Realm Of Sagas (IC)

[Zemkal]

From the personal communications of Zemkal elected officials and the Monk-King of Felros;

Dear Diashna Feri,

I pray you are doing well in this time of dangers. Your home amongst the armies of Dashan has always been one of the most secure places in the lands, but I do worry that the ranks of allied forces may be infiltrated more and more with each day, and whilst I am aware you can more than handle yourself, Monk-King, it is not one-on-one combat that I fear for but the cloaked dagger of the assassin, or magic beyond means with which we may be able to deal with.

As you well know, these are troubled times, and the Courts on the coast of our fine capital of Vierna prove as such. It is both unsettling and dangerous to suddenly have the Elves of Somaria and the Orc's of their stolen lands in such a system that works for the greater benefit of all lands, but such are the times we live in. The fear of the war with Orora breaking out once more simply consumes even the bravest and most secluded of nation states to break their oaths of honor and blood debt and attempt to prepare for war. Still yet, it is unsettling that so many players have walked into this scenario with such different reasons.

While none amongst us have been given permission to meet with the Elder Queen of Somaria, the talks with her representatives in the courts have gone better than expected. While they have neither pledged involvement via their armies or their magics, it seems they do hold a rightful disdain for the Queen Which, though my assumption is that this is more in league with their attunement to magic. While I am uncertain that when it comes to war if they will assist in any way, I do believe that they may be able to hold the line should we fail better than any nation not directly involved in the conflict.

On the very clear otherhand, however, the Orc's that have come from Vealniir seem keen on not only adding their forces to our armies, but taking the lead roll in a pre-emptive campaign. I must admit, I was quite surprised to find the Orc representative they have in the lead of negotiations in the courts is one with a honeyed tongue, and he should be, considering how heavily the other nations still bear a hatred for the Orc's that took such large portions of their homeland. It is my belief that the Orc's see Orora as the only threat to their dominion and that they will be at our side for the battle, but it is also my genuine found fear that perhaps the intent to go to war is less to take out a mutual enemy, and more to ready an invasion from the inside after Orora is defeated. In my reign, I shall not allow the Orc's to garner more land, on this I swear.

As it has always been, our allied nations have found our greatest allies in the most unlikely of places. The Dwarven Empire is so withdrawn from these issues that it surprises me the nation takes a forward thinking role in countries such as ours, and does not simply see them as lands to be conquered, but since my predecessor and his predecessor before him sullidifed the trade road to Ortane , they have always been at our backs. Lord Cauldos may be more vicious than I may be, but he has the best interests of his trade at heart, and that undoes any minor disagreements we might have. The movement of his armies, however, will be a slow process. If it had been I in power when the trade roads had been built, we would have built a road from your Dashan to Warleon with the surplus of money given, but alas any aid will take time for the armies to move through the froustmouth waists.

In our allies, I fear we have many issues that will not easily be solved. Lorelan continues to be the home of some of our greatest young warriors, and while I follow the prophet Siri in Her image, I know you have little faith in Her or Her teachings. The Temple's hesitation to back the war was a crippling loss that could have lost us the entire leg of what is left of Relderan, but the treaty saved us from certain defeat. Now, the Church still seems to resist, and that in effect has lessened the caring of young men from farming families traveling across an entire continent to aid foreigners, Dwarves, and now Elves and Orcs. Without the backing of that church, I fear our ranks will suffer a blow we cannot afford.

It is the greatest blight upon my reign that I have not thrown the trecherous Mahani out of our alliance, but alas, the moment we lose the land of the Zen Assasins is the moment we lose this war. The Cabal already has withdrawn a great many of their traders and persuasionists from Vierna and the courts, and those that are left are unusually quiet. I believe that there have been talks between Mahani and Witch Queen Orora herself, but I've not the proof to undo this treachery. It is never the less fact that it is more in Mahani interest to back a new world power that might allow their unsavory way of building their country up with more open arms than the courts historically have, and it is my fear that the loss of the Mahani might create a two-front war we simply cannot win.

Trust is a commodity we cannot afford but unto ourselves, my friend. For thousands of years we have stood united since the days of my King Hevran and your Diasna Absess, and indeed, our bonds are strong. The world is changing and changing quickly, but I know in you I have an ally and a friend I can trust. Rumors persist of breaches in the very fabrics of magic expanding into the hillands of what's left of Relderan, and it is believed by the magically gifted among us that those random outbursts of summoned evil may effect our nation soon enough. I know it is your nations primary concern to protect against the Orc raids that continue still, and that your most trained of knights have only just begun recruiting to bring a new generation of Dragon Warriors. It is my hope that we can soon unite our goals and fight those most pressing of issues to all involved.

Rumors have it dragons have been seen over the Waists. I know not what has stirred them from their nesting dens, but surely it must be somehow related to the magics that have been unleashed on this land. If such infernal and ancient creatures as Dragons have suddenly begun to move in the face of the dark magics taking over the land, we must be ready to move as well. I know you will be ready when the time comes.


Stay well, dear friend;
Elected Emporer of the United Kingdom of Zemkal, Boran Moratto I


(OOC, viewtopic.php?f=31&t=377258 )

[Zemkal]

Hanok-Kie
Tekare, Shalote
Tia Vinira, Dark Elf

Fire. Nothing but fire, for as far as the eye could see.

Hanok-Kie should have known better. For months, he had lead scores of his people in assaults on the slavers from the mainlands shiftily made towns of cloth in an attempt to fight back at those that thought it was acceptable behavior to invade the thick jungles of Shalote and take it's people. The Tia Vinira were nomadic by nature, moving through the dangers of the jungles and hunting for game. They lived a simple life that consisted of hunting, gathering, taming wild beasts, and putting their faith in the magics of the elders.

The outsiders could not understand the peace by which they lived. They never had. They plundered their lands, attempted to make settlements, and then attempted to take their warriors and their children.

Hanok-Kie had thought driving them off the isle with Tekare's best warriors was the only solution. Now, he awoke, to find nothing but flame for his troubles.

Rushing out of his hut atop the carefully built series of paths and huts intertwined with the canopy of the jungle, Hanok-Kie rushed onto the lengths of path that connected the wide city of Tia Vinira, only stopping to notice that the fire had come from the ocean far in the distance. As he rushed forward, he could hear the air burn and shfit as another fire-leaden metal ball collided with his destination, a small hut near the center of the cluster where the elder lived in seclusion. A scream escaped Hanok-Kie as he rushed not toward the elders hut, but the hut of the most direct impact, for in that lived that whom he had chosen as his soulmate. Jumping over the broken pathway and into the tree's, Kie rushed forward into the remnants of the entrance of the hut, his feet immediatly bare-footedly submerging into hottened ash. In his frantic search he found that his beloved had indeed not been killed by the flames, but the impact.

Rage rushing through him, Hanok-Kie escaped from the house, unable to say his goodbyes, only to find his entire home, the one home of his nomadic people in Tekare, aflame and falling from the canopy, through the tree's and to the jungle floor below, causing a wildfire in it's stead. Angered by the sight of his one and only home, and everyone he cared for, falling in the face of such a senseless attack, the dark elf grabbed a vine and dropped to the forest floor below. Pulling out a small wooden necklace, he unleashed the magic inside to call upon his trusted partner and stead, the raptor known as Ajax. Climbing on her back, he rushed into battle.

As the sun fell over the horizon, the vengeful dark elf neared the shores of Shalote. A night-aided raid from the same ship that had taken the only settlement on the entire island out had been planned, but in the chaos of their landing and attempt to round up those that had survived the attack, they had not seen the warrior ride in for the slaughter. Left and right, the pirates of Muhani fell to the Tia Vierna's double blades, however in the end, he was outnumbered. With only a scant quarter of the landing party left, the dark elf fell to a poison laiden arrow, a slave to the same mainlanders he had fought to prevent from taking his people.

[Shark isle]

" Bishop Delarosa". The masked man thought to himself as He stalked the portly clergyman through the woods near the highway where the bishop and a group of his bodyguards were walking. " He is as corrupt as the Moretties, He rips-off the worshipers under his jurisdiction by making them pay yearly " donations" which actually fills his own pockets." The masked man scowled as he saw the bishop and his bodyguards cross the border into Lorelan. The masked man then followed the bishop across the border while thinking to himself," It seems like the bishop is on a pilgrimage to Siri, I bet the money he used to pay for this pilgrimage was from some family somewhere who were duped into giving Him money." The man then grinned to himself and said in a low voice," I will lightened his pockets for him.

The masked man then dashed out of the woods towards the bishop and his party. When He caught up to him he yelled in a angry voice," Bishop Delarosa, it is time to pay for your thefts!" The bishop was startled by the yell and turned around. When he saw that the the man who dared to shout at him was outnumbered five to one, he let out a small chuckle and said to him.

" Fool! you are outnumbered, go away and I may spare your life.
" I will not go away until you give you me all your gold villain."
" Very well, men, kill this vagabond at once!"

The bodyguards drew out their swords and charged towards the Man who drew out his rapier and got ready to defend himself. The first bodyguard swung his sword at the Man and in return got stabbed through the leg with the rapier. As the bodyguard fell to the ground and clutched his leg the man stabbed another bodyguard in the chest, killing him instantly. The two other bodyguards, seeing what happened to their comrades threw their swords to the ground and fled leaving the bishop alone with the man. The bishop then fell to his knees and said to the man," Please don't kill me i will give you all my money." The man said nothing as he walked up to the bishop and punched him out.
When the bishop woke up, He found himself tied to a tree with all of his money gone. He then looked down and found himself in nothing but his undergarments, the man had also taken his fine clothes and jewelry. The bishop then let out let out a cry of anger and embarrassment. When Lorelanian guards finally arrived, they found the bishop still tied to the tree, one wounded bodyguard,one dead bodyguard, and a capital J carved into the bark of the tree where the bishop was tied up. When the guards saw the J they knew it meant one thing, " Judgement" had struck again.

[Ort]

The Hollow Knight,
an abandoned keep near Perloth,
Lorelan

---

"Who's this then?" They'd been prowling the roads near Perloth for several months now, it'd taken the Hollow Knight some time to track them down. "I dunno, looks like some sort o' knight to me," they weren't aware of his intent, but they wouldn't take any chances. "What's it doin', just standin' there like that?" He'd await an opportunity to strike, the Hollow Knight couldn't close the distance between himself and his opponents in time, if he tried they'd flee and warn their compatriots, so he'd let them do it for him. As they tentatively came towards him, the Hollow Knight remained static. "I've no clue, go an' check it out," his companion wasn't open to that suggestion. "Why me?! You go an' do it," if the Hollow Knight was lucky, they'd kill one another. "Look, there's no point arguin', we'll do it t'gether," as they made those final steps towards him, the Hollow Knight continued to stand still. "There's nothin' dangerous 'bout it, probably just a stat-," he didn't finish his sentence, a sword through your throat will do that. His companion was about to scream for help but the Hollow Knight hurriedly shut him up; bashing his shield into the man's face. Wrenching his blood-soaked sword from the first man's throat, whose lifeless body collapsed to the ground in a heap, the Hollow Knight advanced upon his stunned adversary, who'd lost several teeth and whose nose was bleeding profusely. "W...w...wait, don't k...kill me," endeavoring to talk through his pain, his garbled plea for clemency was lost on the Hollow Knight. Taking a two-handed grip on his sword's hilt, the Hollow Knight pressed it against his floundering opponent's chest, before thrusting downwards. After awaiting the cession of his death throes, the Hollow Knight knelt down and wiped his sword's blade on his fallen enemy's tunic. Arising once he'd removed most of the blood, the Hollow Knight ventured further into the crumbling keep; into the bandit's lair.

"Where have those two gotten to now? You think they'd have returned from their patrol already," they definitely weren't returning. "They've probably just been distracted by somethin', you know how they are," his companion attempted to reassure him. "Yeah, remember when we were in Zen and they went missing for days," said a third bandit, also attempting to allay his companion's fears. "You mean when we found 'em in that brothel?" Inquired the second bandit. "That's the one," replied the third bandit. As they collectively recalled that particular memory, a silence befell the room; until the first bandit spoke. "Wait, how's that relate to this situation? We're in the middle o' nowhere, there isn't a brothel - or anythin' - for miles," none knew how to respond, he wasn't wrong. "I dunno, guess I figured that's where they was," the first bandit was in awe of his companions' sheer idiocy. "Well... someone should go an' check on 'em then," none of them made to move at the first bandit's suggestion. "Alright, I'll go an' do it then," the first bandit arose from where he'd been sat and, after ensuring his sword-belt was adequately fastened about his portly waist, crossed to their lair's entrance and opened the wooden door. He probably hadn't expected the Hollow Knight to be stood there, seemingly awaiting him. Incapable of reacting in time, the Hollow Knight brought his sword's pommel to bear on his opponent's face.

Witnessing their fellow bandit collapse, clutching at where he'd been struck, they began to rise and make to attack the Hollow Knight. Before he'd even stood up, the Hollow Knight was upon the third bandit; who'd been sitting closest to their lair's entrance. Although he attempted to crawl away, he wasn't quick enough to escape, receiving a sword through his face. Having seen his companion be killed, the second bandit drew his battle-axe and swung it at the Hollow Knight. Managing to raise his shield in time, catching his opponent's axe blow, which glanced off harmlessly, the second bandit had left himself exposed. Aiming for the second bandit's unarmoured shins, the Hollow Knight's sword made contact with its target and he heard his adversary cry out in pain. Before he could finish his opponent off, the first bandit had recovered and attacked the Hollow Knight from behind. Lunging forwards, the first bandit landed a glancing blow upon the Hollow Knight's pauldron with his longsword. Spinning around whilst swinging his sword whilst bringing his shield to bear so as not to leave himself exposed, the Hollow Knight prepared to face him. Dodging the Hollow Knight's swing, stepping backwards to avoid its arc, the first bandit thrust high, aiming for where the Hollow Knight's helmet didn't cover his face. Despite its speed, the Hollow Knight caught it upon his shield and, bending his knees slightly, thrust up into his opponent's unarmoured groin. He felt his blade make contact with the bandit's flesh and was met with an agony-filled scream. Swinging his longsword madly, his pain having made him lose any semblance of technique, the Hollow Knight blocked with his shield, but was staggered slightly by its force, before stepping out of his enemy's reach and letting him bleed out. Whilst he'd been preoccupied by the first bandit, the second had managed to crawl towards their lair's entrance; despite his injury. Upon hearing his companion's scream, his crawling became more frantic. Although he'd sped up, the Hollow Knight caught up with him. Pressing an armoured foot against his remaining adversary's injured shin elicited an agonised cry and stopped him in his tracks. Bending down, the Hollow Knight took a clump of his last enemy's hair in hand, jerking his head backwards, and, bringing his sword to the bandit's throat, ended his life.

[Merodin]

Somewhere along the borders of Samoria
Elendil Sylvari

A lone figure sat in the trees. The figure was garbed in a mottled green tunic with matching cloak and trousers, though of a darker color. A bow was slung over its back, however in a way that would allow the figure to grasp it within the blink of an eye. A quiver of dark leather, filled with arrows of varying lengths hung over her cloak. The figure gazed up towards the green canopy of leaves that stretched high above its head. Vibrant green leaves were falling, providing an intricate carpet on the forest floor. A soft rustling of wings announced the arrival of a falcon whom the figure had been expecting. The figure was Elendil Helyanwe, a Captain in the Elven Ranger Corps. the border and domestic security of Samoria. Elendil has perched herself amongst the branches of this great oak tree to await the arrival of her longtime companion Leyanwe, a young forest spirit. The falcon landed steadily on the branch that Elendil herself was on. Once balanced, the falcon shifted its shape back into its original form, that of a small elf with light greenish hue skin and wings made of leaves. Elendil smiled as she threw back her cowl in greeting.

"I hope your travels were safe, Ley. Any troubling news?" Elendil asked softly, similar to a cat purring happily.

"I encountered none, thank you. Only news that I have is that there is a undefended spot along our border as Aberithil deals with a bunch of human scholars." Ley chuckled, softly.

Elendil rolled her eyes with a small grin as she stood up from her perch upon the high branch. Humans... she thought. Bracing herself, a deep breath, and then she leapt forward. Her hands were outstretched. clasping onto the next branch a few feet away below her. Using her forward momentum, she continued swinging forward her legs in front. Hands outstretched again, she caught another branch between her hands and proceeded to drop to the forest floor. Doing a forward roll, to take her momentum, she sprung forward landing lightly on her feet. Leyanwe fluttered at her shoulder the entire way, sometimes darting away to fly around trees and chase butterflies. Ley reminded Elendil much as a child would. Her legs were a blur as she ran, ducking under low hanging branches, skirting around wide trunks, jumping over fast flowing rapids. She neared the border where it was unmanned as the Elves on duty had attended to a matter further down along the line. Elendil enjoyed patrol duty. She unlike many other Elves could say that she had left the safety of Samoria's ward and had encountered other species. She climbed nimbly up a tree to perch herself, like a cat waiting for its prey.

She rested her back against the thick trunk of the tree and pulled her hood over her head to cover herself. She would be very hard to spot however those with a very sharp eye could spot the difference in color and pattern from her clothes and that of the leaves of the tree. She was accustomed to being more northward and the trees had a different pattern there. She shrugged, no humans had such an eyesight without magical aid which is near useless near the barrier. As for those creatures that possessed such eyesight, very few, if at all, ventured this far. She contented herself with petting Ley's feathers, as she had transformed back into a hawk. And so she waited...

[Apto]

Somewhere along the borders of Samoria

She shrugged, no humans had such an eyesight without magical aid which is near useless near the barrier. As for those creatures that possessed such eyesight, very few, if at all, ventured this far. She contented herself with petting Ley's feathers, as she had transformed back into a hawk. And so she waited...

Now that she had time to think about it, those thieves weren't very nice at all.

In fact, couldn't this gift of theirs be interpreted as 'Go slit your throat'?

Victorine sighed and hung her head low, one hand clutching her hat in frustration as she walked these woods. Her garments were of the highest quality, and she made sure they were both comfortable and fashionable, but she hadn't taken into account how impractical a cloak and a dress were when it came to traversing thick shrubbery.

She had lost count of the many, many times her cloak caught onto something and she accidentally tore holes into it in her attempts to untangle the article of clothing from whatever demented plant it caught on. Really, this whole 'Go and see the World' thing was starting to look like a bad idea.

"Hello?" Victorine whispered as she finally found a small clearing. The sun's heat was of no consequence to the young noble as she laid down onto the grass, eyes closed and hat in one hand and stiletto on the other. "Meanies." She spoke, some familiar and thieving faces coming to mind as she placed her hands on her chest, stiletto over hat.

[Zemkal]

Hanok-Kie
Off the coast of mainland Virese
Tia Vinira, Dark Elf

When Hanok-Kie finally awoke, he was overcome by a nauseous feeling ripping through his stomach. He would have sat up and attempted to walk off the sudden feeling, but the feeling of cold metal against his wrists and ankles stirred him awake far quicker, capitalized by the shifting feeling beneath his feet. As he sat back in frustration at his dull, slow mind and lack of mobility, the memories of what had happened in Tekare returned to him in shocking, painful, and searing detail. For a moment he couldn't move or react, his brain attempting to process the massive amount of loss he'd suffered before his foolhardy attempt take out the perpetrators on their own ground. As his mind rattled, his eyes became clear, the trained eye of a man who had lived below a canopy that didn't show much light piercing through the darkness... and seeing dozens of his own kind amongst him.

This was a slaving ship. Of that, he had no doubt.

Looking down at himself in desperation for an attempt to escape, he was surprised to find he'd been stripped of nothing but his weapons, his armor still in play, and there, hanging on it's charm, was his salvation. "Come to me, Ajax." He whispered silently to the ebony charm on his necklace. From it came a shifting figure of darkness that slowly took form in front of him, a fully six foot long and equally tall Deinonychus. She sniffed at the air, before settling her eyesight on her partner, chained up in metal. With a flash of the claws on her rear legs, she released Kie from his bindings. Sitting forward and stretching his still shackled but no longer restricted wrists, he reached forward and carefully ran a hand down the snout of his companion. "Good girl."'

Now free, the dark elf set himself and his companion to the task of freeing the others that had survived the fires. All were of the Tia Vinira, which puzzled Kie because there were more than enough ancient sub-species of sentient races to grab along the way, but the slavers seemed keen to only take his ilk. Left without an answer to why that was, however, it simply deepened his hatred for said slavers.

Quickly and quietly the release of the prisoners was done, and Kie managed to reign in the excitement in time not to stir the guards. When a silent plan was made, Ajax was let forth onto the ship, killing the guards, who had all fallen into a drunken stupor, and forcing the survivors once given reprieve to check on where their money would be made in the slaves. The moment the doors were opened, however, they were met with under equipped but heavily prepared warriors of the isle of Shalote. In quick succession, the Elves managed to take up the arms of the fallen and take the ship, their slaughter of their would-be masters not ending until Hanok-Kie personally lead the slaving groups finest warriors into the quarters of the man in charge and saw that his head was taken from his body.

The bloodlust that the dark elves felt did escalate and then diminish with the murder of those responsible for the deaths of their families and the attempts to take away their given freedom, but a new problem did present itself once the would-be slaves, and that was how to navigate the oceans after seemingly a day adrift. It took three of the Tia Vinira an hours time to find any form of map, and once it was found, it did not offer a way back home, but instead an intricate map of an interconnecting sea toward the mainland that seemed to cut the land itself apart. Though it was written in a foreign tongue that Kie could not quite read, though he had learned to understand the mainlanders quite well, it was made abundantly clear that the section of land, and the port at the tip of said land, was the destination the slavers were bringing them too. The other shore, however, was largely without a dock, almost as if it had been mostly unexplored.

Even with that information, however, there was now close to eighty dark elves in total floating on the sea with no sense of controlling a ship of this size or how to traverse the oceans safely. Hanok-Kie was aware of the dangers presented and thus he took the role, albiet only because of his rank back home, of captain until they made landfall. Where they were they could only give the smallest of guesses, and the warrior would have to learn quickly, but as the ship entered mainland waters, one thing was abundantly clear;

They were alone.

[Zemkal]

The Avisa Vierna Post

Samorian Borders Open To Foreign Diplomat!

It has been reported here over the last few months that, despite the growing presence of the Elves of Samoria arriving in the floating dockside courts on the edge of Vierna's coast of Lake Trast, that the Elves still refused any and all direct negotiations with outside races. Some have cited their reasoning falling on the Elves mixed history with the recent inclusion of the Orc's of Vialniir. Indeed, the Orc's have been the target of many a state scandle theories since they were brought in a half a year ago, though nothing has been proven. The state of Vealniir and how the Orc's bloody conquest still liners on the minds of some of the longer-lived races of Virese still poses an issue in their sudden involvement in the United Kingdom's politics.

In a surprising move, however, the Elder Queen Mesiess has granted Zemkalian Elected Emperor Boran Moratto I an audience with her within the borders of Somalia, and the capital jewel city of fabled myth known as Eluvnia. This marks the first time access has been granted to a person of non-elven descent in well over seventy years, and the first time an outside diplomat had been allowed inside the enchanted Somalian borders since the Orc expansions.

The Emperor will set out to Samoria within the fortnight, taking the matter as immediate state business, with a small escort. Whether that escort will be allowed in, however, is unknown, as the agreement was made behind closed doors. What we do know, however, is that the announcement made by Zemkalian officials was extremely vague, only admitting to the Emperor's allowance of entering the sacred forests of Samoria. It is unknown at this time if any, let alone all, of the Emperor's security will be allowed within, which has raised quite a few questions amongst our leader's advisers.

One thing is for certain, however, and that is that this is history in the making... and a sign that the stability of the peace with Orora may not be as solid as the courts pretend it to be.