Fantasy A league of nations.

[Robertaka123]

Sinbad was contemplating what to do with the earth dwellers when they showed up. He knew that if they made this alliance too large then it would fall apart in no time, however if they did have this new country on their side they could prove a worthy ally. However, he was not expecting their appearance to be what it was. From his knowledge when beings lived underground that were originally people who lived above ground they became pale and sickly looking, these beings must have not lived above ground for many generations if at all. "I would like to welcome you, however it is not my place or my land. I am Sinbad, King of Sindria." He introduced himself with a bow and pointed out his eight generals and all of their names.

 

[GrieveWriter]

Feasili leaned back "Oh we don't know if we'll be joining you hominids. However, the Red Patriarch has sent us to at least partial contact."


He said, the Scout nodding in confirmation "He shall be making his appearance here, but has refrained from telling us when. "


He paused to mull that over for a bit as he scratched under his chin a bit "I Am Feasili the Archmage of our Hive, and the Scout is named Haycinth, but the title does not matter. I know not of what our Red Patriarch has in mind, but when he arrives I am sure that he will have a proper understanding of our current situation."


Haycinth nodded with a grumble of confirmation once more, glancing behind him at the Wendat guards.


"But until then, how exactly do you plan to deal with us, eh Hominids?" Feasili asked as he leaned his cheek back in his leathery grey palm as he shifted back into a crisscrossed position on top of the Scurrier "I am quite curious as to how you plan on interacting with Salbarcia."

 

[Branden2396]

"I am Jason, The leader of Wendat. I can assure you this meeting is gathered purely in the hopes of continued and sustained peace." Jason replied he held up a hand for the guards on either side of the Salbarcians to stand down. They backed away, returning to their original post by the doors. "I believe i speak for all of us when I say that I hope we can forge a strong bond with Salbarcia."

 

[Rook]

Estre sat down, watching as the other leaders introduced themselves to the Salbarcians. This alliance was growing large- the bigger it became, the larger the chances of it falling apart. It was a lesson she had learned after many campaigns, and many near collapses of the Andorian government. Something was off about these earth-dwellers; they were clearly uninterested in a treaty... she couldn't figure out their endgame.


The border of Andor and Wendat


The sound of a horse galloping toward the king's camp broke the silence that veiled them. The royal guards stood, raising their spears, ready to defend the king with their lives. Emric held up his hand, recognizing the rider's uniform: he wan an Andorian courier. The guards relaxed, assuming calm positions, but kept their hands on their weapons, ready to spring to action. The courier dismounted and approached the king, bowing quickly before speaking.


"My king- you are needed on the coast, in Hammerhold. The villages on the coast have gone up in flames" he said, keeping his head low to the ground.


"Who did this?" Emric demanded, standing up straight.


"We cannot say for sure, sir, but the attack either came from the north, or Angmon."


Emric cursed, rubbing his temple. The Angmonians? His armies would be split. With Estre away, and his navy patrolling the southern oceans... "Go to Wendat and inform Estre immediately. I must lead the defense of my people. pack up! We leave for Hammerhold in 10 minutes!" he ordered, and the royal guard immediately went to work. The courier bowed before mounting his horse and riding towards the coast, hoping to avoid the deadly Jungle.

 

[GrieveWriter]

Feasili nodded nonchalantly once Jason had finished, then just stared at them. A palpable silence took over as Feasili's previous introductions and questions were consumed by an air of awkward as the two Salbarcians stood there, apparently waiting for something. The whole time Feasili kept his casual grin etched into his face as time ticked on. Behind him Haycinth stood silently, his face in a permanent frown for reasons unknown.


At one point Feasili began drumming the tips of his claws on the head of the Scurrier he sat upon, the sound replacing the wind as the main focus of sound offered. And finally, he stopped as if he had realized something. He straightened himself before sliding off the Scurrier and stretching, tense bones cracking as he did so. Haycinth realized what was soon to come, and let his eyes widen shortly before kneeling in Feasili's direction and lowering his head.


Feasili stretched his arms open to the side, then let his tooth filled maw widen slowly as his eyes were once again tinted with the telltale glow of red. The same glowing red which now began rising from the back of his throat. The red glowing mist slithered out from his maw and began taking shape as more joined with it from the throat of the Archmage. It took the shape of another Earth Dweller, and pulsed each time he moved. Finally the mystical red figure of the Earth Dweller which now stemmed from Feasili, who had gone rigid once the figure had finished, began to speak.


"I...am the Red Patriarch" the figure stated as it slowly looked over the assembly "I would say it was nice to meet you all, however a certain 'matter' has come up recently so I shall make this as short as possible."


"My hive has heard wind of your troubles wih our neighbors, Heligdom. Our Hive as also come across several uninvited expansion projects this nation has been setting up on the inside of our nation's boarders, filled with start-up plans of sabotage and deception. Or what remained of them, wildlife devoured them all and such so there wasn't much in terms of identifiable remains. But the point still stands that we share in the mutual dislike of this nation which seems to be the common conception members of your nations seem to hold."


"In regards to this treaty I have caught wind of, know that Salbarcia will keep firmly out of it. But we shall help in the oncoming battle against Heligdom in our own way, and we shall open up a form of trade along the border. We shall offer a portion of our native land's wonders to those who are interested, but only a portion for now and we'll see how things develop. Any pilgrims or wanderers not native to Salbarcia shall be tolerated, though passively monitored. And finally, I deem my Archmage and plethora of scouts as traveling scholars. They shall wander and collect knowledge within as many Nation's as they can reach, and they shall act within the guidelines of whichever nation they enter."


After his speech the Archmage patted his rough hands together and the figure of red mist began dissipating.


"That is all." Were the last words the Red Patriarch said before the red, glowing figure dispersed and Feasili's eyes returned to their normal beady appearance. The Archmage climbed back onto the Scurrier and resumed his previous position as Haycinth rose behind him. Feasili waved a hand nonchalantly before saying "He has spoken."


 
@Rook


@Branden2396


@Robertaka123

 

[Rook]

Estre sighed, looking around the room at the other leader's faces. How could she give the earthdwellers freedom in her country? The Andorians would not agree to such a one-sided agreement. This Red Patriarch knew that his nation was a threat to them. His numbers were clearly larger than hers, and his people were larger than the Highborn Elves. But she had to- against Somalia, Heligdom, Angmon, and Salbarcia, their forces would meet equal forces, racking up the kill count. Unless she agreed to this... wait.


The High Queen turned to the archmage. "Salbarcian. My people are not very accepting of uninvited guests, and if you know anything about the Andorians, you know that they will not obey my orders if it means that they are protecting their land's safety. I am going to assign whatever 'scholar' that your leader sends into my nation an escort. For his protection, of course," she said, trying to keep the venom out of her words. If they planned on infecting her nation, it wouldn't go unchecked.


The coast of Wendat


The courier slowed as he approached the docks. He could see the Andorian colors above many of the ships docked, so he knew he had arrived in the right place. People were running back and forth, repairing ships, carrying tools and weapons.

 

[Robertaka123]

(I was still waiting for your replies because i did not receive a notification even when i was tagged. my apologies for the delay.)


Sinbad sat back down when the Red Patriarch finished, sighing as he thought over his offer. "As long as they obey the guidelines of Sindria I see no problem with them visiting as that is our policy for anyone from a country we are not actively warring against. Also I am sure your Archmage would have more than enough to learn at our school of modern magic. So if you are willing to aid us in the war then Sindria will be happy to open our ports and schools to your people." He told the Archmage, hoping his offer to attend their school would be appealing to him.

 

[Branden2396]

Alec stood. "My people share the same cautious distrust that the Andorians do. I would advise that your 'scholars' keep away from my lands. We can arrange set times that your scouts may enter my lands but only under the direct supervision of my own guards." Alec crossed his arms in front of his chest. Standing firm with his decisions.


 
Jason had a lot to consider. He knew that he needed to be cautious of the earth dwellers, especially since Wendat is such a small nation. But he also didnt want to sound too distrusting of the earth dwellers. He could just as easily follow in Alecs footsteps. Cut off the scholars without direct and strict supervision. But as Sinbad voiced his terms Jason understood that it would be the smartest to follow his lead. "Wendat will be open to your Earth Dweller scholars. Understand that my woods are laced with traps and creatures unlike those in your lands. Also my woods are full of Wendat scouts. Any suspicious activity will result in your immediate removal."

 

[GrieveWriter]

[Feasili & Haycinth]

​

Feasili leaned back at the various responses of the nation leaders, then gestured with his hand as he said "If the Red Patriarch says they will act within your guidelines, I assure you that our venturing hivemates will follow. It's pretty much guaranteed."


The Scurrier tilted as he leaned forward again "In fact, I'll go out on a limb to say that he'll 'personally' make sure that they act accordingly. We don't need any trouble so early on in our surface time."


At that Feasili gave a small chuckle then glanced back at Haycinth "You hear that Grub? Looks like you just got a valued promotion."


Haycinth looked away passively, still mulling over the sudden title he had been granted.


"Aw, come now." Feasili continued "Not everyday a Grub of your class gets to see the Red Patriarch's physical form, even through the Hive Call. You should count yourself lucky."


"Whatever," Haycinth grumbled a bit "my job: to learn. Title does not interfere with job. It still Job either way. Job will be done."


"Ah, actually expressing a lack of care. You're already fitting the position so well." Feasili said with a roll of his beady eyes


Feasili turned back to the Leaders, glancing at Sinbad first "I would be most delighted to visit this school of yours Hominid, magic is currently my contribution to the great hive. Having a sample of such blatant generosity seems like something I'd be foolish to pass up." (@Robertaka123)


He then turned to Estre with that ever present smirk made of jagged teeth " And do not worry Andorian, I know of a long-lived scholar who has been making claims to visit your lands for some time now. I know for a fact that he'd follow almost any rule to trade knowledge."(@Rook)


And then he turned on the final two, placing a clawed-hand on his chin "I know of a recently dubbed scholar who would be perfect for you," he said to Alec "Slow, and easy to keep track of."


And he finally turned to Jason, "Now then, I'm sure we can just send Haycinth to your nation. His devotion should be quite beneficial to us both." (@Branden2396)


Feasili clapped his hands together "There, we currently have a suitable arrangement, yes?"

 

[Rook]

Estre gritted her teeth, keeping her anger in check. "I dont think you realize what nation you are trying to study. Andorians are patriots- they follow me and the High King because we led them to taking back their homeland from nations that stole from them. If you believe that they will trust this scholar, or allow him into their cities, i would recommend rethinking your strategy. Even my word has little effect when they make up their minds. There is a reason self-sacrificial magic originated in Andor," she said. His arrogance seemed to be fueling her anger. She kept herself in check, but if she got too angry, her magic could act without her orders. That was the issue with ancient elven magic.


"Your scholar has my permission to enter Andor. I would like to meet him before-hand. But if I hear any word of this scholar harassing my people, or not keeping to the elven customs, Salbarcia will witness first-hand how Andor became the largest nation in the world. And if it comes to that... may our goddess Myrah give you mercy."


A courier entered the meeting room, bowing swiftly before striding to Estre. "My Queen, i have news. there has been an attack on the villages to the north. Smoke has been seen rising, and our scouts have not returned. High King Emric sent me to alert you to this- he believes the attack to be of Angmonian soldiers," he said, backing up slightly. Estre's temper had been seen before, and he didnt want to take any chances.


The paper in the queen's hand disintegrated, its ashes floating away in the breeze. She turned to the rest of the leaders, eyes closed. "If you would excuse me, I need a moment to think." She promptly left the room, followed by the courier.

 

[Robertaka123]

Sinbad laid his head in his hands and Ja'far whispered something in his ear. Shaking his head he looked to the others, eyeing each of them slowly before responding. "We all have a lot on our mind, things to consider, affairs from homelands, and so on. So why don't we all take a break for a while and think these things over with our advisers in private?"

 

[Branden2396]

"I agree, it seems as though tension is high at the moment. How about we take a week and then reconvene. That should give us enough time to iron out our own issues." Jason said as Estre left. Everyone seemed to be on edge, especially since the earth dwellers came into the meeting. There was something off about them. Jason couldnt determine if they were sincere or if they are just trying to save face.

 

[GrieveWriter]

[Feasili & Haycinth]

​

Once Estre had left Feasili had to let loose a breath he'd been holding onto since he'd spotted her. She was just so.... small.... and.... thin. Even as one of the smarter members of the Hive even Feasili had to struggle to refrain from laughing at the sight of the Hominid females. They were just so itty bitty and underwhelming, the idea that those thing were responsible for birthing new life just seemed so... laughable. With her gone, that just left several of the Generals that were with Sinbad. He could ignore them, barely. Though glancing over to them left him internally struggling to suppress his laughter. He was a professional, there's no way he would just burst out laughing like a buffoon in the middle of a meeting such as this. Though the cheeky grin etched into his face made it clear that it was getting harder and harder.


"Hm, the Queen's getting testy I see." Feasili muttered once she had departed with her courier, his grin shaking with his barely repelled laughter. He paused at the suggestion of a break, then let loose another steady breath "Yes, a little breather would be nice. If you excuse me, hominids, Haycinth and I have scholars to assemble and letters to be written."


At that, Feasili waved his hand and the Scurrier hovered out of the room with Haycinth following steadily.

[???/ The Border between the Salbarcian Wasteland and Heligdom]

A scattering of destroyed structures littered the border, the remains of the Helig Expansion attempt. The grounds were crawling with Salbarcian beasts. Massive two-legged beasts of flesh were rooting through the destroyed roofs for corpses as their smaller cousins scurried through the buildings like apes, communicating with each other through screeches. Elsewhere, a gigantic behemoth with Spidery legs and hard skin was dragging one of the giants' corpses into a hole it had carved out of the earth. Seeing the Heligs drawing its prey, the Crawler had set up hunting territory not far from the Giants feeding ground. Only now the bodies were running low, the smaller creatures making haste to find new prey and the Giants leaving one by one to do the same. The Crawler would soon move as well to follow, such is the circle of life in Salbarcia.

In the skies above, a massive flying creature floated about, sucking up oxygen greedily through the headpiece it wore. Hanging from it was a platform of metal, on which several Salbarcians milled about as they observed the expansion project. This ship was where the inspiration for their recent water-faring vehicles originated, though the design worked much better for flying. Several of these ships patrolled the skies over the Expansion project, and would do so until the fearsome beasts took leave so they could scavenge through the remains on foot.

"I hear these hominids are prone to fight with petty tricks."

A massive figure stood on one of those ships, standing next to him was an average Salbarcian who now had the mystical red figure of the Red Patriarch rising from his body. The Massive being looked to the side in response to the Red Patriarch's words "They were small and silent with it though, attention has been divided between this country and the assembly occurring in Wendat." The Massive figure spoke in a deep, aggravated tone "If not for the beasts they might have been able to shore up defenses before we found them. It wouldn't have been a problem, just more annoying."

"They may be probing us," the Red Patriarch offered "finding as many weak points as possible so they can try to push us back underground before we finish setting up properly as nation."

"Possibly, though we can't be for sure until their next move." the figure replied as he shifted his considerable weight and rubbed his head "Though there's no telling how they act on defense, but I hazard a guess that there's probably plenty of traps and ambushes laid out between the border and their capitol."

"We won't have to worry about that just yet, we only need to focus on keeping them out of our lands at the moment." The Red Patriarch stated "We can worry about the offensive front once the other nations begin their campaign against them, General Vaas."

Vaas looked out over the border with annoyance as the Red Patriarch's figure dissipated and the Salbartcian which hosted him began stretching once their ruler's presence receded. The General sighed as his ship left the others to resume their work, moving to return to the depths of the Salbarcian wasteland.

​

 

[Rook]

Estre reached the docks, scarily quiet. The courier seemed to be waiting for something to happen, some sort of catastrophe to erupt from her. But none came, which seemed to scare him even more. They boarded the Asteria, and promptly set sail, leaving the rest of the fleet to patrol the waters. It would be at least a day before she reached Kalina, and from there, to Hammerhold. If she could crush the Angmonian invasion swiftly, that would leave her enough time to deal with Heligdom, Somalia, and if it came to it, Salbarcia.


Hammerhold


Emric stood on the tall tower, overlooking the vast golden plains of his kingdom. Nothing seemed amiss, but he knew that wasn't true. The huge general, Torryg, stood with him, sharpening his mighty ax. "Emric..." he said, clearly a friend based off of his disregard for titles.


"I need you to mobilize the 4th and 6th legions. Get them armed and ready to march. The rest of the soldiers shall stay behind, and prepare to march to Heligdom."


Torryg looked like he wanted to say something, but held back. "As you wish." He left swiftly, slipping his ax into its slot and walked towards the barracks. Emric sighed, wishing he had the eyes of an elf, to be able to see beyond a human's line of sight.

 

[Robertaka123]

Sinbad and his generals stood up, excusing themselves from the meeting and heading back towards the ship. Ja'far left a note on the table for Jason and Alec. ' Come meet with us at midnight, the generals have some matters we would like to discuss with you in private. We would bring it up now but we wish not to offend our King, or busy him with matters that do not concern him. Knock three times on the King's quarters and we will know it is you.'

 

[GrieveWriter]

[General Vaas/ Salbarcian Capital]

​

As his ship approached, Vaas prepared to disembark onto a docking platform set up on the edge of one of the floating islands that make up the Capital. Once he landed on said platform, his boots making a resounding thumping sound under his weight, he noticed someone approaching. Vaas looked up, his face instantly contorting into that of pure malice as he recognized the approaching face.


"General Vaas," said the usually distant voice of the High Scholar, Eldan, as he approached with the hide extensions on his headdress swaying to and fro "out savaging the wildlife?"


Vaas growled as he looked down upon Eldan, whose gaze stuck to him "I was surveying the attempted expansion, taking stock of what they may or may not have done when they were there."


Eldan continued staring at him "Oh really? Well do tell me what you've learned from the experience."


Now it was time for Vaas to smirk "We know that they're studying our land with as much effort as they can, though the wildlife may currently be holding them back at the moment."


The High Scholar stood stock still for a while before leaning closer a bit and whispering "It took you that long to figure that out?"


The workers who were manning the dock immediately got into defensive postures as they felt the wave of force traveling through the ground followed by the sound of rending metal. General Vaas' fist was currently wedged into the metallic floor where Eldan once stood, the High Scholar now standing approximately thirteen centimeters to the left of the impact sight. Expression the same as ever, Eldan continued speaking "Either way, I've recently received word of my requests being granted. I'm currently off to the nation of Andor to conduct several study sessions."


As Vaas pulled his fist out of the floor with an annoyed grumble, he asked "So what? Want me to give you a commendation of service?"


"No," Eldan said as he looked up into the sky "just wanted to let you know where to pick me up if you imbeciles get us into a global conflict before I return."


"If you're so worried we'll end up in hostilities then why are you going?" Vaas asked


"Because somebody has to educate the Hive, and with that blasted Archmage gallivanting about with no order, the Red Patriarch focusing on international squabbles, and you're incessant warmongering, that role falls in my claws." Eldan said "Now if you excuse me, I have an entire nation's worth of history to peruse through."


Vaas just scoffed as Eldan resumed walking. A Salbarcian came by leading some strange creature by a metal leash. The creature had tentacle-like legs which it stood upon, connected to a flesh lump of a body with a harnessed head attached to it. The Beast tamer pulled the Griever's leash as it gave a little snarl and finally lowered its body to the ground, Eldan gestured to the rider as he approached. The rider nodded and mounted the beast, with Eldan situating himself on board before the Griever leapt into the sky and took off for Andor.

[Feasili & Haycinth]

​

Haycinth's legs dangled off the edge of the dock, one hand in his palm as he stared out at his superior. Feasili was sitting cross-legged on top of the Scurrier, which hovered above the water as he appeared to hum to himself. Haycinth sighed at the Archmage's lack of action then turned away, after sending off several messages via Halthen he had resigned to just patiently wait for a reply. Several civilians and soldiers milled about in the streets past the docks, with fishers and such practicing their trades nearby. The two hadn't left for Salbarcia, instead traveling back to the dock in Devlin Haycinth had originally been picked up from. The two just sat there passively, eyed occasionally by guards and given wide berths by the roaming fishers and traders.

 

[Archon]

The dwarves of Oezermoth... A strong people, a happy people, a determined people! Aye, that's what the were... Strong. Yet, why does one need strength if it is never used? Was Wyer truly expected to hide in his mountain fortress, hoarding more and more power simply to never use it. Would he be known, as the king who followed 'tradition' or would he be known as the great King who ascended the dwarven race into a new age of prosperity! He thoght back to the old days... The days when dragons returned, and attempted to overthrow the dwarves, yet with the roars of monstrous cannons the beasts were felled! All but one, the one eyes serpent-or so he called it, the largest dragon he had ever seen, and then it was a blur, the heat brushing past his face, the battly-cry he screamed as he charged, the warhammer striking the beasts gaping maw, and then the skull. Bending obediently to the will of the Sacred Hammer, of Wyer, The Sacred Hammer. The first and last taste of real battle.


He had heard rumours, rumours of a war brewing outside the safety of his halls, he could follow his fathers and their fathers befor them, hide in on his throne as thousands died, and the dwarved lived a docile life and turned weak, and soft. Hah! Spit on that! Wyer thought to himself, he would remind the world of why the dwarves were a race of warriors, the reign of Wyer, The Sacred Hammer would be forever known, he would be the king who returned the dwarves to their former glory, he would not hide behind the walls of his kingdom anymore. That ended today.


"My King" Gael muttered curtly, bowing towards Wyer. "You summoned me?"


"Too long, Gael, to long have we hid behind these mountains, the world has forgotten about us. I, will make them remember. I want every warrior armed and armored within the hour, they begin training at sunrise, and any civillians who're not contributing in any other way train with them. I want all our scouts scouring our bordering neighbours, and more to seek those further out. Any fire-arms, cannons or oil bombs that are in storaged will be stockpiled, ready for war. I want every smith, miner, farmer and stonemason working overtime, give them extra pay for it... Now, we simply wait." Gael, Wyer's most trusted advisor knew his king was serious, "Y-yes my king" and so he walked away, preparing to give the orders to the kingdom of dwarves.


Wyer stared at the moon glistening above, and prepared for the journey ahead. He knew the dwarves would comply, they were all warriors at heart, and he knew they would follow him undoubtedly. At the break of dawn, the rebirth of the dwarves, began.

 

[Rook]

Hammerhold, fortress city of Andor


General Torryg stood on the raised platform, overlooking the 4th legion's preparations. 6,000 men strong, with a small force of scouts to go ahead of them. His own personal guard stood behind him, towering over the already tall elves. The Eleheim were on average 7 feet tall, but they had learned the hard way not to underestimate the Highborn. He had fought against the queen herself, the only fight he has lost to this day.


One of the captains walked towards him, saluting. "Sir. The 4th and 6th legions are fully armed and ready for your command. We shall leave on your word."


Torryg nodded, rubbing his brow before pulling on his helmet. Something was wrong with this invasion- it was too obvious. Angmonian invasions had always been swift and strong, but this... he shook the thought off. He raised his hand, and a shout went up through the military camp. Soldiers began to march, 12,000 strong, to the north. Behind them, the cavalry cohort rode slowly, ready to charge forward and take the lead. The very ground shook at their passing... it had been years since Andor had gone to war, and they were ready for it.

 

[Branden2396]

Jason exchanged a glance with Alec as they walked swiftly and quietly down the docks. As instructed Jason knocked hard, three times on the cabin door. Both men were confused when they first received the letter, seeing as it wasn't from the king himself but by the one of his generals instead. Jason was a naturally trusting person and was ready to just go along with the instructions and meet the generals. Alec on the other hand wasn't so trusting. There were currently guards in the trees. awaiting any sign of danger. Now both stood in front of the cabin door waiting for a reply.

 

[Robertaka123]

Ja'far opened the door, smiling when he saw the two men had arrived. Behind him the King was asleep, a candle by the bed illuminated his figure along with what appeared to be a spot next to him where someone was laying before but had moved. "Good, follow me." He told the men as he led them along the ship to a different, smaller door.

 

[GrieveWriter]

[Eldan: Edge of Andorian territory

@Rook ]

The Griever sailed closer and closer, in the distance Eldan could spot what looked like the beginning of Andorian territory if his mental map was accurate. "Set us down here." Eldan ordered the beast tamer who piloted the Griever. Said Beast Tamer glanced back at him "You sure? We're still a ways off from Andorian settlements."

"I'll walk." Eldan stated. The Beast Tamer looked back at him for a while before shrugging and bringing them down to the ground. Once the Griever steadied itself on its tentacle-like limbs, Eldan slid off and detached two things from the Beast's harness: A medium-sized pack on his back, and a Halthen cage in which the winged creature jerked its head about frequently. The Beast Tamer watched as Eldan situated himself before casually walking in the direction of Andorian settlements.

"Return to the hive," Eldan stated "I'll be fine from here on out."

The Beast Tamer would argue if it was any other member of the hive, even General Vaas was used to traveling with at least two grubs at his disposal. But he knew better than to question an order from the High Scholar. As Eldan continued to walk closer and closer to Andorian territory, cage in hand and pack secured, the Beast Tamer took off on the Griever on his way back to the Salbarcia.




[Vaas: Salbarcian Surface Outpost Mervin]

As the Peon lunged, claws flaining and mass of teeth gnashing, the General delivered a fist that rivaled the creature in size directly into into said maw. Its razor teeth were barely able to puncture the knuckles before its entire head shattered and the rest of its body was forced into the ground behind it. As Vaas pulled his fist free and grumbled in annoyance, a nearby Large Salbarcian swung a massive cleaver through another. He flicked some remains off his fist and grumbled as he turned to overlook the battle taking place in the outpost. One could barely call it a battle, the Peons were not able to outmatch the Salbarcian armor or weaponry. Their massive numbers, however, cme into play, allowing them to at least last long enough to agitate the General. He wasn't even planning on joining this, he had just been passing by in his ship on his way to the Heligs failed expansion project when he noticed signs of a melee taking place below.

The Peons were a bald, impish race that scurried around on all fours and usually fought with pack tactics. They were determined carnivores who usually thrive in enclosed cities and the like. Tehir claws were brutal, and changed constantly among Peon Generations. Typically the Salbarcians would have to craft newer and better armors to keep up with the evolutionary arms race that Salbarcian beasts like this kept going on. Thankfully this particular attack was caught early on, and hadn't lured any of the larger beasts that fed on Peons.

As he watched over the fight from an overhanging structure, a Peon managed to climb atop the flag that stood near and leaped at the largest prey it could see. Vaas glanced to the side as the beast came at him, and angled himself to the side and holding his arms open. The moment it was within range the General swung his arms inward, crushing the beast's spine against his chest before tossing it over the edge. Below, another Salbarcian hoisted the broken beast up to use as a shield as its brethren continued the attack.

Vaas continued his viewing of the combat, grumbling. As he did so he felt a familiar presence work its way into the back of his mind.

Vaas stood straight "Your Greatness." he replied as he awaited their ruler's reasoning for this contact

As the General began this mental conversation, the Large Salbarcian wielding the Cleaver struggled to regain his footing as a Peon rode on his back while clawing at his neck. Two other peons tackled the stumbling Large Salbarcian and the lot of them went over the edge as Vaas ignored it in favor of his conversation. Once they landed, the Peon on the Large Salbarcian's back was effectively crushed by his sheer body weight. Before the two who tackled him could regain their wits enough to attack, a Salbarcian armed with a brutally sharp spiked mace swatted one off, crushing its ribcage as it went. The other threw itself off of the Larg Salbarcian before the mace could claim it as well, what it didn't count for was another Salbarcian spotting it as it landed and sent his boot colliding with the creature's head. It slid to a stop before another Salbarcian wielding a massive greatsword promptly decapitated it before returning to his prior engagement.

As the Mace-wielder helped the Larger Salbarcain back to his feet, General Vaas finished his conversation.

Later, as the Salbarcian troops collected the last of the Peon corpses that were to be shipped off to feed the Hive's Warbeasts, General Vaas boarded another platform carried by one of those bloated Beasts. As the Gas Barge floated on its course for the Salbarcian Capital, Vaas' usually annoyed expression shifted into one of humor.

​

 

[Rook]

The Border of Andor


As the Salbarcian entered Andor, the magical barrier set in place alerted the nearest scout to the scholar's location. Quickly, he mounted a strong, fast horse and rode over the plains of Hammerhold and into the province of Chorus, where the scholar had arrived. It was dominated by snowy mountains, but if he rode quickly, he would meet the earth-dweller in the small forest at the base of the mountain range.


As he rode, a figure appeared on the horizon. Clearly non-Andorian, nor any race he recognized- must have been the Salbarcian. The scout pulled on the reigns, his horse slowing, coming to a stop a few yards away from the scholar. "You are the representative from Salbarcia, correct? I have been sent to tell you that the High Queen wishes to speak with you."


He dismounted, pulling a crystal out of his pack and crushing it, sprinkling the dust into the breeze. It formed a two-way portal, and could only connect with it's pair. The portal opened up to the deck of the queen's vessel, prepared for the arrival of a guest. "If you wish to enter our nation, without my personal supervision, you are to meet with the queen. But let me warn you- do not allow yourself to become arrogant. She is still angry at your kind for the obvious disdain she was held in by your archmage. Hopefully, you will try to avoid angering her. Without the king by her side, she can be a bit over-reactive."


At this, the scout stepped aside, allowing the scholar access to the portal if he so desired.


@GrieveWriter

 

[GrieveWriter]

[Eldan: Andorian Border

@Rook ]
​

Eldan had stopped and stood still once the image of the approaching scout had registered to his keen vision. He had waited as the scout approached, soaking every minuscule detail in as the ground walker approached. Physicality, familiarity with horses, age, experience and demeanor were all scrutinized under a neutral gaze before he began speaking.


Eldan kept his own demeanor steady as he soaked in the scout's words. Once the portal was open and the scout had moved out of the way, Eldan gave him a barely noticeable nod and entered. His padded feet interpreting the transition from grassy underbrush to the wood of a ship quite well. His eyes glanced around quickly before settling, right before he folded his arms behind his back.

 

[Branden2396]

As Jason and Alec entered the Kinds quarters they noticed that he himself was asleep in bed, and as one of the generals led them to a smaller door Jason's skepticism grew, where as Alec just wanted to see what the business as hand was. None the less both men followed The genreal, Ja'far was his name Jason was almost certain, down along the ship and into the next room.

 

[Rook]

The deck of the Asteria


Estre straightened as the portal hummed, the scholar stepping through. He was smaller than she;d expected, but nonetheless disturbing. "Welcome, Salbarcian. I am Estre, High Queen of the nation you wish to study. Please, have a seat," she greeted, gesturing to the table in front of her. Her young lieutenant stood behind her, his eyes flitting from the Salbarcian to the queen and back again. He'd fought against soldiers as big as the Salbarcians before, but at least they were human.


"Before I allow you to enter my lands, there are a few things we must discuss," she continued, sitting at the table. "Where you plan to go, what you plan on studying- the basics." She looked at him, her face emotionless.


@GrieveWriter