s choice of words for the elephant. He’d heard riders using plenty of names for the massive beasts, but ‘life-long love’ was a new one.

“That should not be too difficult, provided the Bikkhu’s who are supposed to grant us passage know where they are needed.”

The Buddhist monks were exactly where they needed to be, and bowed slowly to the procession of men, elephant-bound or otherwise, who were in need of their services. Unspeaking, the dozen monks sat cross-legged on the river-bank and sat in complete silence for a moment.

Thakshini had briefly entertained the thought of becoming a Bhikku when he was younger. He’d had the magical aptitude undoubtedly, but not the necessary commitment to the simple and chaste life. The Buddhist monks did not tolerate drinking, whoring or gambling. The Siamese military did. The choice had been simple after he figured that out.

But even in his wildest dreams when he was younger he had not envisioned what the monks were doing now. Though it had been imperceptible at first, Thakshini could now see the entire river seeming to rise up out of its confines. He suppressed a renewed wave of unease as the top of the water crested the banks and began to spill outwards, and then almost shouted in wonder as the water’s spread slowed, then stopped and began to flow straight up back into the regular flow of the river.

In time, the monks actions created a kind of tunnel where once the river had flowed. The upstream side of the river had been stopped and the water instead flowed fountain-like over the dry riverbed in between the upstream and downstream portion of the river. Taking this as their cue, the Siamese soldiers began to hurry across the once difficult to navigate river. Thakshini turned, his elven friend seemed just as amazed, his mouth hanging open in what could only be shock. Clearly he had not expected such a display either.

Thakshini allowed the rest of the detachment to go first, instead taking the time to marvel at the monk’s handiwork and commend their concentration. Not a one of them had so much as twitched as far as he could tell since the exercise had been begun. Recalling his own fatigue after a day of communicating with his elephant, Thakshini could not help but be even more in awe of the monk’s skills.

Beginning across, Thakshini paused his elephant when he was directly beside the group of Buddhists.

“Pardon me superiors. But I must ask. Would it not be simpler to just stop the river’s flow temporarily then do this?” Thakshini gestured at the column of water that traveled between the separated portions of the river.

For a moment, it seemed like the monks would not respond, and Thakshini was about to request his elephant forward when the closest monk spoke in a strained voice.

“One mustn’t stop a flow. To do so would disrupt the flow, and the chakra’s of all connected would be harmed forevermore because of its cessation, even for the briefest of instants.”

Thakshini waited for a long awkward moment, until he realized there was no further answer coming from the monks. Requesting his mount forward, he began his journey across the river. Now he remembered one of the other major reasons he had joined the military instead of the monastery.

The Bikkhu’s were always speaking in infuriating riddles.

[The Nuclear Fist]

Forbidden Palace
Beijing, China

Khagan Gromsrek had taken the murder of Temuj in strides, neither showing violent outrage or acceptance. As was known to be his personality, he simply acknowledged what happened and sent, as was tradition in Golden Orc culture, the Khan of the land Temuj was from to collect the body and to engage in diplomacy. Oge Urgak, Khan of the Northern Realms, was to act both as diplomat and exacter of retribution for this grievous act against himself, his family, and the Golden Khanate itself. Temuj was his nephew, the fifteenth son of Oge's twenty-seventh brother, by marriage. He was advanced in age for an Orc, and indeed Oge himself was significantly advanced in age for an Orc. However, being a Khan, he had access to a plethora of alchemical concoctions and potions cooked up by his personal sorcerers. Coupled with his own powerful abilities as a shaman, he was biologically middle aged, despite being nearly seventy. As many Khans did, it was entirely likely that he would live at least another forty years, maybe even fifty depending on how well he continued to take care of himself. Oge was the model of the Khan, and so it was quite likely.

Khan Oge was freakishly large for a Plains Orc, thanks to the aforementioned potions and concoctions, standing just over three metres tall and weighing more than four hundred kilograms. His body was toned and muscled from decades of combat and training, bulging arms thick as tree limbs with giant, powerful hands and fingers like a Goblin's forearm. His feet were equally gigantic and oddly similar to a duck's. They were wide, with large toes and flat arches. A gigantic back hunched like all Orcs, much like an ape's. However, what was most noticeable about him was his hideousness. His body was wracked with scar, particularly his face and chest. The majority of the right side of his face was disfigured from a fight with a shaman, who scorched with with a blast of fire. He had only the base of his right ear, the rest having been burned off. Several particularly large, jagged scars criss-crossed from the edge of his left ear down his left cheekbone, one crossing horizontally to his collar bone, the others jutting diagonally, finally ending just under his chin. Several other nasty scars made themselves obvious across his chest and abdomen, one reaching downwards and ending at the very base of his belly. His tusks were ornately carved with warrior runes, blessings from the Golden Khan. These scars were all the evidence needed to point out the difference between the Khan a regular Orc. The majority of these wounds would have been fatal wounds, but his wealth and power gave him access to far greater resources, making him superior in longevity and constitution.

The ancient doors of the throne room opened, revealing the barbarian Khan himself, escorted by palace servants. His personal guard, numbering thirty Orcs, were ordered to wait elsewhere. In all likeliness, thought Oge, they're likely being 'entertained' by whatever these pitiful worms consider entertainment. He strode into the Emperor's court with swagger in his step, the plates of his armour noisily clinging against themselves. Knowing of Temuj's death, Urgak had chosen not to wear he deel typical of most Orcs, instead choosing armour to emphasize his status as both a powerful being and a warrior. It was the armour traditionally worn by Khans, making it of higher quality and strength than was typical of most Golden Orc warriors. He wore a silk vest and pants, with laminar stomach and breast plating. Furred gauntlets covered his hands, plates of steel covering parts of the hand and forearm. He wore leather and fur boots, plated with overlapping steel plates. Hooks hung from his shoulder plates, bearing poorly cleaned human skulls, a symbol of authority and an intimidation factor, used solely to psychologically bully others. He wore no helmet.

"I am Oge Khan, leader of the Northern Realms of the Golden Khanate and prophet of His Holy and Eternal Majesty, the Golden Khan. I have come to bring peace and prosperity between our two peoples, to foster diplomacy and trade between our glorious empires. But I am not the first Golden Orc to grace your presence, no. My blood, Temuj Urgak, came in my stead some time ago. He was known for his sharp tongue, so I do not blame a race of ugly barbarians to have pounced upon and murdered him. Our roads to civilization are different lengths. So in the name of peace and friendship, I humbly ask for one of two things. I ask that Temuj's body be delivered to me in full, and that the murderer salvage what little honour he has by accepting my challenge to combat," explained Oge, his voice even and authoritative.

[Old Tyrannia]

Forbidden City
Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

It appeared that the Golden Khanate had learned little from their previous attempt at diplomacy with the Celestial Empire, thought Lord Zhen Chao as the Khan was brought before the Imperial Court. Indeed, they had become even poorer at diplomacy; the huge brute sent by the Orcs to negotiate with the Emperor wore not the attire of a diplomat, but instead was dressed for war. Indeed, when he and his escort first approached the capital, alarm had spread as it was whispered that the Golden Orcs were attacking China to avenge their diplomat's death. Now, the Khan was watched warily as he addressed the court. The Kangzhen Emperor clearly struggled to maintain his air of authority when presented with a creature that completely towered over him like the Khan did. There was silence when Oge spoke.

"I am Oge Khan, leader of the Northern Realms of the Golden Khanate and prophet of His Holy and Eternal Majesty, the Golden Khan. I have come to bring peace and prosperity between our two peoples, to foster diplomacy and trade between our glorious empires. But I am not the first Golden Orc to grace your presence, no. My blood, Temuj Urgak, came in my stead some time ago. He was known for his sharp tongue, so I do not blame a race of ugly barbarians to have pounced upon and murdered him. Our roads to civilization are different lengths. So in the name of peace and friendship, I humbly ask for one of two things. I ask that Temuj's body be delivered to me in full, and that the murderer salvage what little honour he has by accepting my challenge to combat."

The Emperor was the first to reply.

"We remember this incident. It saddens us now that we commanded the execution of your family member, as we see now that his insolence was not his own fault, but a result of the inability of your people to properly conduct diplomacy. We believe that the body remains intact, and we will gladly return it to you. However, we must warn you that though the flesh is untouched no blood remains in his veins. It appears," the Emperor explained while glancing slightly at the vampires who clustered around his throne, "that the lifeblood of your kind is quite the delicacy. As to your second request, we could summon the individual responsible for slaying your kin. However, it was not murder, rather execution. We ordered that Temuj Urgak was to be eliminated, thus it is our esteemed self that carries any guilt for the death of your kin. And even if we were prepared to do battle with you ourselves- hardly a fair match- we would be prevented from doing so by our most loyal servants."

The Emperor remained silent for a moment, as if pondering the situation. Lord Zheng He came forward to whisper advice to the Emperor when suddenly, one of the vampires- even more ancient looking than the others, walking slowly but purposefully with a stick that, in fact, he did not seem to need- broke ranks and advanced towards the Orc Khan, raising the stick and tapping the armour with it while nodding, as if vaguely intrigued. He ushered over one of his aids, who carried a scroll, and began speaking to him.

"Fascinating. A full grown Orc Khan. The honourable Lord Zheng assured me that he had seen beats of this size in his travels, but I thought he exaggerated the height. Yet here we have a living specimen! If you would be so kind, O Khan, I would have a piece of your armour for my collections. Yuan Ping, please note the Khan's approximate height. Of what breed are you, may I ask?"

"Lord Sima!" Cao Cao cried. "This is not the time for you to be taking down notes."

"But Lord Cao," responded Sima Qian, the almost two thousand years old vampire who had spent most of his immensely long existence as Prefect of the Grand Scribes, supreme historian of the Imperial Court, "this is what I am employed to do, is it not? Record in notes the events of the court?"

"Of course, Lord Sima," the Emperor intervened. "If you would forgive our servant, O Khan- he is very old, and very respected, and we would not wish any harm to come to him as a result of his overeagerness- we will summon Lord Zhang, who executed your kinsman, and give him a choice: to battle with you, or to decline. But we shall not force him to take responsibility for acts he performed at our request. If Lord Zhang choses not to accept your challenge, we will consider his honour intact and he will remain under our protection here at court. Further negotiations may be commenced upon his choice. Agreed?"

"Masterfully done, Your Majesty," whispered Zheng He into the Emperor's ear, as Sima Qian scribbled away furiously.

[The Nuclear Fist]

Forbidden City
Beijing, China
Empire of the Four Dragons

Oge Khan could not believe what was going on. He gripped his belly and burst into a bout of bellowing, cathartic laughter. His belly shook as he threw his head back and cackled uncontrollably. In his land, all things feared him, knowing that they were branches of a dead tree to him, that he could snap them in two with but the slightest flick of his hand. And yet this old man, who from the aura emanating from him Oge assumed was some sort of demon, this ancient man strolls directly towards him and taps on his chest. He even asked Oge what 'breed' he was! The surrealistic nature of this experience had not escaped him. His laughter pierced the stony silence of the throne room with its booming sound, and for several minutes showed no signs of stopping. But, eventually, it did. The Khan wiped a tear from his eye and straightened, or straightened as much as an Orc could. He playfully tapped this 'Sima' on the head with one of his knuckles and offered a smile. The towering, green monster unstrapped his right shoulder plate, removing it to reveal the silk beneath, and handed it to the smaller demon man.

"Here you are, my odd friend. As for your question, I am an Orc of the plains. But, since I gave you a piece of my armour, a shield of my body that obviously is superior to all the pitiful race of man can craft, I would like that walking stick in return," He said, his tone warm and friendly.

"But you're not a man, no. Something else entirely. Your aura tells me as much. What are you, some sort of demon cloaked in human flesh?" He asked, puzzlement and amusement in his voice. When he heard the emperor speak, he failed to turn his head to respond, merely waving a hand as if to signal for Zhang to be summoned. He was far more interested in this creature that stood before him. Many of those in the throne room emanated this same aura, but it seemed to be the strongest coming from this man. Oge wanted to know why.

[Occupied Deutschland]

Central Burma - Siamese Relief Force

Thakshini Shinawatra was even more nervous now than he had been when crossing the river. At least then he had known there was a close-by easy to get to escape route that would get him back to the safety of Siam.

But here, in the jungles just a little north and east of the Burmese capitol at Yangon, he knew there was no easy escape had the Burmese been drawing his forces and others into a trap. It would be so simple, exploiting the Siamese hatred and fear of Europeans in order to draw their forces away from the border and deep into Burmese territory where they would make easy targets. So far though, nothing had happened. But now was going to be the true test.

Thakshini's elephant crashed through a thick hedge of brush and was met by a similarly sized animal staring at it. Thakshini calmed the animal's surprise somewhat and rode ahead until he was abreast of the other elephant. Consciously thinking, Thakshini drew upon the mediocre amounts of one of the Burmese dialects he knew in order to address the soldier atop the other elephant.

"We are Siamese, if... you please...." he spoke haltingly, gesturing ahead to communicate a request for the Burmese soldier to lead them on to the site where they would make camp for the night.

The man let loose in a babble of words that Thakshini could only manage to comprehend every third word or so. After numerous repeats and rephrasing however, the man got his point across. He could not leave his post, but if the Siamese went on straight-ahead they would come to a clearing where they could camp for the night. He also managed to get across the point that the Siamese should remain vigilant, the European-inspired rebels were also in the area, though they were thought to be further to the west.

Tomorrow for sure though, the Siamese force would have its first encounter with European technology in the hands of discontent villagers and European trade captains who led them. Thakshini hoped it would prove easy to deal with them.

He would be proven quite wrong.