PART 1/2
Opening Theme
“At long last, the time has come…” he muttered as he gazed upon the imposing building. Strong gray, stone brick walls, blue plaques make up the roofs of the main building and the two slim towers annexed to it, while they were decorated with a blank gray banner, replacing the original Avalon Empire one. Many of the regions of the land have switched their colors to show their allegiance to one side or the other in the grandest conflict Avalon has ever seen for over a millennia. The blank gray banner is a rare sight, many regions have declared neutrality when the war had just sparked but these days there are very few who still claim so, they declared for one side or another out of a sense of duty, a need of justice or simply out of fear. The war begun 20 years ago and after so long most people have learned to live with it and their current situation, there were no great skirmishes or official conflicts, yet only the more ignorant and gullible would believe that it came to some sort of ‘peace’ . The Old Empire had obtained the upper hand, holding the majority of the land, neither of the two other factions had dared make a move against them in such a situation and thus the war had stagnated for a number of seasons already. Yet all that would soon change…
Cyrus made his way up the hill overlooking the small, quaint town in its vicinity, reaching to the gates of the barracks and from the first glance the two guardsmen stopped him. “Stop right there. We mean no disrespect Imperial Wizard but let me save you some time. The militia of Streambrath have no interest in joining your or either side of this war. The town suffered enough already.” Cyrus nodded, knowing full well of the plights that Streambrath went through. The people seemed to receive the help they needed and the militia did their best to keep potential threats at bay, their mayor already declared that neither he nor the people are interested in joining either side of the war. “I’m not here for that. I’m here to speak to one of your officers.” Cyrus said, the two guards glanced at eachother in confusion and then asked “Who?”
A knock on the door interrupted the collective thoughts of officer Aleko at his desk, after admitting the recruit in, the young lad took a few quick steps until he was in the center of the small room and then saluted his superior. “Officer Frost, sir. Someone wants to talk to you….its..” a moment of silence passed in which the private was pierced by the officer’s gaze before he finished his declaration “…the Imperial Wizard…sir..” he said sheepishly and then hurried to let the important guest in, after the officer gave his consent ofcourse. The Imperial Wizard entered the room, dressed in flowing robes of white and yellow with little decorations, a pair of strong leather braces covering his wrists, his tanned skin was covered in strange symbols on the back of his hands and forehead, his hair and beard were snow white betraying his old age along with a set of wrinkles on his face, his slight hunch posture leaning on a tall and gnarled staff made of a gray wood which housed a large glowing bright blue orb at the top and a slightly tiered look upon his irony gray eyes. He was now standing where the recruit was a few minutes ago, introducing himself and giving a deep bow to the officer, an act which may have already brought a bit of confusion considering their respective ranks. Cyrus gazed at the young officer with his irony gray eyes, inspecting him for a moment. The young man in front of him may be of a different species but he was the spiting image of his father… Tall and well formed, the result of good physical labor, with a charming and comely visage of a harmonious mix between his two heritages. His fur was pure white and very fine unlike the shaggy coats of some of the pure blooded Anthros and his blonde hair was a fine silk combed to the side to compliment his facial features, his eyes were blue, a characteristic which he must have inherited from his mother. Cyrus was oddly relieved that he did not inherit his father’s unnatural red-eye coloration and he hoped that this young man will not follow in the footsteps of his predecessor. Before he could say anything, Aleko took the liberty to remind Cyrus of what the guards at the gates told him already told him, about Streambrath’s declaration of neutrality, clearly eager to end this visit and resume to his work. Cyrus was rather pleased to see this display of boldness, a good sign he deemed it. “Yes, I am well aware of this fact, officer Aleko but I am not here for this. I am here to talk to you.” The Wizard’s deep voice was soothing yet also a bit hoarse, betraying his age and his gaze never seemed to leave Aleko. The old Wizard proceeded to recollect about the civil war taking place in the Empire and of the 3 distinct factions that participate in it, once again he found himself cut-off mid-conversation by the officer, eager to get to the main point of this conversation. Cyrus lightly stomped his gnarled staff on the ground and then let go of it, the staff gently floating in place waiting patiently for its owner. The Wizard proceeded to lean with both hands on to the officer’s desk, standing face-to-face. He wanted to remark that Aleko’s boldness and eagerness is welcome yet he needs to keep his impatience in control for the future affairs….yet there would be no point in scolding him and as such he did as Aleko ‘requested’ . “As you may or may not know, we, the New Avalon Empire were searching for the last heir of the Sendrakon bloodline and aid this one to their ascension to the throne. That was our quest ever since the war began..” After he said that, Aleko cleverly pointed out that Cyrus was referring to this quest in the past tense, to which Cyrus only smiled. “Indeed… It WAS our quest. Because we have found him.” The Wizard then rose from the table and grabbed the floating staff behind him, leaving a few moments of silence before turning around and declaring
“That heir is you. Aleko Sendrakon”
The young Halfling rose, disbelief was clearly written all over his face. It was evident that he was unwilling to believe a single word of that…yet Cyrus stood calm and composed, his gaze still fixed at Aleko even as he appeared to panic a bit. The Wizard waited for him to state his disbelief and then spoke. “You are a clever man Aleko. I am sure that you noticed, at an early age perhaps, that you were….a bit misplaced among the family that rose you. You must have suspected that your mother was unfaithful yet you didn’t knew with whom, did you not?” Another moment of silence between the two passed. “Not many know of this…but, Asmuel had a number of...mmm..concubines which he was ‘seeing’ outside of his family. He was…careful most of the times yet there were some…” Cyrus let out another pause, trying to think of how to say this “..mmm…incidents. “ the old Wizard sighed and then regained his composure “Crude as it may sound. Your mother had dallied with the late emperor and from their union, you resulted. This makes you a bastard, yet it also makes you the last surviving heir to the throne, the last remnant of the Sendrakon bloodline.” The officer appeared overwhelmed, his gaze dozed off as if he was spacing in deep contemplation, obviously assimilating the earth-shattering information he had just received. The Wizard once again leaned closer to him “Aleko, I heard that you show great potential in your current profession. You are skilled, clever, meticulous and have an iron will that few can match. Have you never thought that perhaps, there was something out there for you? Something more than just a high position among the militia of a small town?” another moment of silence passed and Cyrus waited patiently until Aleko’s gaze was once again focused on him. “This is your great destiny Aleko. This war has already lasted far too long and the whole lands suffer from it. You can change all that. You can help end this war and bring back the peace and order that your ancestors established over Avalon for 1000 years.” The wizard then takes a few steps backwards “We need you..” Cyrus then dropped on one knee, bowing his head. “Avalon needs you, sire. “
The conversation was…shaky to put it mildly. Yet, in the end Aleko believed the Wizard, however preposterous the news, something inside the Halflings was telling him that he can believe the Imperial Wizard. Cyrus was asked to wait outside while Aleko packed his things and said his goodbyes to whomever he wanted, it didn’t take very long. When they were ready, Aleko and Cyrus were on their way to a place where the young heir would call his new home. Cyrus told him about the Escalyber, the flying fortress which will serve as his seat of power and the main headquarters of the New Avalon Empire, he also explained briefly about the current situation of the land and the war, surprisingly Aleko already seemed to be well informed on that subject considering that he was, until this point, in a neutral position. They talked a bit more, about what the responsibilities of this new prestigious position, about their struggle in the war up to this point and also, a bit of information about the opponents. “Allister Stormreaver, Brune Emberland and myself were the three advisors of your father. Allister and I also served your grandfather, Melthion. Brune was enlisted into his service quite late in his life, he only served for about 1 year before Melthion was found dead. After Asmuel’s death we all had different opinions on governing the Empire.” Cyrus was unsure if Aleko was listening to his words, the weight of the recent news was still fresh and he still needed some time to completely assimilate it all. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the time. “Allister believes that each Kingdom should rule itself independently, without some higher authority to control them. A noble thought, yet ancient history teaches us different…” The Wizard almost stumbled over a large log then, in such moments he could feel his aches and was reminded of his age. The little would-be-incident seemed to have caught Aleko’s attention if nothing else. “Pardon…” Cyrus excused himself and then resumed the conversation and the walk “As I was saying… Allister took this path and thus made the Old Avalon Empire. Brune, he is cut from a different cloth. He was the Imperial Cleric, the zealous, extremist type with his own personal cult of followers. He claims that the Empire should be ruled by divine right, that only those who are highly anointed by the Gods should hold this much power and responsibility. Ironically enough, he and a few others of his cult happen to fulfill this ‘requirement’. What is worse, he also claims the supremacy of the pure-blooded, it would seem that those born from the union of different races should be considered abominations and heralds of Ragnaroke” Cyrus let out a rather irritated ‘bah’ before turning his gaze at Aleko behind him “Because of this we should be most wary of him and his potential assassins.”
During the walk, Aleko was quite silent, only nodding or muttering a ‘mhm’ from time to time for reassuring that he was paying attention to the old Wizard’s words. After a while they reached the top of a large hillside overlooking a small forest at the edge of the small patch of land that was legitimately belonging to the people of Streambrath, once there, Cyrus stopped and turned around to face Aleko. “You will soon meet the important people of our faction and will be shown around the fortress. I will serve as your personal advisor so feel free to ask and request anything of me, sire.” Cyrus gave the Halfling a small bow while stating his position and then after Aleko nodded in acknowledgement, the Wizard removed one hand from his gnarled staff and placed it on Aleko’s shoulder. “Are you ready?” and after that, Cyrus lightly stomped his staff on the ground and a bright glowing pentagram formed right beneath their feet, enveloping them in its glow. A blinding flash and in mere moments they found themselves magically transported to a different location. Cyrus waited for Aleko to get his bearings and then he simply smiled “Welcome aboard the Escalyber, sire. A marvel forged from the combination of magic and engineering. Our flying fortress, hundreds of meters high in the sky, the main headquarters of our faction and your temporary seat of power until we win back Castle Sundragon from our foes.” The two were standing in what appeared to be a large hallway, decorated with a fine long red carpet, small vases housing lively colored flowers, a few large paintings hanging on one wall and tall, slim windows on the other, which revealed nothing but a pale blue endless horizon populated by vast amounts of white clouds. The Wizard indicated with his hand that Aleko should follow him, explaining that before anything he should be acquainted with the important rooms of the fortress as well as its more important residents.
After a short walk through the hallway and a trip up a flight of stairs, a large wooden double door was standing in front of them, upon opening it, Cyrus and Aleko walked inside a large room which was radically different compared to the hallways. The decorations was minimal if any at all, the walls appeared to be made of solid metal, the floor was simple wooden planks with no rug to cover them and the long streaks of metal that bound them all. A long dark iron walkway connected the entrance to the very front of the room, strange machineries found on either side, emitting faint noises of gears turning, small metallic parts moving, steam being blown and the occasional ‘zaps’ of electricity, with a few people dressed in worker’s clothes tinkering here and there. At the very front of the room was a very large window panel with another set of smaller machines in front of them, with many clocks and gauges dancing gently and a few more of the workers pulling levers, switching switches and reporting what they understood from the displays to the one who was presumably the man in charge here, a figure standing in the middle, facing the window. Cyrus urged Aleko to walk inside and closer to the man in the front while he presented the room “This is the Control Room, where our Captain steers the direction of our travels though the skies, sire.” The Wizard glanced over to see Aleko scanning the room with interest and then called “Captain. A moment of your time if you please. “ The man at the front was turning a bronze steering wheel with a miniature of a globe map of Avalon in its center, after hearing Cyru’s call, he briefly turned his head and then let go of the large handles, walked a few steps to the Wizard and Aleko to greet them. “Ah, welcome back aboard Mr. Weaverstar, sir. “ The Captain was a human with mid-length, raggedy, dark hair parted slightly to the side, a few strands draping over the black leather eye-patch covering his right eye. A stubble upon his cheek and chin along with a slight wrinkle under his one good, brown eye were marking him as a late worker. He was dressed in an elegant black and brown coat with a high collar, leather gloves and boots with bronze trims, a captain’s hat which he removed when he greeted Cyrus, a short falcion sheathed at his belt along with a small holstered pistol.
After welcoming the Wizard back, the Captain turned his attention to Aleko “Is this…?” Cyrus nodded and almost immediately the Captain gave Aleko a deep bow “Pardon me for not greeting you sooner, sire. Welcome aboard the Escalyber, the greatest flying engine and fortress, first of its kind and unique in every way.” After the Captain greeted Aleko, Cyrus proceeded with the introductions “This is Captain Bernard Redfoot. He has been at the helm of the Escalyber since it first lifted from the ground.” To which Bernard added. “I’ve steered this marvelous lady almost all over the Empire and will continue to do so until my last breaths gives out. Rest assured, sire, at this height we are safe from any unwanted attention and have a tactical advantage over the enemy. “ Just then, the conversation was interrupted by a short, bright flash of light in their vicinity. The result of a teleportation spell, similar to the one used by Cyrus, only much smaller. This spell, brought a new guest, a young Elf-Human hybrid woman with long blonde hair, dressed in a decorated version of the workers clothes worn by the people in the Control Room, a pair of goggles over her eyes which she removed almost instantly as she approached the Captain with her attention focused on a small notebook. “Captain Redfoot, sir. I finished checking the store-room and we should have enough provisions for everyone for another month. Provided no-one gets a sudden spike in their appetite, ofcouse..” Her report fell silent when she rose her gaze from her notebook only to see that the Captain, along with Cyrus and Aleko, were looking at her. After a few moments of silence, the girl widen her eyes at the realization of who the Anthro-Human Halfling actually was. Just like the Captain before her, she immediately bowed “ Excuse me! I’m sorry ! I.. I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation, sire.” Bernard tapped the girl on her back and chuckled “Relax, Anny. We were just making introductions. You came at the right time actually.” After the girl rose from her bow, the Captain introduced her. “Sire, this is Annastasya Wayfinder, my first-mate and the quartermaster here. We call her ‘Anny’. “ Anny now had a nervous smile on her face “It is a great honor to meet you, sire. Again, please pardon my sudden intrusion.” Cyrus couldn’t help but also smile yet he still needed to show Aleko around some more before the day was out. “Not to worry Annastasya, no harm done. We will take our leave now, thank you for your time Captain. “ Bernard bowed his head again and then placed his captain’s hat back on “Anytime, sir. It was an honor to meet you in person, sire. If you have any need of me you can find me here, in the Control-Room. And Anny will sometimes stick around here as well though most of the times she won’t stay in one place for long.”
The Captain then turned around and resumed his usual duties while Anny once again bowed her head and then vanished under the same flash of light which brought her here in the first place. Cyrus and Aleko passed through another hallway on the same floor, a few well armored and armed guardsmen were standing close to the walls, standing at attention when they walked passed them. “Those are members of the Imperial Guard” Cyrus explained while they took a right turn “They are some of the finest warriors of the land, charged with keeping you and all your belongings safe. While smaller in number these days due to the war, they can be counted on and will not disappoint. “ After a bit, a very large doorway was visible in the distance, the wooden doors were so large that they were closer to gates rather than simple doors. Yet, Cyrus lead Aleko in a different room, this one about as large as the Control-Room but with nowhere near an advanced technological look. The walls were decorated with portraits of royal looking people, small banners of the New Avalon Empire, large maps of different regions of the land and even two statues of Griffons located at each side of the entrance. A large floral themed carpet covered the finely polished wooden floor and in the center of the room was a large, massive-wood table with a map of Avalon engraved on its surface and many chairs adjacent to it. Inside this room, there were 7 distinct individuals, some where sitting at the table, others were standing, all were discussing various things yet it all felt silent once Aleko and Cyrus entered the room.
“This is the Council Chamber, sire. Here you will meet with the political envoys of each of the Kingdoms of the land, which are present right now…” the last part Cyrus whispered to Aleko before he placed a hand on his shoulder and urged him to take a few steps forward. “Esteemed envoys of the land…” Cyrus announced out loud. “..Allow me to introduce you all to Aleko Sendrakon, first of his name, last heir of the Sendrakon bloodline and rightful Emperor of Avalon .” Each of the 7 envoys were now standing and for a few moments they seemed to be inspecting Aleko, before they all bowed and then one after the other came to introduce themselves to their future ruler. The first was a Human male, with pale skin and short black hair, icy blue eyes and dressed in fine robes of white, blue and a cloak of a shade of purple with a silver badge shaped like a sharp pair of wings on all sides denoting some high honors. “An honor to meet you, sire. My name is Marcus Gwynpath, former ambassador of the Human Kingdom of Winterpeak, presented with the Honors of the Five-Wings and named Envoy of the 5 Human Kingdoms. At your service.” He appeared to be no younger than Aleko himself yet his voice, however soft spoken, betrayed the years of maturity he had over the young Emperor.
The next to introduce himself was an Anthro male. A gray wolf with a white snout and sky-blue eyes, dressed in some fine clothes denoting a higher-upbringing. A stylish black coat over a brown vest both decorated with golden buttons, a brown leather belt with a golden buckle, a pair of black stripped trousers and black finery leather boots. On his right hand he wore a fingerless leather glove while his left hand was replaced with a prosthetic forged of Anthro engineering and decorated to match his attire. He also wore a top-hat and in his prosthetic hand he held a cane with a golden tip. The Anthro walked close to Aleko and after studying for a few brief moments he declared “Hmm…Not as bad as I feared..” He then tossed his cane gently up, catching it by the middle and sheathing it in the underarm of his good arm and with his now free prosthetic hand he removed his hat in a fancy swooping motion while giving Aleko a deep bow. “Allow me introduce myself, sire. Eamon Weissnout, elder child and only son of the prestigious Weissnout family of Mathianous. Decorated businessman, chairman of Wissenhaut Corporation, envoy of the glorious Anthro Kingdom and refined gentleman, at your disposal and most honored to meet you in person, sire.” An air of sophistication could practically be felt around him and a confident grin was always present on his snout during this introduction.
The next one for introduction was a large man, reaching almost two heads above Aleko. This one was a Halfling, probably the most harmonious cross between an Orc and a Human that Aleko had ever seen. His skin was not the green of his Orchish ancestry but was more closer to the color of a Human giving the sharp features of his face a softness which resulted in a comely appearance. His eyes were brown, a sharp goatee decorated his chin and a short pair of sideburns reached down to his jaw-line, the tips of two small tusk-like teeth, common to any Orc, poked shyly through his lips and his long brown hair was tied to the back in a formal manner. He was dressed in a white shirt with a dark-blue formal suit of a simpler design with visibly less decorations than the other envoys. “Durran Windsteel, son of Harken Windsteel, warrior of the Air Wrath Clan and envoy of the Orchish people, at your service, sire. “ After that brief introduction he smiled and offered to shake Aleko’s hand “If you will permit me, sire, I look forward to work under your service and I assure you, what I lack in titles I make up in cleverness and skill. “ His voice was thick and harsh, typical for an Orc, yet it also contained a hint of softness and was full of confidence.
The next introduction came from the only woman in the room. A Dark Elven woman, with very pale skin and jet black hair worked in an elegant aristocratic fashion which suited her rather beautiful yet cold visage. She wore a black dress of a very fine, if a bit revealing, design decorated with many golden studs and embroidery along her slim torso, buffed lower dress and wavy sleeves. In the middle of her chest there was a large onyx gemstone in a golden setting wrought in the shape of a bat with its wings across her breasts. One distinguishable feature were her eyes, one was red and one was dark blue, betraying her as a Human – Dark-Elf Halfling. She approached Aleko and inspected him similar to how Eamon did earlier yet the only pre-introductory comment from her was a dismissive glance before she introduced herself. “Tis’ an honor to meet you, sire. I am Ethel Shroudmyr, daughter of the Shroudmyr family of aristocrats of Sheh’tara, capital of the Dark-Elven Kingdom, former high-Warlock of the ninth-circle, member of the small-council of the Dark-Elven people and one of the envoys of the Dark-Elven Kingdom.” She glanced over Aleko once more before commenting “This war has already taken its toll on the Empire and it will only continue to do so until it is ended and only one person sits the throne. Many lives and more depend on you, sire. I hope you will not disappoint.” Her voice had an elegance similar to a refined melody yet it also sent chills down the spines of any who hear her.
The one who introduced himself next was an Elf male with long elegant blonde hair with a few streaks of green denoting to a Druidic background along with the small greenish symbols tattooed on his forehead, cheekbones and inscribed on his clothes as well as with the slight green glow of his eyes which also symbolized a pure-breed. He was dressed in finery, a dark green elegant robe with a bright orange cloak over it, all of a unique Elven design and decorated with floral themes in white, faded black and green. The Elf made a few symbols in the air with his gloved hand in front of Aleko which could be interpreted to a form of greeting. “Nature’s blessings upon you, sire. I am called Ludwyn Groverunner, former High-Druid of the Emerald Council of Syla’anee, the capital of the Elven Kingdom, representative of the Goddess’ voice and envoy of the Elven people, a pleasure and honor to meet you, sire.” His voice was well honed and his words seemed carefully chosen and of good meaning but one couldn’t help but notice that he was keeping a serious visage with nary a trace of a smile.
Aleko had to lower his gaze for the next introduction since it came from a Dwarf. Probably the oldest of the bunch as denoted by his lush snow white beard and receding hairline, this Dwarf was dressed in a fine robe of a dark earthly color with a pale blue cloak overlapping his shoulders. His wrists were covered by a pair of strong looking leather bracers, in one hand he held what appeared to be a scroll covered with runic writing on both sides and in the other he grasped a short-staff made of an odd yet beautiful blueish stone with two prong spikes on the top and a glowing runic symbol apparently floating between. Runic symbols were also present on the back of his bracers, the hem of his robe, edges of his cloak, engraved on an amulet dangling around his neck, carved all over his short-staff and even a larger rune tattooed on the bald part of his head. “Oh my, you are tall for one of your kind, sire. Quite majestic, yes…yes.” The Dwarf then bowed his head “I am Gymor Cloudkeeper, 2nd son of the 26th generation of the Couldkeeper family, High-Bishop of the Runic Abbey of Hephonsgate, wondrous capital of the Dwarven Kingdom, member of the Council of the Forge and envoy of the Dwarven people. I predict that the gods and ancestors smile upon us with your arrival, sire.” His voice was well fitting with his visage and his age.
The last one to introduce himself was the most ominous fellow in the room. His skin was a pale gray and both his eyes and long hair were of blank white denoting that all life had left from him long ago. He was dressed in a strong dark gray leather vest with white embroidery and a wavy, elegant black coat over it, pale gray embroidery of flames and bats decoration his sleeves, shoulders, upper back and edges of his coat. Another thing worth noticing was that he was the only one carrying a weapon, a longsword sheathed in an elegant black scabbard matching the coat in design. The Undead gave Aleko a shallow bow “I’m honored to meet you in person, sire. I am called Korvius Frosthand and have the honor of being the envoy for the Undead Kingdom, more than that you need not known.” He then glanced briefly behind him at the other envoys and then promptly returned his attention to Aleko, a malicious looking grin ever-present on his face “I believe lengthy introductions are unnecessary for an efficient and good working relationship. I am certain that all of us will benefit from serving you, sire and that you will benefit from our services.” His tone of voice was confident, almost to the point of overly-confident.
After each of the envoys had introduced themselves, Cyrus offered a bit more information “The envoys are here to represent each of the nations of Avalon..” he then leaned closer to Aleko and whispered “..at least the parts of each kingdom that is loyal to our side..” the Wizard then urged Aleko to continue their tour of the fortress. “If you would excuse us now, honorable envoys, the Emperor must attend to his business for today.” All of the envoys then offered a variety of bows “We will be expecting you in the Council Chambers for important discussions daily, sire.” Said Ethel and then Marcus added “If you happen to need anything from us outside of the official hours, you will most likely find us in our respective chambers if not in one of the many hospitable chambers of your glorious fortress, sire.” Finally Eamon concluded with “ We are all privileged to had the honor of meeting you in person, sire. And I for one am anxious starting the our discussions on the morrow. Until then, I wish you a capital day and may you conclude your duties of today in a royal fashion, sire.” The rest of the envoys nodded in accordance and shortly after, Cyrus and Aleko took their leave, exiting the Council Chambers and now heading for the large gate-like doors that the Halfling no doubt spotted earlier. Once they approached them, two of the Imperial Guards opened the doors for them, revealing the largest room in the whole fortress. The floors were covered in fine white marble with a very large crimson carpet decorated with the large crest of the New Avalon Empire. The same crest could be seen on the banners that hung from the walls at either side behind the finely sculpted and decorated marble columns which lead forward to an uplifted platform where one could find the throne. The throne was rather simplistic in design yet still looked exquisite and fitting for any great leader of a nation, made of finely polished massive-wood engraved with golden decorations and cushioned with a fine red silken seat. On either side of the throne one could spot two smaller seats of an equal fine craftsmanship but with fewer decorative designs and from a distance it appeared as though a small person was already sitting in one of them. Cyrus lead Aleko across the large Throne Room with even more Imperial Guards on either side, separated by the columns, their armor glistening in the rays of the sun that peeked through the tall windows behind them. “This is the Throne Room, sire. The seat of your command where you will make decisions and attend to the responsibilities expected of an Emperor, at least until we win back the actual fortress that your ancestors occupied for many generations. Right now, this will have to do. It is vacant and rather desolated yet expect it to be much more active, starting tomorrow.”
Once they approached the throne, they could see clearly who and what it was that was seating one of the adjacent chairs next to the throne. A small boy, or rather, the skeleton of a small boy missing his lower jaw, dressed in finery with a backpack strapped to his back, a number of scrolls lugged in one arm and a pen held in the bony fingers of his other hand. The little Undead jumped from his chair and walked in front of Aleko, giving him a formal bow. Cyrus chuckled “This, sire, is a little fellow we call ‘Scribe’. Due to his…impairment he is unable to speak and thus cannot tell us his real name, nor does he appear to remember it anyway, thus the nickname. He is very skilled with writing and loyal to our cause, as such I made him your personal scribe who will document any events of importance starting tomorrow.” Scribe then quickly scribbled something on a scroll and in the blink of an eye offered it to Aleko, on it the little one wrote how honored he is that the great Emperor took the time to meet with him and how happy and anxious he is to document his glorious deeds to come. Cyrus smiled “It also appears that he loves his work.” Scribe nodded to that, confirming the observation.
After the Throne Room, Cyrus and Aleko departed down a flight of stairs and after a bit more walking they reached a room filled with many tomes and books of varying sizes. “This is the Library, sire. It contains much wisdom for those with the patience and will to search for it. When I am not at your side you will most likely find me either here or the Study.” This room had a much more traditional appearance than the others Aleko had visited so far and the outside noises from the rest of the Fortress almost seemed muffled, leaving this room in a peaceful silence. Once they left, Cyrus told him something a bit unnerving while walking to the next room. “Sire, for some time now, servants and workers have reported hearing strange noises coming from the Library at night. I sent some Imperial Guards to investigate and even looked around myself yet was unable to find anything, yet I hear that the noises still continue to this day. It could be nothing, of course, but I would recommend that for the time being, you do not linger in the Library at night. Just to be sure, sire.” Further away from the library they entered a room slightly smaller than the Throne Room. This one was far less imposingly decorated with finely crafted wooden panels replacing the marble and a number of large tables and chairs replacing the columns on each side of a large elongated red rug leading from the entrance to what appeared to be a large bar-table. Banners bearing the New Empire’s crest were hung high up the wall and a pair even dangled from the ceiling. Some of the workers and servants and even a few of the Imperial Guard could be spotted either sitting at some of the tables or on the bar-stools next to the bar itself. “This is the Dinner, sire.” Cyrus explained “This is where most of the workers, servants and guards can be found enjoying their off-duty hours. Quite a lovely place, if I may say so myself. Even some of our more esteemed guests seem to think the same.” Close to the bar one could see a familiar figure. Anny was talking something with a man wearing a white apron and pointing to something in her little notebook. After a few moments she turned around, spotted Aleko and Cyrus from a distance and gave a formal bow before once again vanishing in a flash of light. Before leaving, Aleko probably also spotted the envoys Durran and Marcus apparently engaged in a pleasant conversation while enjoying a drink of wine.
Further away from the Dinner and to the left, located roughly around the very center of the Fortress, Cyrus and Aleko stopped in front of another set of wooden double doors, these were distinguished from the others by their solid iron decoration wrought in the shape of two combating lions on their hind legs. Before entering Cyrus stopped and asked for Aleko’s attention. “Sire, behind these doors is the Map Room. In there you will meet with the generals of your armies and discuss combat, strategy and conduct the way we handle ourselves in this war. I will not lie that most of your time will most probably be spent inside this particular room, planning out the campaign, yet I feel I should inform you that the generals behind have and their armies have….made some sacrifices in the effort of finding you. This will be the first time they will meet you and while the envoys were soft-spoken, they will be…less eloquent as to the nature of their professions.” Perhaps the ‘warning’ was unnecessary considering that Aleko himself was an officer in the military before this day and would probably feel more familiar in a war-room rather than on a throne, yet the Wizard felt he had to inform his young Emperor beforehand anyway. Once the doors were open and Cyrus and Aleko entered, they found themselves in a large room of a more-or-less crude design compared to the others. The walls and floor were solid stone, the floors polished to the point of slightly glistening in the limited lighting which came from four lamps dangling from the ceiling and four small lampposts on each corner of the room. The walls were skillfully carved, displaying soldiers and scholars wrought in stone surrounding the room as if they were watching over those inside. On the wall opposite of the entrance was a large carving of the map of the whole of Avalon, occupying the entire wall.
In the center one could see a number of distinguishable people….arguing. The noises of their bickering was inaudible outside the room with the doors closed yet once inside their quarrels echoed seemingly all around. It was only until Cyurs stomped his gnarled staff on the solid stone floor to call for attention that the generals felt silent and all turned their attention at the new-comers. “Great generals, if I may have your attention, please. Allow me to introduce you to Aleko Sendrakon, first of his name, last remaining heir of the Sendrakon bloodline and rightful Emperor of..- “ Cyrus’ presentation was interrupted by one of the generals, a Dwarf who approached them in a fast pace for his size. “Can’ it Weaverstar ! We ‘all know who this ‘ere is an’ wha’ he’s suppos’ t’ be !” The Dwarf had a rugged appearance, long dirty-blonde hair swept back and held by a pair of goggles pulled over his forehead, a beard with absolutely no decorations whatsoever, strong facial features and small black squinting eyes which gave the impression that he could pierce right through you with his gaze. Dressed in a plated chest-piece with a sturdy leather coat over it, lined with shaggy fur along the collar and lightly plated on the shoulders, similar to the plating on his knees over his beige leather trousers, on his reinforced black boots and on the forearm of his left hand. On his right hand he had what appeared to be a strange machination of a firearm strapped to his arm.
After the Dwarf’s outburst, another general approached, a Human who addressed his colleague. “The only one who will can’ it will be you, Bojor ! Like it or not, he is our Emperor and you will show proper respect !” The Human General was tall and sturdy in spite of his apparent age. His long hair was gray and swept to the back staying out of his face which only helped to display his rugged visage, wrinkles found from his eye and nose slants and in the corners of his mouth as well as on his forehead. A bushy pair of gray sideburns made their way down to his sharp jaw-line and a series of lacerating scars were found on the left side of his face, one especially harsh was across his left eye which apparently robbed him of the vision of that eye. He was dressed in a chainmail doublet with platings on his chest, shoulders, elbows and thighs, each of the lightly decorated along with his gauntlets and boots to denote a high ranking military position. On his hip there was an elegantly looking lonsword sheathed in a scabbard of a simple design, his arm resting on the pommel. After hearing that, the Dwarf turned his attention to the Human “Fouck you’ respect , Duncan ! I jus’ lost good men tryin’ tha’ make sure tha’ Emberland’s Gods damn’ Pursuers lost ou’ trail ! An’ all fer’ this pretty wolfling?! “ The Dwarf general was pretty steamed and judging by his stance he was just about ready to go for blows with the Human general who seemed equally prepared. Luckily it did not come to that, as another of the generals called for the Dwarf to calm himself, an Undead judging by his appearance “Ser Duncan is right. We all had losses in this campaign and lashing out to each other is most assuredly NOT the solution !” This general had a softer appearance than his other two colleagues, his skin was pale gray with apparently a shade of blue, his head was shaved clean and a small cropped black goatee was visible on his chin. His eyes were blank with a faint, sickly, greenish glow which denote a practitioner of Necromancy which is confirmed by the large spider tattoo display over his face and by his attire composed of a heavy black and green robe, decorated with silver embroidery displaying runic scribbling. Dark-gray metallic platings could be found on his gorget, shoulders, gauntlets and boots. All platings appeared to have their edges wrought in the shape of spider joints and another pair of spiders decorated his shoulder-plates with tiny emerald beads for eyes. His gauntlets gave the appearance of cloven talons for fingers and in their grasps there was a solid metallic staff with a green orb wrought in the shape of a skull as its head-piece with metallic tendrils that sprouted underneath gripping it tightly from all sides, making their way through the eye-sockets and the open mouth ; while the other hand rested on a heavy tome bound to a thick leather plate by a pair of solid chains. When the Undead general made his voice heard, another one promptly approached him, an Elf. “What do you know of losses?! Your warriors are ‘losses’ from the very start! Must be easy to fight a war when you don’t care about the lives of your men, since they have none… “
The Elf general was tall and slim, yet in an athletic fashion. His long hair was gray with a few near undistinguishable stripes of pale blonde and swept back reaching almost to his lower-back. Clean shaven which displayed a rough face with sharp features due to his wrinkles which betrayed his age, a rare sight among Elves which indicate to a mix of races. His slanted pale green eyes gave you the impression that he was always looking at you akin to a potential enemy…or prey. He was dressed in a strong, reinforced forest-green leather outfit tightly worn with many straps and studs in various places along with light platings on the shoulders, forearms, chest, thighs and legs, all with a slight greenish tint wrought in the shape of leaves and scales. Around his neck he wore a short dark-green cloak with pale-black floral embroidery. A pair of slightly curved Elvish swords were sheathed at his hips and a larger version was sheathed on his back. After the Elven general’s remark, the Undead gripped his nose-bridge in annoyance for a moment before responding in a more irritated tone “You are missing the point ! The mission was accomplished, we gave the Pursuers the slip and more importantly we managed to bring the Emperor aboard without anyone being the wiser..-“ He was cut-off by the Dwarven general who still appeared to be angry “Aye, mission’ foucken acomplish’d. You’re one ta’ look at’ tha’ bright side since’ none o’ YOUR men wer’ involved an’ onl’ MY boys pay’d tha’ foucken price!” Another voice, this one sounding even angrier, made itself heard, the one who spoke was a muscular Orc “You all need to shut your fucking traps before I rip your tongues out !” The Orc general was clearly a pure-breed of the ‘big-mouth’ sub-species of Orc as indicated to his size which pretty much dwarfed everyone in the room and as well as to his rough and brutish visage only complimented by a short-cut, moustache-less , gray beard and the large tusk-like teeth emerging from his mouth reaching almost to the nose-line. His small eyes were pale blue which added an oddly soft characteristic for an Orc of his breed along with his shoulder-length, slightly curled, chestnut brown hair with plenty of gray stripes visible. He was dressed in a simple brown leather doublet with a chestplate strapped on his massive torso, a pair of reinforced dark-brown leather gloves with plantings on the back of the hand similar to those on his boots. His left shoulder was distinctively heavier armored than his right yet the right shoulder-plate was decorated with a gray wolf-skin which spread to a half-cloak on his back, the wolf’s head made to look as if it was biting on the clasp with his fangs. The Orc was resting his left arm on a large sword sheathed on his hip, any ordinary man would need to use both hands when wielding it yet the way he was carrying indicated the fact that he could properly handle it with only one. “His warriors didn’t take part in this mission, yet mine did alongside with yours, Bojor, so we both lost good men ! “ he continued “But they accomplished the task set upon them and died on the open battlefield with a weapon in hand. For a warrior there is no higher honor and I bet both of our hides that they now stand among their ancestors with pride, or they would if you didn’t shame them by losing your shit over their glorious battle ! “ The Dwarf and the Orc were now standing in the middle of the room, face-to-face, throwing angry glares at eachother and judging by their stances ready to jump into a fight. “So I will tell you once again…Shut your mouth and calm the fuck down or I will make you…” the Orc said in a menacing tone, his stern gaze affixed down at the Dwarf who only returned the favor.
A few moments of tensioned silence passed until one of the two generals yet to speak made her voice heard. “Alright, alright…” The Anthro general announced as she approached her two rage-stricken colleagues . She was a tall and slender person, most probably due to her mixed heritage. She was a Human-Anthro Halfling as indicated by her harmonious mix of characteristics similar to Aleko. She lacked a tail and whiskers while her fine and short fur was white; her snout was short and less pronounced while here other facial features were softly resembling those of a comely Human female. Her large eyes were a pale shade of green-blue which appeared to be glistening in the right light. Her dark teal hair was shortly cropped, nigh-on reaching her shoulder-line, her round mousey ears were smaller and apparently were easily concealed by the dark-brown, simple designed top-hat that she wore. She was dressed in a simple dark-brown leather corset, black cloth trousers stuffed in a pair of above-the-knee high leather boots, on her hands she wore a pair of simple, fingerless black cloth gloves that reached to her elbow while her shoulders, neck and biceps were revealed. An outfit clearly designed for high-mobility of which one would assume she has plenty of as indicated by her weaponry, a pair of pistols holstered on each side of her hips, many small flat pockets lined the outer sides of her boots which possibly contained ammunition and a pair of daggers cross sheathed on her lower-back. She approached and placed one hand on each of the two angered generals without so much as a trace of fear in both her actions and her tone as she spoke “You two need to either step aside, or we should all start placing bets.” Another few moments of silence passed while her gaze switched back and forth between the Orc and the Dwarf all the while their own gazes never left eachother. Finally she rested her hand on the arm of the large Orc while calmly calling a “Come on…play nice…You’re embarrassing yourselves, you know.” and then her gaze shifted to the Orc as she muttered a “…Please?” to which the Orc glanced in her direction and after a few brief moments he sighed deeply and then turned and walked a few steps away which the Dwarf did the same shortly after.
The Anthro general then glanced once again at the two before throwing her hands in the air as a sign of relief and exhaling a “Alright..”. The last general yet to talk apparently decided to walk out of the shadows until he was standing relatively next to the Anthro. “Pardon this…misunderstanding, sire. You didn’t exactly caught us at a good moment.” He said, addressing Aleko. This one was the Dark Elf General, a tall figure with sharp features. His long silver hair was swept to the back and tied in two simple braids which fell over his shoulders while the rest draped over his back nearly as long as the Elven general’s. His sharp, bright purple eyes complimented his slick facial features, giving the appearance of a stone-cold killer, which would probably be not far from the truth. He was dressed in a strong reinforced dark gray leather outfit with many straps and buckles. His chest, and gloves were plated with a cold, pale gray metal, his shoulder plates were wrought in the shape of interlocking, large, pointy scales spreading all the way down his arm to his elbow making a slight clinking sound whenever he moved, the plating from his knees down to his feet were in a similar fashion. Around his neck he wore a dark purple half-cape with a golden trim and a high collar for a hood which he kept unbuttoned and open. At his hip he bore a pair of curved swords along with a pistol holstered beneath. After he spoke, the Anthro general placed her hands on her hips and gave him a disapproving glance “No thanks to you, Caine. You just slipped away and watched like usual.” The Dark Elf let out a muttered “bah..” before responding with “It’s not my fault that some of our colleagues find it hard to hold their hot tempers under control. They’re generals of their respective nations, they should learn to have a steady grip on their emotions.” The Dwarf general pulled a thick cigar from under his coat and then addressed the Dark Elf with “I’l hold a steady grip on ye’ neck if ye’ keep talkin’ like tha’…” and then proceeded to light his cigar and take a long smoke from it. His tone of voice was deep and slightly irritated but not angry anymore, the Dark Elf general simply sighed and muttered a “Dwarves…” while shaking his head slightly.
Finally Cyrus sighed deeply and leaned heavily on his staff “Generals, please ! “ After a few brief moment in which everyone was silent and paying attention to Cyrus, he added “As I was saying before…Emperor Aleko Sendrakon is here to make your acquaintances before resuming to the rest of his duties of today.” The Wizard’s voice sounded tiered than before , a possibility judging by the way he was leaning on his gnarled staff, Aleko probably wondered how he managed to last this long under such conditions, perhaps he was actually younger than he appeared and only aged like that through all this. Regardless, all of the generals proceeded to introduce themselves properly to their new ruler, starting with the Human. The old general stood at attention and saluted Aleko with respect as he introduced himself “Sire, I am Ser Duncan Primelyt, Knight Commander of the Paladin Order and General of the Human forces from the 5 Human Kingdoms.” Duncan ended his salute and then inspected Aleko for a brief moment before adding “With all due respect, sire. While I disagree with my colleague’s…approach..” he briefly glanced behind at the Dwarf who was still smoking his cigar with an irritated look on his face, “However, I agree with his observation. However crude it may sound, you appear far to unseasoned for a task of this magnitude. It may be the result of your…special upbringing, but, however understandable it may be, I hope that you will learn quick and gain experience swiftly if we are to hope for any victory.” Duncan’s good eye then glanced at Cyrus for a few moments before returning to Aleko “Of course, we will be here to aid you to the best of our abilities, afterall this is OUR campaign, however, you are expected to carry your own weight as nobody will do it for you. Sire..” Duncan then bowed his head, saluted and stepped aside for the next general to approach.
The Undead general approached Aleko and offered a deep bow “Sire, it is an honor to meet you though I would have wished it were under better circumstances. I am called Markov Ashadde, High Necromancer of Deyja and have the honor of being the general of the Undead forces.” Markov let out a slight sigh “I apologize for the display of my colleagues, but it is understandable. Brave and good men have given their lives to ensure that you safely arrived here, they only wish for their sacrifice to not be in vain.” Markov dropped his gaze for a moment and ended with “It all depends on you to make it so, sire. “ and he stepped aside for the next general.
The Elven general introduced himself next, giving Aleko a shallow bow and resting both of his hands on the pommels of his swords. “I am Marteen Leafdancer, sire. Also known as the “War-Dancer”, Commander-in-chief of the Elven Ranger-corps and general of the Elven forces. “ Marteen’s stern gaze was ever-present during the whole conflict and his introduction as well. “There is little left to say, sire. Let your actions speak for themselves and let the people judge your worth as a leader.” He concluded and walked aside for the next general.
The Orc general attempted to walk and introduce himself next but the Anthro bypassed him with a playful display of dexterity and maneuverability and approached Aleko with a cheery tone. “Hey, how are you doing, sire?” She then gave Aleko a strange bow, her arms were open as if waiting for a hug, she pivoted her upper body in a bowing manner while still keeping eye-contact with her ruler. “I’m called Pepper Bulkwyn. Yeah, I know, why would anyone be called ‘Pepper’? Ask my parents, they probably thought it’s cute or something, I don’t know.” Cyrus was heard letting out a slight sigh “Anyway, I’m a decorated General Field Marshal of the Elite Ranger corps and selected general of the Anthro forces, at you service, sire.” While Marteen had an apparent permanent stern gaze, Pepper seemed to have a permanent smile on her face. “I know its hard to believe all that from looking at all this..” she indicated to her body from up to down “..but trust me, its all true. This is my ‘off-the-field’ outfit.” She chuckled, stepped aside, turned her head back at Aleko, concluded with “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m glad to see another Anthro Halfling around here, sire.” and then made way for the Orc general to introduce himself.
The Orc general towered over Aleko similar to how Durran did, instead of bowing, the general offered to shake Aleko’s hand “Honored to meet you, sire. I am Rougan Stonestorm, chieftain of the Black Stone Clan and general of the Orc forces. “ Rougan then inspected Aleko for a moment and rose an eyebrow in confusion then adding “Hmmm…I thought you would be taller…” A moment of silence passed and Rougan chuckled lightly “Well, they say that the more concentrated doses are the strongest. I suppose you will show us just how strong you are latter on, correct, sire?” And with that he stepped aside for the next general to approach.
The Dwarf general walked towards Aleko, puffing smoke from his cigar. Once he approached the Halfling, he drew a longer puff , perhaps with the intention making Aleko wait. When he was done he introduced himself while still having that irritated look upon him. “Aye, nice ta’ meet ya’ an’ all tha’t, ‘sire’. “ the last word sounded like a slur by the way he spoke it. “I’m Bojor Ironfist also known as’ tha’ ‘Iron Engineer’, ever hear’d o’me? Nah’ I’l imagine not. Don’ matter, I’m tha’ general o’ the proud Dwarven forces, apparen’ly sworn ta’ serve ye’.” He took another smoke of his cigar “Joy o’ joy…” he muttered and then followed with “I s’pose ye’ expect me ta’ apologize fo’ me outburst earlier eh’ ? Well don’ hold ye’r breath. I’l say’ ‘sowwy’ once ye’ prove tha’ them sacreface’ be worth’it .” Bojor took one last smoke before dropping the cigar but on the floor and stomping on it while he concluded with “Until tha’n, let’s be clear ‘ere. I’l work fo’ ye’r scrawny arse but onl’y cuz’ I have ta’. So…lookin’ forward ta’ seein’ ye’ in action, sire…” and he walked to the side for the last general, the Dark Elf to make his introduction.
The Dark Elf general gave Aleko a deep bow and the proceeded with “Unlike our obvious temperamental colleague..” he glanced briefly at Bojor who muttered under his breath “..keep talke’n Elf an’ I swear…” and then he continued “…I am truly honored to meet you in person, sire. I am Caine Planestalker, once personal bodyguard for a member of the High Council of Warlocks, then enlisted as a Beastmaster and steadily rose through the ranks until I became what I appear before you, the general of the Dark Elven forces. At your disposal. “ Caine also took a few moments to inspect Aleko and then crossed his arms. “With all due respect, sire. I can understand my colleagues’ doubts in your..abilities. However, I like to believe that a strong Emperor won’t rely solely on strength alone and will be wise enough to use all resources at his disposal.” A sly smirk crossed Caine’s face at that moment before he concluded with “We shall see, I suppose. Won’t we, sire?” and joined the rest of his colleagues.
