Zamokra41

Darkness in the Light

Brann Aldebard

Average height for a Human born in the South, Brann boasts a semi-athletic build, focused on dexterity rather than brute strength. His dark-brown hair is long and reaches past his shoulder-line, forcing him to more-often-than-not keep part of it tied or swept back when in the field. His short goatee compliments what would be a rather comely visage if it were not for the long, thin scar across his left cheek and another, much smaller one on his lip. His eyes are the color of midnight and one can just barely notice a chipped canine when he smiles.

Name
Brann Aldebard

Title
The Spellsword

Gender
Male

Age
27

Personality
Light-hearted and well-meaning, one could easily dismiss Brandon as a fool at first sight due to his odd, seemingly random, remarks and tendency to make light of the situations, making jests and sarcastic remarks even when the situation at hand demands different. Indeed, his sharp tongue tends to bring him trouble, in particular with those with a short-temper with no patience for his tomfoolery. At the end of day, Brann is a kind soul, willing to lend a helping hand when needed, in particular if there is the possibility of a reward for his good deed.

Abilities
Brann was born with the gift of magic yet never really possessed the patience and discipline for fully develop this art. As a result, his powers are sub-par, capable of casting little more than the most basic of spells. What he lacks in mysticism, however, he makes up in swordsmanship, being trained to proficiently wield a small number of martial weapons, two-handed swords in particular. In time, he learned to weave a bit of magic that compliments his combat skill, a distracting flash of light, a dose of strengthening or elemental magic applied on the blade, these sort of ‘utility-spells’, as he calls them, give him a significant if a little unfair advantage in combat.

Skills
Apart from his martial and mystical abilities, Brann is a surprisingly decent showman, utilizing small magical tricks to impress and entertain the crowd, working hand-in-hand with his ability to play the flute. His basic survival skills, such as foraging, lighting a fire and setting a camp almost make up for his rather abhorrent cooking, preferring to provide the ingredients to someone who actually knows what they are doing.

Gear
Brann wields a standard two-handed longsword with a slightly thinner blade, made to be just a bit lighter than normal, his own versatility and magic compensating for the weapon’s initial lack in dealing heavy damage. Apart from his sword, he always has a small dagger up-handy for a number of situations. For armor he prefers to wear something more on the light-side, equipped with a chain-shirt with a light leather tunic underneath, the only bit of light-plating being present on his shoulders, gloves and greaves, leaving his head exposed as he dislikes the stiffness and vision-impairing capabilities of most helms. He also sports a hoodless, non-descript, traveler’s cloak of faded, earthly green color which has seen better days.

Bio
Brann prefers to not talk about his past, considering that his childhood was rather boring and ordinary even for someone born with the gift of magic. As a result, on the rare occasions he does discuss it, he would most likely make-up a more interesting tale with the intend of entertaining his conversation partner. In his youth he was indeed admitted to one of the institutes to learn how to wield his magical abilities yet it didn’t take long for him to become overwhelmed and eventually kick-out for his lack of focus, his teachers claiming that he would most probably never be able to weave anything beyond the basic spells. With nothing left, Brann became a wanderer for a while, managing to scrape-by a bit of income from entertaining folk with magic-based gimmicks and music before ultimately joining a small band of sell-swords for a more exciting life of adventure. He spent half a decade as a member of the Ironwood Company, learning swordsmanship, basic survival skills and even successfully implementing his meager mystical abilities in combat creating a style of combat unique to him, or so he would like to believe. Ultimately though, the life of a sell-sword was not for him as his demeanor and sharp-tongue brought him trouble with some of the more morose members, that and their penchant for not caring too much about morality made him decide that it would be better to strike on his own as an adventurer.

Brann has been a self-styled adventurer-for-hire for the better part of a year now and has seen his fair share of action yet nothing particularly exciting and not nearly as well-paying as a mercenary contract. Perhaps this will all change after a particularly surreptitious Elven trader hired him and a number of others adventurers for what he hopes to be a fruitful expedition. Who can tell?

Darkness in the Light

Important Personalities

More to come as our characters meet them.

Celerion

Commonly known as The Great Lord

Other Aliases : The Mad King, The Conqueror, The Corruptor, The Dark Elf

Celerion was once the king of the Elves and Ruler of the West, known for his fair judgment and wisdom. For decades he had lead his people with a pure heart, avoiding potentially escalating conflicts with the other races and guiding his people to a bright future. The events and potential causes that had led him to his sudden change are unknown and many speculations and theories have risen over time, each one equally as likely and unlikely as the other. Regardless of the reason, Celerion had plunged Auguria into its darkest of years, the Great War costing many lives and giving birth to many atrocities and dark creatures that some believe still wander the lands to this day, hidden in the shadows. After his defeat, the Great Lord fled and was never seen again, no traces have been found even after the ransacking and crumbling of his Black Fortress. The Great Lord was known as a skilled warrior, brandishing a Great-Axe with an unnatural ferocity never seen before. Before his defeat, he was considered invincible in battle, singlehandedly slaying whole troops and shrugging off blows that would normally be fatal. To top it off, after conquering the North and establishing it as his new seat of power, Celerion had learn to wield twisted dark magic which corrupted both the land and his own people, making an even greater threat.

The Bright Lady

Ture name unknown

The Bright Lady was The Great Lord’s lady love and mistress after subjugating his own people which included his former queen. It has been reported that the Bright Lady was always seen by the Great Lord’s side, silently gazing upon the atrocities he committed. It was later discovered by Aurelious the Red, a wizard of the Council, that this mysterious figure was far more special than anyone would think. It was the Bright Lady that seem to be the source of the Great Lord’s unnatural power, as long she was by his side, the Mad King would remain unbeatable. With this discovery, a daring plan had been made and a group of heroes had successfully defeated the Great Lord after the Archmage Kornelious trapped the Bright Lady’s spirit and very essence in an enchanted vial, believing that simply slaying her would not be enough.

Kornelious

Title : Archmage

Kornelious is an Elven wizard that spent his whole life at the Council, studying and perfecting the art of magic before teaching it to others. His former masters and teachers saw him as a natural prodigy with vast potential, this combined with his diligent and dedicated efforts all but assured him the seat of Archmage, a position which he maintained for the last 5 decades. It was Kornelious himself that devised a plan, aided by a band of skilled heroes, which led to the downfall of the Great Lord. After his colleague, Aurelious the Red, managed to uncover that the Bright Lady was the source of the Great Lord’s apparent invincibility, Kornelious came to the conclusion that there must be something unnatural about her and as such, simply slaying her would probably yield nothing. In conclusion, Kornelious created an enchanted vial which he used to entrap the Bright Lady’s soul, leaving her physical body as an empty husk. Since the end of the Great War, Kornelious has returned to his usual duties as Archmage while spending his spare time in research, trying to uncover the true nature of the Bright Lady and finding an explanation for her bizarre powers. He entrusted the safe-keeping of the vial to Aurelious, a decision which he now regrets ever since his disappearance.

Aurelious

Other aliases : Aurelious the Red, The Red Drifter, The Red Mage

Aurelious is a human wizard of the Council known for his vibrant red garb and mastery over the element of fire, which led to his alias. In his youth, Aurelious was a pupil under Archmage Kornelious himself, admiring the Elf for his vast knowledge and mastery over magic, a feat which he could only dream of one day even coming close to. As the years passed, Aurelious displayed a rather peculiar lack of interest in any form of magic beyond the basic practices, exception being the manipulation of fire which he mastered in record time, according to some of his former masters. As time passed, he even grew disinterested with researching anything other than myths and legends, grossly falling behind on his responsibilities as a teacher and leading to a number of conflicts with his fellow colleagues which resulted in an early retirement and him becoming a wanderer, seldom returning to the Council. Despite everything, it was Aurelious who uncovered the secret behind the Great Lord’s invulnerability, a feat which he refuses to explain to this day. After the Great War ended, Archmage Kornelious entrusted Aurelious with the safe-keeping of the vial containing the Bright Lady’s spirit, assuming that the Red Mage had changed his wandering ways, an assumption that was obviously wrong since it didn’t take long for Aurelious to disappear on the road again, leading to the wizards of the Council growing increasingly worrisome as he took the precious vial with him.

Lyanna

Commonly known as Lyanna Blackthorn

Other aliases : Lyanna the Crow, Mistress of Shadow, Lady of the Dead

Not much is known of the elusive Lyanna Blackthron, her past remaining a mystery wrapped in a riddle to all but herself and the reasons behind everything she does seemingly coinciding with other people’s interests. What is known is her ability to wield dark magic, a feat which made many believe that she may have, at some point, been a part of the Council as well as eventually being banished from there as well as any other potential home. Lyanna knows full well that her necromantic magic makes others highly untrustworthy and suspicious of her yet she seems to delight in other people’s uneasiness, another reason why she only keeps very short, temporary company during her travels. Despite her personality and the nature of her magic, her name now carries some reverence, mixed with uneasiness and suspicion, due to her and Archmage Kornelious being the only surviving members of the band of heroes that defeated the Great Lord all those years ago. Ever since the Great War has ended, no one has seen Lyanna Blackthron, leaving only rumors of a slender woman clad in black being spotted at different times in several villages all across Auguria.

King Harald

Former King of the Southern Human Kingdom

King Harald was a gentle ruler who managed to continue guiding his people even after the death of his wife and second child, dedicating himself to being a just ruler and good mentor to his only son, Darius. When the Great Lord conquered the sister Kingdom to the North, Harald wasted no time and rallied his troops to march against him, leaving behind only a sufficient force to defend the Kingdom in his absence. Sadly, Harald was slayed at the border and his army decimated.

King Darius

King of the Southern Human Kingdom

Son of King Harald and Queen Irene, Darius was very young when his mother died in childbirth and his sibling was stillborn; as such he was the only heir and moral support that his father had left. His childhood was always filled with study and martial training in order to prepare him to one day ascend the throne, only intensified after the tragedy that occurred. Alas, Darius lived through a second tragedy when his father died on the field and the people turned to him for guidance in the dark times of the Great War. Despite being the acting King, Darius refused to officially accept the crown until the crisis was brought to an end, with the help of his chancellors he successfully signed an alliance with the Dwarven High King and with his aid in turn, even convinced the Orc Warchiefs to lend their aid against the Mad King. While he was highly suspicious and mistrustful of the remaining Elves who turned on their former ruler, it was Darius who officially pardoned them in the end, claiming that the Elves had suffered just as much as all the other races during this war. A few months after the Great War had ended, Darius was officially crowned the King of the Southern Human Kingdom at the age of 19.

High King Ooran

Ruler of the Dwarven Kingdom in the South-East

Other aliases : Ooran of the Molten Iron

Ooran the Ironborn has been the High King of the Dwarves for the better part of the last 5 decades, assuming the throne after his elder brother had been assassinated by revolutionists who opposed his rule. Enraged by this act, Ooran is known to have enforced a strict and harsh rule during his first 3 years as High King, all with the intention of baiting another assassination attempt, capturing the culprit and having them reveal the main perpetrators. His own people had indeed suffered during those 3 years, yet at the end all the revolutionists had been captured and publicly and gruesomely executed by pouring molten iron into their mouths, Ooran receiving the alias ‘of the Molten Iron’ since. Despite a short-temper and thick-headness atypical even for a Dwarf, Ooran has proven to be a strong leader ruled his people justly, becoming steadily less harsh as the years go by. When the acting King of the South, Darius, came to him with the proposition of an alliance against the Great Lord’s threat, Ooran wasted no time in accepting and even helped persuade the Orc Warchiefs, despite his particularly low opinion of their brutish kind. After the Great War ended, Ooran was rather surprised of how quickly Darius pardoned the Elves, yet he remained silent for the sake of keeping good relations with his new allies, however he remains highly suspicious of the Elves to this day.

Queen Analiss

Queen of the Elven Kingdom and Ruler of the West

Queen Analiss had always been fateful and supporting of her husband even when others doubted him, yet she was the first to speak against his plans of conquering Auguria, claiming that such ambition can only lead to suffering. As a response to her ‘insolence’, her former husband had imprisoned her in the lowest levels of the dungeon and intended to have her tortured and starved. Fortunately, the torturer remained loyal to her and as soon as Celerion had departed for his conquest, Analiss had been secretly freed and kept hidden by the few still loyal Elves which remained free. For the better part of the war, Analiss struggled to find a way to persuade her people against her former husband, yet she refrained from organizing a revolutionary force, both because she lacked the numbers and didn’t want to have her own people killing eachother. After the Great Lord had twisted those loyal to him into the fell Abhorrent, the remaining Elves had abandoned him and all now rallied to their queen. Hearing of the Great Lord’s use of dark magic, Analiss came to the conclusion that only the wizards of the Council could find a solution to combat such forces and lead an expedition herself of finding their hidden headquarters. She was prepared to fall to her knees and beg for the wizard’s assistance only to discover, to her relief, that they had already been searching for a solution and at their suggestion, the queen joined forces with the Humans, Dwarves and Orcs in order to buy more time and at the very least halt her former husband’s advance. After the Great Lord’s defeat and the demolishing of his Black Fortress, Analiss lead several hunting parties ensuring that she eliminated every remaining Abhorrent, disgusted by the way her own people had been twisted and corrupted. These days, Queen Analiss dedicates her time to guiding her people and rebuilding their Kingdom.

Ramon

Known as Ramon the Lion Knight

Other aliases : Ramon Lionheart, Orc Slayer, The Knight of the Bridge

A hedge Knight under the employ of several Human and Dwarf nobles throughout his career. Among his heroic deeds, the most notable was his feat of singlehandedly slaying a large number of Orc Brigands and preventing them from crossing a bridge which lead to a densely populated village close to the South-Eastern border of the Human Kindgom. One of the band of heroes lead by Archmage Kornelious who defeated the Great Lord. Succumbed to his wounds after keeping the Mad King busy and buying time for Archmage Kornelious to capture the Bright Lady.

Donovan

Known as Donovan of the East

Other aliases : Donovan the Bronze, The Knight Beyond the Sea

A warrior from a distant land across the sea, far to the East. His reasons for traveling so far from his homeland remain a mystery yet many had benefited from his assistance. Among his heroic deeds, the most notable was his feat of leading a rebellion against a ruthless Human duke, training the newly-formed militia in his bizarre and exotic fighting style, successfully defeating the duke’s trained soldiers despite being outnumbered and suffering only minimal losses while he himself was mostly untouched. One of the band of heroes lead by Archmage Kornelious who defeated the Great Lord. Died after being overwhelmed by a large number of Abhorrent.

Silica

Known as Silica of the Blue Lake

Other aliases : Silica the Shadow, Silica Death’s Head, The Reaper’s Widow

A skilled, Elven assassin known for striking fear in her victims before killing them and only preying on those she deems wicked. Among her heroic deeds, the most notable was her feat of deceiving and manipulating a number of Elven and Human nobles, who had previously been working together on dirty schemes, into employing her services against each other, distributing the wealth among the poor and delivering their heads to other associates as a warning. One of the band of heroes lead by Archmage Kornelious who defeated the Great Lord. Slayed by the Great Lord himself after attempting to deliver a mortal blow during his escape.

Timothy

Aliases: Curios Tim(seldom used)

An Elven merchant known to travel the lands in search for rare and unusual objects which he sells at a high price. Most of his stuff are curios items of questionable use, yet he claims that his collection of curiosities are the finest and rarest in all of Auguria, a statement which makes most people raise an eyebrow and provokes muffled chuckles from his fellow tradesmen. Little is known about Timothy himself, he never speaks of his past, unless one would count the many flared tales of how he acquired several of his curios, and never sticks around a single location for too long, leaving with little notice when one would least expect. Under such circumstances, one has to wonder how he always seems to have enough currency on his person to afford lodging in various inns or, in this case, hire on a group of adventurers for his latest expedition. Whatever his secret, Timothy never seems to be short on silver, emblazoned stories or cheeky smirks.

Places of Interest

More to come as we both build and visit them

Greyhaven

The capital city of the remaining Human Kingdom of the South. A great city built around a large fortress that serves as the caste for the royal family. The fortress itself was once called Greyhaven and was built since old times when the Humans first established themselves in Auguria. The fortress was built as a defense against the dangers of the outside, the savage Orcs in particular, and slowly grew as the lands have been properly colonized by the old Human inhabitants. By the time Greyhaven became a proper city, an off-shoot branch of Humans traveled to the North and started establishing a second home, in time forming the Twin Human Kingdoms of the North and South. Nowadays, with the Northern Kingdom eradicated, the Kingdom of the South is the only home for the Humans with its capital city of Greyhaven, home to many generations of Human Kings and Queens.

Earthholme

Deep within the forested homelands of the Elven Kingdom to the West, lies a small port-town at the very edge of Auguria, from there one can sail to a small, not-so-distant isle. This isle is in fact the capital city of the Elves, Eartholme, a large city build in harmony with its natural environment, much more spacious, exotic and elegant in comparison to the Human and Dwarven cities. Eartholme is the oldest city of the Elves, its remote location offering great safety from the mainland until they eventually started to colonize the vast forests of the West. Some even consider that it may be the first proper city established in Auguria, Elves living, training, studying and perfecting their arts for hundreds of years.

Stonehold

In the Eastern part of Auguria, lies a vast mountain chain where the Dwarves make their home. Due to the rocky terrain, the Dwarven Kingdom mostly consists of small settlements and a small number of farms in the plains at the foot of the mountains. At the top of the smallest mountain lies the stronghold of Stonechain and beyond it are the Stone Stairs, a wide array of hundreds and hundreds of steps that lead up the steep mountainside in a zigzag, all the way to the top where one can find Stonehold, the city of the mountains and capital of the Dwarven Kingdom. It is here where the seat of the High King can be found, build from the quality stone and considered by many to be the most secure city in all of Auguria due to its impressive fortifications and location. An old city yet one that was populated only for the last few hundred years as it took immense effort and time to build and properly establish, a feat of legend that the Dwarves are particularly proud of.

Greathall

Somewhere in the central part of Auguria lies cave, concealed by magical means and visible only to those born with the ability to wield the mystic arts. Should one discover it, one only needs to walk through it and by the time they reach the other side they will emerge out of the dark and find themselves on the elusive island of Greathall. A piece of the land that has been plucked and raised to the skies by sorcerers of old as a safe haven for all practitioners of magic to learn, teach and hone their arts. While it is true that each Kingdom has its own establishments and means of teaching magic to those with the gift, it is without a doubt that Greathall represents the highest and most prestigious home of learning for mages, it is here where one may find the Council, an order of highly knowledgeable and powerful wizards that perfect their mystical arts and are more than willing to teach any young protégé with the proven potential of finding them.

Darkness in the Light

Theme

Still OPEN, Come on in!

Welcome, Adventures to the ‘Darkness in the Light. This is a Casual High-Fantasy RP where we play a group of misfit adventures seeking our fortune and getting ourselves way in over our heads, like in the good olden days. This RP is meant to be more-or-less relaxed and while the story, lore and the like should be treated seriously, moments of levity are highly encouraged, the main purpose is to have fun.

That being said, there are a couple of Rules that should be kept in mind :
1. No God-modding
2. Be nice
3. No excessive swearing or gore
4. NO adult situations
5. 3-4 paragraphs minimum per post, please
6. Decent grammar
7. If you wish to retire, announce us please

Please take your time to read through the LORE section as it will allow you to familiarize yourself with this world. Keep in mind though that this world is continuously expanding and we are basically creating it together, what you are about to read is something of a ‘ground-work’ from where to start.

LORE

An introduction to the world and its recent history…

They say that in every soul, no matter how dark and tainted, a spark of light and goodness can be found, however small and dim it may be, with the possibility of growing and changing a person entirely. If it is indeed so, then would the opposite also be true? The wisest minds would ponder before answering, yet recent events gave answer for them..

The lands of Auguria have always known peace, despite the conflict between its inhabiting, ruling races. Conflicts that have, indeed escalated into violence yet always swiftly resolved and never spiraling out of control, an uneasy peace being established for the sake of preserving lives and the fortitude of the lands. Yet twisted desires run deep even in the most noble of hearts, like the one of the once fair Celerion, former King of the Elves and Ruler of the West, who was driven mad by his lust for power and mobilized his troops into a bloody conquest, aiming to subjugate all of Auguria and its inhabitants. Naturally, not all Elves would blindly follow their leader into war born out of dark ambition, yet whoever opposed him met with a brutal end and harsh treatment by their own kin, the Elven people becoming prisoners in their own homeland.

With his own people subjugated, Celerion, now calling himself the Great Lord, marched in the North against one of the two Human Kingdoms, slaying, pillaging and burning all that stood in its way. It didn’t take long before the unprepared Kingdom of the North fell and the Great Lord claimed the lands for his own, brutally executing any and all who dared to disobey. News spread throughout the land and the Human Kindom of the South was quick to mobilize against this mad king and stop his conquest before more lives were lost to his untamed ambition. It was at the border of the Northern Kingdom that the noble Harald, King of the South, challenged the conqueror and demanded the liberation of their sister Kingdom. The Great Lord responded by emerging, along with his troops, clad in new, twisted armor and wielding unnatural powers, using them to trample down the opposition and splitting their king in half with his axe.

With their king dead, the responsibility of guiding the remaining Human nation fell to the young price Darius and along with his chancellors came to the conclusion that an alliance with the Dwarves and Orcs was the only solution to stop this threat before it was too late. The Dwarven High King of the East was eager to aid after witnessing for himself the ravages left behind by the Conqueror and the very real threat to his own people. The Orcs were harder to convince, yet their Warchiefs eventually came to an agreement, if only this once, that this Mad King had to be put down. However, while an alliance between the Humans, Dwarves and Orcs was forged, the Great Lord also grew in power, uncovering dark, forbidden magic, turning the once fertile soil of the North into blackened wastelands and changing his own people into creatures of twisted metal and bone, mindless, blindly obedient and born of their master’s dark desires.

Witnessing the horrors unleashed by their own ruler, the remaining fraction of un-corrupted Elves fled and convinced their brethren in the West that their once fair king had lost himself to darkness and must be stopped. While the Great Lord lead his foul troops against the opposing alliance of Humans, Dwarves and Orcs, the remnant Elves knew that even their combined force was no match against the unnatural power wielded by the Conqueror, and thus resorted to seeking aid from the reclusive wizards, hidden somewhere in the central region of Auguria. Upon finding them, the wizards revealed they were well aware of the situation and were franticly searching for a solution, hoping that the alliance between the ruling races would buy them enough time.

The Great War, as it is known today, lasted for years… Yet even the blackest of nights gives way to the light of a new dawn. The Mad King had been defeated after a band of heroes, led by Archmage Kornelious, uncovered a weakness and defeated the Great Lord, forcing him to retreat into his new dark Fortress in the North. Without their leader, the Abhorrent slowly lost ground against the combined forces of Humans, Dwarves, Orcs and Elves, retreating further and further into the Black Lands from where they were created. Ultimately, the Great War had come to an end, with the Black Fortress demolished and the last of the Abhorrent vanquished, yet victory was bitter-sweet. The lands of the North had been corrupted beyond redemption and the Great Lord himself was nowhere to be found. Nevertheless, the land could rest easy after these dark days and its inhabitants celebrated. The Elves slowly rebuild their kingdom, the Humans and Dwarves remained allies while the Orcs, true to their word, returned to their nomadic ways, wishing to keep relations with the other ruling races to a minimum.

7 years have passed since the Great War had ended and Auguria is still recovering from its ravages. It is in this age that adventurers and would-be-heroes, more than ever aspire to great deeds and accomplishments that would bring them fame and fortune.

Races

The Ruling Races of Auguria

Humans

The most common and numerous race in the world, Humans come in all shapes and sizes and from a large variety of backgrounds. Humans have the shortest life-span of the ruling races, living to just shy of 100 years. Perhaps it is due to their comparatively short lives that Humans are so ambitious and strive to achieve as much as possible throughout their lives, displaying vast potential in a broad variety of fields be them arts, trade, knowledge, magic, martial skill or many more. The Humans of Auguria are no different, populating the Kingdom to the South, they have established relatively pleasant relations with the other ruling races, even the Orcs with whom they had the most trouble in the olden times. One would be oddly accurate to call Humans, ‘everyone’s second-best friend’.

Elves

Considered the eldest race in the world, Elves are characterized by their grace, elegance and penchant for achieving perfection in whatever ambition strikes their fancy. Similar to Humans, Elves boast a certain kind of ambition and potential in a large variety of fields, be them combat prowess, research, magic or the arts, an Elf would aim for nothing short of mastery in their chosen field. Unlike Humans, however, it is quite uncommon for an Elf to spread himself on multiple talents, usually focusing on a particular set of skills loosely connected to eachother and striving to achieve the highest proficiency possible, not worrying for time as they typically live upwards to 500 years of age. With their talent and ambition comes hubris, many Elves are known to look down on the other races for one reason or another though most of the time they strive to keep silent out of politeness. Lately that attitude may have changed in some as this level of hubris and ambition is believed to be the spark that set their former king down the path of disaster.

Dwarves

Short-stacked, burly, thick-headed, gifted craftsmen and an uncanny high tolerance for spirits, those would be how one would describe a typical Dwarf. While it all may be true, a Dwarf would call it a vast stereotyping of their people, as whether one would like to admit it or not, Dwarves and Humans have more in common than one would first think and just their similar life-span. While typically shorter and more stocky, Dwarves come in all manner of shapes and sizes, some even boasting near human-like heights. Just like Humans and Elves, Dwarves boast a potential for learning a vast array of skills, yet unlike the other races, mastery in their respective professions usually is taught and passed down from generations like a family heirloom. It is quite uncommon for a Dwarf born in a family of smiths to become a sorcerer or a poet, for example, however they bear a fiery will and a heart for adventure and as such, while it is uncommon it is not unheard of Dwarves that branch out into something completely different than what their families have been doing for generations.

Orcs

The Orcs are a strong and tightly knit people, valuing tradition and family relations above anything. They consider themselves to be the first inhabitants of Auguria, seeing all the other races as potential ‘outsiders’, it is perhaps due to this and their natural hostility that their kind and the other ruling races have had great conflicts in the past. Regardless of their motives, it took a long time before they managed to win the uneasy trust of the other races, the Humans in particular. As a result of their past aggression, one cannot help but feel a sensation of unease in their subconscious when interacting with an Orc. But assuming that great force and barbaric savagery is all that characterize and Orc would be mistake, as one can witness that their unique culture revolves around a worship of the nature and an aim of co-existing and surviving in balance with their environment, not unlike the Elves. Unlike all the other ruling races, though, Orcs have no place to call a ‘kingdom’ preferring to live as numerous nomadic tribes establishing temporary settlements and living there for a number of years before moving on. It is due to their wanderlust that many small Orc families have begun to wander quite close to the more civilized cities and villages and trade with the population, not so much for coin but more for other goods. Many Orcs however, would prefer a life of combat, becoming mercenaries boasting great martial prowess or resorting to becoming brigands and raiders. Just like with the rest of the ruling races, there good and bad examples, as such one should probably keep an open mind with regards to these green-skinned giants.

Notable Sub-Races

Goblins

Small, sneaky and very greedy. Goblins have always been a nuisance for the traveler, hence why it is often recommended one stick to the main roads and should you be a merchant with a caravan, then it is advisable to spend the extra coin for some extra protection and avoid finding yourself ambushed by a band of savage Goblins wielding stolen weapons and adding your wares to their collection of plundered goods. Luckily for most, Goblins are also known to be quite cowardly and avoid confrontation against groups, yet one should not underestimate a cornered Goblin with nothing to lose.

Undead

The Undead are reanimated corpses, moved by nothing but malice and dark magic. It is unusual for one to find Undead without a dark sorcerer controlling them, yet some claim that certain places where tragic and disturbing events took place attract restless spirits that possess the long-dead and seek to do harm to anyone and anything with a pulse.

---Revenants---
Particularly powerful necromancy and numerous living sacrifices results in the creation of this particular type of Undead. A Revenant is an example of what some sorcerers would call 'near-perfect reanimation', these beings are far superior to the ordinary living-dead thralls, possessing higher intelligence to the point where they recall and retain skills gained from their previous lives and possess a will of their own, albeit bound to the one who 'created' them. To add to their repertoire, a Revenant possess an uncanny ability to regenerate from even the most grievous of wounds in a matter of moments, provided certain restrictions and a particular weak-spot.
[Created by @Shard]

Trolls

Trolls are large, lumbering and highly aggressive, primitive beasts of immense strength found in varying sizes in forests, plains and mountainous locations. Most take the smart approach and avoid any confrontation with a Troll entirely, which is easily done thanks in part to their very poor eyesight, yet there are those daring enough to hunt these creatures for their teeth which can be sold to interested collectors for a high price. Yet fighting even one of these monsters is no simple task, their skin is as hard as stone and while most are slow, it only takes one solid strike from a Troll to break bone like snapping a twig.

Fiends

Similar to the Undead, Fiends, or Demons as some call them, are creatures born or brought into our world though dark and forbidden magic. Unlike the Undead however, a Fiend has a malicious will of its own and more often than not is hard to control for all but the most skilled sorcerer. The simple act of merely summoning a Fiend requires a sacrifice of blood and once in our world it is likely that the creature will disobey any direct commands unless enforced with a particular command spell, some being more easily ‘persuaded’ than others. While it is very rare to find a ‘wild’ Fiend, it is not unheard of situations where these creatures either escape or go so far as to slay their own summoner and roam the land on their own. With all that in consideration, is it any wonder that the wisest of wizards suggest one should refrain from summoning a Fiend even in the most dire of situations?

Satyrs

Woodland inhabitants and gentle by nature, Satyrs have been around in Auguria for as long as anyone can remember, living simple lives deep within the untamed wilderness, as far away as possible from other 'civilized' settlements. At first glance, some may confuse them for Fiends yet this misunderstanding is usually quickly resolved with a short conversation as Satyrs are known as nature worshipers, living in perfect harmony with their environment and wild animals. Their wood-carving craftsmanship is the stuff of legends, a talent perfected throughout the centuries as they are known to despise metalwork, one of the reasons why they consider the Elves and Orcs to be merely 'pretend-nature-worshipers'. Due to their talents, overall friendly demeanor and deceivingly developed intelligence, some Satyrs like to travel away from their homes and interact with the outside world, becoming mostly story-tellers and sometimes traders or wood-based craftsmen, these 'strays' do accept coin as payment as they understand its necessity despite their aversion to metal.

Abhorrent

The Abhorrent were twisted creations of the Great Lord after corrupting the subjugated Humans and even his own people with dark and forbidden magic, melding their flesh and bone with metal and filling their minds and hearts with hate. Their humanity gone, these terrible creatures existed only to serve the Great Lord and spill the blood of his enemies. After their master’s defeat, the Abhorrent, while still a threat, were slowly pushed back and eventually hunted down one by one. Today, one commonly knows that these monstrosities are no more yet their nightmarish impact still haunt the minds of those they fought and one cannot help but feel paranoid on the possibility of some having escaped and might be still wandering the land.

The Plot, where do we start?

As I mentioned in the introduction, we will be playing as a newly formed band of misfit adventurers and would-be-heroes seeking our fortune. Our characters have recently been acquainted with eachother and have been hired by a rather surreptitious Elf merchant named Timothy to assist him on an expedition in some forgotten ruins. He refused to reveal much about the exact purpose of this expedition but we were all promised a handsome reward and quite frankly we need the money and couldn’t afford to say no. Super basic stuff, yes I know, but the story will evolve from there.

Character Sheet

Appearance : Image is good, description is better, both is awesome.

Name : The name and/or nickname of your character

Title : This is your ‘class’ so to speak, something that gives us an idea of particular set of abilities your character has. Someone called ‘The Defender’, for example, would be proficient in using a shield and essentially guarding the more squishy members of our party.

Gender : Self explanatory

Age : No younger than 20, please and no older than 50 either. Regardless of race

Personality : What is your character like?

Abilities : Tied to the ‘title’, this is where you go into more detail about your character’s particular set of skills is. Be as imaginative as you like but I would like to point out that we are all simple adventurers with not a lot of experience, so no overpowered legendary skills please, do your best to keep your character balanced. Everyone hates a Marry-Sue, right?

Skills : This where you describe what your character’s skills that are unrelated to their ‘title’. Things such as cooking, singing or juggling small rodents while riverdancing and the like should be written.

Gear : Only describe what your character has on them in terms or weapons, armor and other useful gadgets and trinkets. Miscellaneous items such as food, rope, sleeping bag or cough syrup will be implied to be present according to the context of each situation. Again, we are simple adventurers, no legendary Deus-Ex-Machina-like items please.

Bio : A description of your character’s history. It can be as detailed or as brief as you like.

Other : Anything else you would like to mention?

Check the Character-tab for an example of an ordinary CS

If there are any questions with regards to anything, feel free to ask

[Zamokra41] - Avalon Empire - [MachineSoul]

The generals were attentive and listened to their Emperor’s battle plans, his detailed knowledge of the zone combined with the element of surprise would surely prove to be their greatest advantage. Indeed, Aleko’s plan was reliable and cunning, sending Wizards first to prepare the field for the arrival of the main force and then storm the city while the enemy is hindered. When asked who would join him in battle, all Generals threw glances at eachother, all were ready to serve yet they thought about which of them would do best in this situation. In the end, after a brief discussion it was none other than General Bojor Ironfist who stepped forward “Aye, I’l be joinin’ ye lad. Sum one’s gun’ need ta’ coordinate them Grenadiers an’ I’m tha bes’ candidate fer tha’t job.” The Dwarf paused for a moment to throw a glance back at the other generals “Just let me know when’ ta go.” He concluded.

“Then it is settled.” Cyrus spoke “The Infiltrators will prepare the ritual site for our troops. The Wizards will be transported first and provide disadvantageous weather and terrain conditions for the enemy. The Grenadiers led by General Ironfist will arrive 2 or 3 days later along with the Elite Rangers led by his grace himself and begin the assault”.

‘Aye’ was head from each of the generals while Aleko simply gave a silent nod in approval, after which the meeting was adjourned. In the hallway, the Imperial Wizard caught up to Aleko for a brief report while no one was listening “It will take the Infiltrators about a week to prepare the ritual site, sire. In the meantime I will promptly begin investigating this…possibility of a traitor in our midst.” He bowed respectfully and then walked in the opposite direction at the end of the sentence.

The remainder of the day Aleko felt rather out of sorts. The morning incident and the slight blur in his vision were clear indicators that he may have caught an illness of sorts, which made the Halfling consider going to the sickbay for an examination, a fleeting thought which he ended up heeding after a long consideration. The Sick-Bay was not nearly as cluttered as it was the first time he visited, some 2 weeks ago, the equipment on the table had been neatly arranged and a number of stacks of papers could be seen here and there along with a few thick books, yet all were placed in such a manner as to not hinder circulation through the room. A small brass bell chimed loudly the moment Aleko opened the door, as if it wasn’t enough to announce his presence, the heir coughed loudly soon after. The noise attracted the physician’s attention, Stephen Hawke appeared from the adjacent room, clad in a pristine white formal shirt and black doctor’s vest over it, adorned with a multitude of small pockets, no doubt containing a number of medical remedies. His glasses gleamed for a split moment as he walked through a ray of sunlight that shot from the window to Aleko’s right, his stern gaze affixed at the newcomer as he pulled a rather messy glove off his hand and tossed it on a chair next to him.

“Ah, sire. I was not expecting you. Please, no need to be coy. Come in, Come in.” Stephen beckoned the heir inside and indicated he should seat himself on the rather simplistic sofa placed just under the window, while the Halfling physician sat on a chair right next to it. “So..” he spoke after waiting for Aleko to make himself comfortable “..What can I do for you today sire?”

Aleko explained his symptoms and underwent a quick examination from the deft physician, to which he concluded “Your grace appears to have a mild fever yet it is nothing to be concerned about. That being said, I would recommend you try to rest more. Your fatigue and indigestion are tied to it, in the sense that I believe it is stress which lies at the root.” Stephen the quickly pulled a small white pouch from one the pockets of his vest and presented it to Aleko “Take one of these pills about an hour after each meal, it should help your stomach. “

The heir couldn’t help but notice the rather hastened pace to the physician’s tone and the rushed examination and conclusion. Apparently Aleko may have interrupted him from something? Something he was rather eager to return to after tending to the heir. Not wanting to keep him from his work, Aleko thanked Stephen and proceeded to leave, medical pouch in hand, yet for whatever reason felt the need to inquire about his…strange occurrences during his sleepless nights as well as the nightmares he seems to experience rather regularly. To this inquiry, the physician seemed confused, raining and eyebrow and crossing his hands “Hmmm…The stress seems to affect your sleep, causing you to have these night-terrors. As real as they may seem, they are just that. Dreams. If you wish, sire, I could provide a sleeping draught for you.”

After his visit to the Sick Bay, Aleko felt the need to retire to his private chambers, resting for the remainder of the day and having food and drinks be brought to him by the servants.

The next couple of days would be more-or-less uneventful, the meetings with the envoys would be brief, Aleko presenting himself only to listen to their reports and then moving to the Map Room for more strategizing about the upcoming battle.

Day 15

After feeling a little better and being capable of keeping down what he ate, Aleko made his rounds to the Council Chambers and the Map Room before heading to the Dining Hall, where he delivered on the promise he gave to Master Gwynpath.

The two sat at a table, enjoying a cup of coffee as the rest of the people went about their usual business. Master Gwynpath wasted no time to express his gratitude and honor to the heir’s invitation and the two began to talk about one or the other. Eventually, the conversation led to Aleko asking Marcus about his motivations behind his allegiance to the New Empire and, more specifically, to him. The Human envoy fell silent and averted his gaze for a moment, it was obvious that the question seemed to…affect him somehow. Before Aleko could do anything, Marcus smiled and spoke “You are a very direct approaching person are you not, sire? I mean no disrespect, of course, I was simply…surprised by your inquiry.” The Human took a sip of his coffee and then resumed “My allegiance to the New Empire is as truthful as it seems, yet I will not lie, it also happens to align with a more…personal aspiration.”

Marcus paired his gloved hands together, leaning with his elbows on the table as if in contemplation “You probably assumed out of pure intuition that I originate from Winterpeak, yes? It is quite obvious, I am told. Well… in this case I assume you understand how …problematic it is for one to like myself to reach a respectful position in that Kingdom. What I mean by ‘someone like myself’ is someone who…” The Human paused for a moment and sighed “..Someone who is magically impaired.” Marcus chuckled “In actually, perhaps ‘magically defunct’ is more fitting, yet the point remains the same.”

“I was raised in a noble house which nourished magical talent like any self-respecting noble house of Winterpeak. I suppose one could imagine the disappointment I brought when my…defect was made obvious.” Marcus leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms “Yet, despite all I proved to be quite resourceful, magic or not. I relied on cultural-social knowledge and assessment, traveling for the better part of my life in order to deepen my understanding of the subject. Everyone back home assumed I would end up some librarian’s apprentice if I was lucky, yet due to my expertize and hard work I actually became one of the representative ambassadors of Winterpeak.” A proud smile made its presence on Marcu’s face “Not bad for a non-mage, if I dare say so myself.”

“However, not all was fine and dandy. My…colleagues…” he spoke the word with a heavy bitterness “..would look down on, ridicule me and hardly take my approaches and advices seriously. Understandable, I suppose, how ridiculous is it for them that a magically impaired man would consider himself their equal?”

Marcus sighed deeply and wearily gazed at Aleko “When the War of the Three Empires started, I saw an opportunity with the New Empire. I believe in the cause, certainly and it helped that Cyrus Weaverstar the 12th of his name, a man I deeply admire, was leading the effort and I have the chance to do good, real work here that matters. Yet…” The Human stopped for a moment to ponder and lowered his gaze “It may come out the wrong way, sire, but probably the biggest reason for my allegiance is the hope for change. The New Empire promises a new age for all Kingdoms, a new approach to all problems and a cultural evolution.” Master Gwynpath’s gaze returned to meet Aleko’s, with a gleam of determination. “It is my wish and desire that this chance will apply to Winterpeak as well. So that the magically gifted can no longer claim dominance over the ordinary and all have an equal chance and opportunity. I believe it is achievable and I believe that securing your position on the throne of the Avalon Empire will have such an effect.”

A deep sigh escaped him “So…there you have it. The truth behind my allegiance. I hope you do not think less of me due to my….personal ambitions, your grace. I am still as loyal as ever and will serve you faithfully to the best of my abilities.” A slow clap could be head from the vicinity, interrupting whatever the Human Envoy was probably going to say. Upon the tracing the source of the sound, Aleko and Marcus discovered that Ethel Shroudmyr was slowly and elegantly approaching their table. The sly smile on her pale face indicating that she may have overheard their conversation.

“Quite the story, Master Gwynpath. Color me impressed.” She said, yet the tone of her voice sounded anything but that. The Human envoy was visibly displeased

“My lady Shroudmyr. It is not polite to eavesdrop on a private conversation between two gentlemen”

The Dark Elf envoy ceased her slow clapping and bowed her head, feigning an apology “I do apologize, yet the fervor with which you spoke, Master Gwynpath, made me curious.” Her mismatched eyes fell on the Human and Aleko for a few short moments “And we Drows are nothing if not curious by nature.” “That may be applicable for Drows yet, pardon me for saying so my lady, you are also part Human” The retort made Ethel chuckle “Which means that the curiosity of both Dark Elves and Humans is applicable in my situation. Quite a struggle, would you not agree?”

The Human remained silent, feeling as if the woman may lure him into some kind of trap with every sentence uttered. It only took Ethel a few moments to approach the table and politely ask if she could join the conversation “..The company I previously kept were becoming quite dull and you both seem more like the sort of gentlemen who know how to treat a lady.” She added while pairing her hands together over the buffs of her black dress.

“If his grace has nothing against it, I will not object either.” Marcus responded, followed by Aleko giving his permission, feeling as if any other answer would be insulting. “I appreciate it, sire.” The Dark Elven envoy responded and elegantly sat herself on a chair between the heir and her colleague, asking a nearby servant for a coffee which was quickly brought to her. The woman took the smallest of sips from her cup before engaging in the conversation.

“If I may ask, what was the subject of your conversation that led you to recollect your past, Master Gwynpath?” “His grace inquired about the nature of my allegiance to the New Empire” the answer made a smile appear on the woman’s face as she turned her attention to Aleko “Ah! Of course. A wise Emperor must know the motives of his most closest of subjects, thus knowing in whom to place their trust.” A slight frown passed through Marcu’s face, feeling as if that remark may have been yet another jab at him somehow. “Well, sire. I suppose it would only be fair if I shared my own story as well.”

Aleko agreed and politely inquired the same thing from her as he did from Master Gwynpath.

“I will not bore you with the details of my early years. Suffice it to say that my father was a distinguished nobleman among the Dark Elves, whom took a Human for a wife after the untimely death his first spouse. I was the second daughter and last child born, as such most would assume that I wouldn’t have amounted to much, probably fated to becoming a lady-in-waiting and marrying some other noble deemed biddable enough. Luckily for me, I became my father’s favorite child and was spared such a fate, higher education and even teachings in the mystical arts have been provided.” The woman paused for a moment to tuck a loose hair-lock behind her ear. “After years of study I eventually decided to become an envoy for the Dark Elven people”

“What made you choose this line of work, my lady?” Marcus asked, to which Ethel answered with a smirk “It is as you said it, Master Gwynpath, I am part Human and bear the curiosity of both races. This same curiosity has made me wish to see the world beyond the subterranean home I always knew and interact with civilized members of the other races. An envoy combines this curiosity with the advantages of a noble birth, wouldn’t you agree?”

The Dark Elven woman returned her attention to Aleko “When the War of the Three Empires started, the Dark Elves were slow to answer and choose their allegiance, yet it became obvious that the Magisters, our…leaders, would most likely favor the Old Empire as a return to the old Ways would ensure them regaining the power over the guilds that they lost after the Dark Elven Civil War all those years ago. Once that became ‘official’, the people divided and chose their allegiances in regards to their own needs and interests, like any other nation.”

The heir listened and waited for the woman to finish her sentence before noting that this does not explain how her allegiance to the New Empire benefits her in such a way.

The woman smirked at Aleko “Oh, is it not obvious, your grace? My family is a supporter of the guilds and as such, I do not hold much love towards the Magisters. Furthermore, my origins as a Dark-Elven-Human Halfbreed would secure a most gruesome death at the hands of the Stainless Empire. As such, one could say that joining the New Empire was my one and only choice if I hopped to live a proper, respectful life or live at all.” She chuckled before continuing “Ah, but please, sire, do not worry. Knowing myself, I would have chosen this allegiance regardless of my origins or views on Dark Elven politics. It is just…the way I am…” her mismatched gaze never left Aleko and it seemed to grow in intensity as she spoke “..Curious. Curious as to who this heir of the Sendrakon bloodline could be…Curious how this heir would take the splinters of a broken Empire and make it whole again…” The heir felt as if her gaze was trying to reach down to his very core, beneath any and all layers, examining his very essence left bare “..Curious about….you…my lord. “

Ethel leaned back, closing her eyes and gently took another sip of her coffee, letting silence settle at the table for a few moments before letting out a small sigh “And now, you know, sire. Why I chose the New Empire over the others. I hope this knowledge will only help deepen our trust and understanding..” she then turned to Marcus “And also between ourselves, Master Gwynpath. So that we may better serve his grace and aid in the New Empire’s victory in our own ways “ The Human envoy nodded “As do I, my lady.” He responded briefly.

“Ah, but sire.” Ethel spoke after allowing Aleko to comment on her previous statements “Now that you know a little more about my colleague and myself, would it be too presumptuous if I were to ask to know a little more about yourself?” Before Aleko could answer, Marcus caught the woman’s attention “My lady, you know better than to ask that. Of course it would be presumptuous. If his grace wishes to keep his past to himself, we should respect that.” The Halfbreed human placed one hand gently on the onyx gemstone on her bosom, her eyes widening as if shocked, yet the tone of her voice made it blatantly clear that she simply feigned shock. “Oh, my! I mean no disrespect, of course. It simply occurred to me that we do not know very much about your grace aside from your heritage. Recent, tragic events have inadvertently given us a small piece of information regarding your birthplace, as such it made me…curious about your story, my lord.”

Though he would not admit it openly, it was clear that Master Gwynpath himself was also intrigued by the information, yet as he previously stated, if the heir wanted to keep his past to himself they would respect that.
After the discussions in the dining hall with the two envoys, Aleko felt the need to lie down for the remainder of the day, lest his fever get out of hand.

Days 16 – 19

During these days, Aleko tried to rest more, not by his choice but simply because his body demanded it, feeling fatigued rather easily. Thankfully, he appeared to recover soon and was confident he would be as able as ever when the time came to storm Zeiserberg and find his mother.

The envoys had close to nothing to report. The small matters were taken care of quickly, each in its own way. Cause for concern seemed to be current financial situation which apparently somehow slipped to the knowledge of the common man, causing the population to worry…

[Population Morale - ]

Master Eamon Weissnout was pleased to report that the prototype testing for the gas was successful, reporting the composition to be effective against any living thing that breathed it and his own company coming up with an elegant mechanism of dispersing it. All what was left was for Aleko to place his seal on a contract which allowed for the weapon to be distributed to a number of Elite Ranger squads.

Master Marcus Gwynpath also reported that the medical balm from the Mage-Tree sap was a success, proving effective against almost any form of open injury, stopping bleeding, closing the wound and hastening its healing. However, some patients of the Elven and Dark Elven race report having itchy skin and slight fits of nausea as a side effect after application. Master Gwynpath also provided a contract for Aleko to seal, permitting the balm to be distributed to a number of medical centers.

While resting in his private chambers, Aleko was visited by T’chun whom, brought him the food and water requested from a servant, saying that he took advantage of the opportunity to also deliver a report from Master Earthward and Engineer Reginal. The new communicators have been made and already distributed to the higher ranking officials along with the password. The Lizard-Man also presented one communicator to Aleko, this one being a more decorated variant ‘Fit for an Emperor’ as Gudwyn said.

General Planestalker requested a private audience with the Emperor, delivering the reports he received from the Infiltrators to this point. The Infiltrators report that indeed, a large force of the Stainless had besieged the town, structural damage was high and there were significant casualties among both the defending force and the civilians. The general in charge of the siege was never seen, as such it could be presumed that they may have organized the attack but never actually participated in it themselves. The Stainless occupying the town have enforced strict curfews while they properly settle themselves in, patrolling the streets often and in large numbers, as such no civilian is permitted to walk the streets without their saying so, a fact which has made locating madam Matilda nigh-on impossible. Unfortunately, this has also made any possible sabotage attempts futile. The Infiltrators report that in the end, they will keep an eye out for any changes but will primarily focus on establishing the ritual site.

Cyrus reported that his attempts at scrying for a traitor have not yielded any significant results and with Aleko’s permission, he would like to place a number of magical wards all over the Escalyber. The wards would be visible only to the Wizard himself and would function as ‘hidden observers’, Cyrus being able to access their ‘vision’ at anytime from anywhere. This would help greatly with the investigation yet would prove quite the invasion of privacy.

General Leafdancer reported his return at the Escalyber and was brought up to speed on the current situation, lending his support whichever way he can.

The nights were more-or-less restless. Was it the fever or the anxiety of the upcoming battle? Whatever it was, it was enough to keep Aleko awake until late in the night. When he did sleep he would still suffer from the same nightmares as he did prior to the Battle of Castle Northspark. In the end, he had to return to the physician and request a sleeping draught if he did not already.

Day 20

Aleko was starting to feel much better compared to the previous days. His appetite returned and his fever had all but vanished. Fatigue was still an issue yet nothing he couldn’t handle, confident that this too would pass sooner or later. For now, the heir was more concerned about the situation at Zeiserberg.

Cyrus reported that the Infiltrators successfully manufactured the ritual site within the borders, an eventual hidden camp being established at no more than a couple of hours march away from the city. The Imperial Wizard had already summoned for a few well-versed Wizards to assist him in the spell and would begin teleporting the Wizard squad as soon as possible for them to begin manipulating the weather, creating all sorts of hindrances for the enemy and their supply lines. “They shall regret ever stepping foot on Anthro soil, sire.”

General Ironfist reported that he would also leave the Escalyber immediately in order to organize the Grenadier squad and that they would meet on the fields of Zeiserberg 3 days later before the main battle. General Bulkwyn also reported that she relayed her orders to the Elite Ranger squad via the new communicators and that it was going to be ready as soon as Bojor’s Grenadiers were.
All that is left now was for Aleko to make his own, personal preparations for in 3 days time he would have to organize and fight in the reclamation of his birthplace.

[Zamokra41] - Avalon Empire - [MachineSoul]

The spirits of all those present in the council chambers had lowered as they witnessed they emperor in such a tiered state. He looked as if he had endured intense manual labor and even his voice sounded raspy and unenthusiastic, yet the men and women present at the table knew better than to assume that this was a physical burden, no, it was spiritual. Aleko sat after generously hydrating himself and awaited for the envoys to speak their piece. The first to raise from his seat was none other than Cyrus, his words steering the conversation to the one direction everyone was already thinking.

“I believe I speak on everyone’s behalf when I say that we feel honored by your kind words, sire. As such, we shall not dally and get to the point.”

All gazes were now affixed at the white-clad wizard and tension only became thicker as the old man continued.

“Zeiserberg. A small province in the Eastern part of the Anthro Kingdom has been recently conquered by the Stainless Empire. We believe this to be a premeditated assault, aimed as both a challenge and an insult directed to our faction and our Emperor in particular.”

After hearing those words, Gymor Cloudkeeper spoke up “Premeditated? A targeted attack meant to challenge and insult our Emperor? Master Weaverstar, what makes you believe that?”

“Simple deduction, I assume..” Ethel Shroudmyr joined in “From what I know, Zeiserberg is a small province which declared neutrality. It has no particular strategic importance, nor any valuable resources to speak of. Such an attack would be wasteful, so the enemy must have a particular reason in mind.”

The ever-silent Durran Windsteel nodded in agreement before saying “So the Stainless meant this attack as an insult towards our Emperor considering his Anthro heritage? “

“Perhaps…” Cyrus sighed deeply and gazed briefly at Aleko before continuing “But his gra… We believe that they specifically targeted this province…because it happened to be the birthplace of our Emperor and the current residence of his mother.”

The news shocked the attendants, some more obviously than others yet it came as a surprise for all. Moments of silence passed before anyone persuaded themselves to spoke. “Sire…I am…so sorry. You have my word we will do all we can to..-“ Marcus Gwynpath’s hushed words towards Aleko were interrupted by the sound of metal against wood as the mechanical-prosthetic arm of Eamon Weissnout slammed on the table, sending vibrations through it and nearly tilting the glass of wine next to mistress Shroudmyr. “This is an outrage!” the Anthro envoy bellowed “Targeting the former home and own mother of the Emperor? Outrageous! Inconceivable!” the wolfish snout had contorted into a snarling-like appearance “We simply cannot let them go unpunished! We will have their heads for this…-“ “Master Weissnout, calm yourself!” Ludwyn Groverunner rose from the table, raising his voice to match master Weissnout’s which seemed to have snapped him back to his usual polite self, excusing himself for his outburst, rearranging his tie and seating himself back right before master Groverunner followed suit. After a few more moments of silence, the Dwarven envoy cleared his throat and spoke. “It is indeed an outrage and I speak for all of us present, nay all of us of the New Empire, when I say that we will do all within our power to rectify and punish those responsible, sire.”

A confident nod came from all those present at the table yet right after, the Dark Elven envoy attracted everyone’s attention “This is indeed problematic, yet you are all missing the point..” her composure was as elegant and unfazed as ever, her voice accompanied by the sound of her long nails, tapping along the surface of her glass “How did the Stainless Empire come to know such…personal details about our Emperor when even we, his own council of envoys, have only now been made privy to this information?”

A second wave of shock had struck the table, some gasping at the sudden realization of this obvious fact. “Mistress Shroudmyr…You don’t mean to suggest…” master Windsteel stopped before he could finish his sentence yet Korvius Frosthand confirmed his suspicion. “I believe she is correct. My fellow colleagues, esteemed Imperial Wizard, your grace. We should consider the possibility that we may have a traitor, spying for the enemy in our midst.”

“Who would dare…This can’t be true.” Master Gwynpath spoke, to which the Undead envoy replied with a sly grin “Already denying Marcus? You just made yourself suspicious..” The Human envoy was obviously angered by the accusation yet he it was mistress Shroudmyr who retaliated against master Frosthand “So did you, Korvius, by already throwing accusations around.” The onyx-stone on the Half-Breed’s bosom glistened as she crossed her arms, a faint smile creeping on her pale visage, satisfied with herself by turning the Undead’s grin into a frown.

“Esteemed Envoys, please!” Cyrus spoke up, silencing all around “We cannot deny the possibility of a traitor yet we accomplish nothing by pointing fingers.” The wizard leaned heavily on his staff and wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow before continuing “With his grace’s permission, I shall personally conduct an investigation into this matter and find out if and who this traitor might be.” His gaze turned to Aleko, waiting for a reaction. “For the moment…” he continued shortly after “We should concern ourselves with the situation at Zeiserberg and what we can do to remedy it.”

It was Korvius who shook his head dismissively “In this case, we are simply wasting our time here. The Stainless Empire will obviously not be interested in negotiations or diplomacy, otherwise they would have sent us a list of demands or something of the sorts.”

Master Groverunner stroke his chin in contemplation “Which means they await a reaction from us. Capturing the province where our Emperor’s own mother resides is meant as …an invitation..”

“It’s a trap!” Gymor bellowed and shortly sat back silently as all gazes had momentarily shifted to him.

A deep sigh escaped the Elven envoy “In any case, I have to agree with master Frosthand. Diplomacy will have no avail in this scenario.” His sparkling green eyes fell upon Aleko “Sire, you must consult with the generals on this. Considering the …delicate situation at hand, we shall take care of any political matters and postpone the ones that require your attention for another time.”

“We understand the personal importance of the matter, sire. You can count on us to keep things under line until your return.” After Durran said those words, all envoys promptly stood from their seats, signifying that the meeting was over and Aleko was free to head towards the Map Room to discuss the matter with the generals. “Sire..” Marcus Gwynpath caught Aleko’s attention just before he was about to pass the door’s threshold “Please, allow me to accompany you to the Map Room.”

During the walk through the halls, master Gwynpath made sure to express his previously interrupted sympathies “I am terribly sorry for what has happened, sire. I cannot imagine how you must be feeling… you have my sympathies…” the Human’s uncharacteristically mature voice seemed sincere even if the choice of words may have not been the best.“If there is anything I can do to assist, please do not hesitate to appeal to me. I will all I can, limited as I might be.”

Eventually, Aleko reached the entrance to the Map Room at which point the Human envoy excused himself and left. The heir found all generals accounted for save for General Marteen Leafdancer whom has yet to return. After exchanging greetings, the generals listened intently as Aleko explained the situation in detail to them.

“Fouckin’ cowards..” General Ironfist spat “Tha’ nerve o’ em Stainless bastard’s! Somethin’ needs tha’ be done ‘bout ‘em. Somethin’ permanent!”

“Mmmm…Zeiserberg…” General Primelyt manipulated the enchanted map to show the province in question. “Wresting it from the Stainless will not be easy…” The Human General then outlined a number of neighboring provinces in two colors. Two of them in blue and three others in gray. “These two provinces have pledged their allegiance to the Old Empire..” he explained “..while the rest are neutral and I believe they intend to keep it that way.”

“Don’ we ‘ave any places on our s’ide?” The Dwarven General inquired, crossing his arms and looking skeptically at the map, which was once again manipulated to show a distant province outlined in red “The closest allied province is Wunderhelm. Amassing troops there would no doubt raise the suspicion of the neighboring provinces and would take us about 3 weeks to march against Zeiserberg”

General Ashade stepped forward and manipulated the map back to Zeiserberg’s position “It won’t matter since we cannot secure a trustworthy passage. Reaching Zeiserberg from Wunderhelm would require us to either trespass through enemy territory or march through stoically neutral provinces which attracts the same risks.”

Silence had overcome all present in the chamber as their gazes were affixed on the map, pondering the seemingly desperate situation. It was General Stonestorm who broke the silence with a curse “Shit! We need a plan to reliably reach the province and kick out those Stainless sons of bitches before it’s too late..”

A new voice had made it’s presence heard from the entrance “I may perhaps be of assistance”.

The taps of the wooden staff on the stone floor echoed through the chamber as Cyrus made his way closer to the map “I believe I may have a solution, if I may speak…” The generals shifter their gazes at Aleko who gave a weary nod after moments of silent pondering, allowing the Imperial Wizard to explain his proposition. “General Planestalker, you have the possibility to send Infiltrators in the vicinity of Zeiserberg if not somewhere within the province itself, correct?”

“That is correct, Master Weaverstar..” The Dark Elf responded shortly, not revealing that he had already prepared to send Infiltrators as per the Emperor’s orders from yesterday, allowing Cyrus to continue his idea. “I would speak to them and give them a few materials as well as detailed instructions in manufacturing something…special.”

The old wizard turned to the rest of the generals and to the heir as he continued “With those materials and my instructions, the Infiltrators would be able to manufacture a ritual site, complete with a mystical spell circle which would allow for the teleportation of a number of troops to the pin-pointed location.” The notion appeared to intrigue the generals as Cyrus continued, dropping his gaze at his feet momentarily as fi to recollect his thoughts “Naturally, this spell will be very strenuous as it involves the transportation of multiple people at once, as such I will need a little time for preparations as well as the assistance of a few select mages for the spellcasting itself.”

“How long would that mean?” Asked General Ashade, to which Cyrus responded with another question addressed to the Dark Elven General “How long would the Infiltrators need to reach Zeiserberg and manufacture the ritual site, General Planestalker” After a few quick moments of pondering, the Dark Elf responded with “Between 7 to 8 days, depending on how complex this…ritual site happens to be”

The Wizard nodded “It would suffice. The only matter left is to decide what troops would go.”

General Bulkwyn turned to Aleko “What do you think…uh…sire? This is the best plan we have at the moment. Unless you happen to think of something else?”

Before Aleko could respond, Bojor cut in “Time ain’t exactl’y on ou’r s’de y’know, lassy. We need ‘a plan an’ we need ‘t now. As much a’ I hate tha’ shyte arse teleportin’, this be tha’ bets option we’ got.” The Dwarf was about to reach for a cigar from under his coat yet reconsidered in the last moment as he continued, pointing at Aleko “It’s ye’mum. So I assume ye’ plan’ ta’ go yerself, aye? Question, is… who ye’ gon’ take with ye?”

All generals seemed prepared to pledge their troops at the Emperors call, yet Aleko had to consider carefully what type of mission this would be and what troops would be best suited for it as well. The task is to liberate Zeiserberg from enemy occupation, which means they would have quite the battle on their hands, strong troops would be recommended considering the limited number they could bring to the filed, he knew that. Aleko assumed that this spell could teleport around 3 squads of anything, excluding himself and possibly one or two generals, so he had to think what and whom was best to bring along. The generals inside the map room and the Imperial Wizard were standing by, waiting for their Emperor to reach a decision and voice his orders.

[Zamokra41] - Avalon Empire - [MachineSoul]

Cyrus sighed deeply. There was no turning back now, what was said was said and what the heir would do with this new knowledge was up to him. The Wizard only hopped that Aleko would keep his real age a secret, lest the word spread and this secret would become public, not for his own old self, it was the reputation of the New Empire and all those involved that he feared would suffer. Wearily, the old man made his way through the halls in order to inform the envoys of tomorrow’s meeting.

A few eyes were upon the heir as he stormed in the Dining Hall, making his way through the small crowd of people, searching for one individual whom he assumed to be present there. Sure enough, general Planestalker was indeed there, engaged in a conversation with a few people whom were strangers to Aleko, yet the heir did not care, pulling the Dark Elf at aside and wasting no time as he explained his request. The general listened, his expression unfazed, not uttering a single solitary sound and simply letting Aleko talk. Finally, the Dark Elf nodded, after the heir’s detailed explanation, and responded with a simple “It will be done, sire.” After which he carefully tucked the paper with the deceptively important message underneath the collar of his uniform and resumed the previous conversation as if nothing happened.

Aleko remained shut behind the doors of his private chambers for the rest of the day. Nothing of any particular interest reached his ears save for the report that general Primelyt had returned to the Escalyber. His slumber was troubled and often he awoke during the night, sometimes having the eerie sensation that he was not alone in the dark room, that….something was watching him sleep. Whenever he tucked and turned, his gaze fell momentarily on the strange tome he had acquired a few days ago, its black surface barely visible save for the moments when the moonlight glossed over it through the window. A few times he could swear the book had changed its position and resting place to a different one whenever he spotted it, yet surely it was his mind playing tricks on him under the stress and burden of the day’s mind-wracking stress.

Day 14

Reports

The Mage-Tree forests have all been cut down, the sap gathered and distributed in equal measure, along with saplings, between the Human and Anthro institutes with sufficient competence in working with them as well as swearing allegiance to the New Empire. Work on both the balm and the gas has already started and both institutes have been promised funds to bring these projects to good end. Some of the Elven folk felt outraged that the Mage-Trees have not been burned, yet officially they show contentment with them being used for humanitarian purposes.

[Human Esteem +] [Anthro Esteem +] [Elven Esteem -] [Wealth - - ]

Dwarven hunting parties have been formed and sent to thin out the population of Ice Trolls that threatened their settlements, yet were ordered not to aggressively pursue them until further notice. While thankful for the evasion of out-right extermination, the Elves made their outrage clear to their officials. Angry or not, the population feels safer without the danger of Ice Trolls looming over their heads while the military do not relish the thought of confronting such dangerous beasts in the wild.

[Dwarven Esteem +] [Elven Esteem -] [Population Morale +] [Military Morale -]

Work has already started on the mass-producing of the new long-distance-communicators, now equipped with a magical decryption which will render the devices useless unless the ‘password’, “Hail Emperor Frosty”, is spoken before delivering the message. The password was made public to the higher officials which will be carrying the devices and was suggested by a certain General. Already engineers claim that this invention will revolutionize communication and will be well worth the investment made while soldiers agree that the direct and clear uttering of orders and plans over long-distances will present a major advantage over the enemy.

[Population Morale +] [Military Morale +] [Wealth -]

As per the orders of Emperor Aleko Sendrakon, General Asimov Dunngard of the Old Empire faction has been officially released from custody and is en-route to be delivered to a small official force which will meet with the escort on neutral territory where the exchange will take place.

[Wealth +]

Report End

The envoys were all seated at their respective places and waited in silence for their Emperor to appear and state the nature of this meeting. Cyrus was among them, looking tenser than all of them combined. The recent news regarding the conquering of Zeiserbrerg had reached the ears of almost everyone aboard, yet the reason as to why the Emperor is so concerned about it remains still to be speculated. No news came from the captured province and the Stainless Empire’s presence there stirred quite a bit of tension to the surrounding ones, be them allied to either one of the New or Old Empires or be them neutral.

I Died & Reincarnated Into- What Is Up With This World!?

Late as all frack, I know. Apologies. IRL stuff always seems to get in the way, no?

I Died & Reincarnated Into- What Is Up With This World!?

TARUM

---

The ringing in his ears became louder. And louder, to the point of discomfort, yet quickly subsided and to his delight, was replaced with something else. At first they were muffled sounds, as if coming from a distance, yet gradually becoming louder and much clearer. The music, the laugher of those around, the groan of the unfortunate fellow lying on the floor next to him. It all became clear in moments. Tarum smiled, he could hear again. Yet before he had a chance to do anything, he heard some other person shout, clearly aimed at him.

“Most of that was unneeded! He’s not as strong as you!”

Great. Someone was going to play the white knight for that guy Tarum head-butted earlier. He turned his gaze to face this new presence….and was left confused when he saw a muscular man dressed in nothing but a heavily decorated pair of underwear, boots to match and a rather flamboyant mask. Well…. The situation could hardly become any weirder could it? The Beast-Man was silently examining this…well…wrestler, his mouth agape for lack of words. This confusion did not last as the ‘hero’ continued.

"You took his drink and beat the crap out of him. Por que?"

A faint chuckle escaped him. “Kehehe.. ”Tarum clenched his fist and tighten his grip on the metal staff, the orb on its top burning with increased intensity and wisps of fire escaping from his fist. He never used magic before…not to his memory anyway…but he felt as if it was all connected to his instinct, like riding a bike, once you get a grip of it you never forget and even after years and years of not practicing you can still instinctually get the hang of it. Perhaps this would-be-white-knight would prove an excellent guinea pig for his newfound powers. Tarum narrowed his burning gaze on the masked man as he continued his sentence “He bothered me. I would say that is reason enough. And now…YOU are bothering me as well…musclehead…” The wrestler was clearly physically stronger than him, yet no one and nothing is impervious to fire and Tarum had magic on his side.

However, before anyone could do anything remotely hostile, both Tarum and the wrestler were being dragged away…or attempted anyway…by none other than the blonde lady he was holding a few minutes ago. “Yes. Get away. Private. Good. Let’s go!” she intoned with flushed cheeks and rather shocked expression plastered on her face, as if she had just witnessed a whole room-full of ghosts. Her attempts, needless to say, were not bearing fruit as she only managed to slightly nudge Tarum and the wrestler into the direction of the wooden pathway. With an irritated grunt, Tarum effortlessly snapped his arm from the woman’s grasp “What is your problem?!” he barked at her, turning his attention to the wrestler only for a moment to say “We are not finished here..” with a menacing gaze before he returning to the woman. He clasped his free hand on her shoulder to keep her steady and lowered his burning orange gaze to meet the blue of the blonde’s eyes. She was obviously frightened…no, terrified by something, something other than Tarum. Sensing that maybe she knows something of some import, the Beast-Man narrowed his gaze and relaxed his formerly irritated expression, asking her calmly and clearly.

“What. Is. Wrong?”

I Died & Reincarnated Into- What Is Up With This World!?

Me again. The night got away from me. I'll have a post up tomorrow. Sorry!

@Seravee

I Died & Reincarnated Into- What Is Up With This World!?

@Seravee, not to rush you or anything, but are planning a post relatively soon? If so, I will wait and post my own after yours. Otherwise, I will probably have a post up sometime today. Asking for convenience's sake, nothing more :)