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"Lost Continent: Flight From Muurdaan" (BeckonCall's FNB!)

Caelis heard the commotion going on and in horror, saw the Slavers get torn to shreds. The Attolian Police of 20 Exile Police and 10 Halberdiers were trying to contain the situation, and were led by his brother, Lord Wolff (Sir Bors was the one sent to the Agora). Caelis quickly joined them and barked orders. "One of you! Get the Highborn here. Another! Get the Order and tell then to send some men and secure the Slavers ship. RIGHT NOW. SAY ITS AN EMERGENCY." As he pointed to two exiles. This was not a good time to have this happen. Half of his Halberdiers were on expedition and they were out numbered right now.

He yelled "2 Halberdiers! Lockdown the Slavers ship." No one goes in or out of that ship and that ship will stay where it is! Tell the Admiral that if he helps me by securing the ships and the port, then I will give him an easy deal worth 2 Ships!" "Also, 3 of you exile police! Spread word that people must get out of public and go home! Evacuate public areas!" Now, he had to buy time for help to arrive as the men scrambled. Hopefully, he could calm the freedmen. He took a few steps forward and yelled "Cease this violence! I am Lord Caelis Wolff of the Kingdom of Attolia. I have no interest in enforcing Muurdaan law here. You have my word that none of you will suffer the cruel punishments of the Empire. Thus, let us all calm down and begin talking. Parlay! There does not have to be any more bloodshed today. You have your revenge already." He then waited for a response. But ultimately, he sought to drag this discussion/parlay out. Even then, if things went south all of a sudden, then he was ready with his star tear.

Summary:
Emergency request for aid sent to Highborn and the Order of St. Victoria.

Men sent to secure the slavers ship and ask the Admiral to help in the name of Lord Caelis of Attolia

Some exile police sent out to evacuate public spaces

Caelis attempts to calm the freedmen or at least buy time for help to arrive
 
The Prince was suspicious of the Fennec letter acquiesing to the Colonial demands so fast. He was training when Caelis' note requesting aid arrived. As he was reading, The Highborn Spymaster appeared and began informing the Prince of current events. "What the Fennecs are having a party? Was I asleep for several days? I thought the slaver ship just arrived? There The Fennec bought slaves and freed them? Last I heard Caelis was going to buy the slaves on the colony's behalf. (The Prince had been half meditating, half training in a trance like state and time had passed) The Muurdan nobles were slaughtered? (The Prince smirked) That is terrible! Things are definitely out of control. To his Tactician What ever forces are available, that are not on guard duty or out on the expedition order to maintain order. Send a group to defend the port and the ships that are there, send the rest to calm down the freed slaves and assist the Attolians in establishing order. Use non lethal force if possible. That means buts of spears, blunted arrow heads and pommels of swords. Tell the linguist, cleric, Lindar the Bard to reason with them. See if the Cleric and/or mage can cast a spell to calm them or put to sleep or force barrier to contain crowds. Play music if it helps, that calms beast down. Get them to assemble peacefully and keep the peace. If need be show force, but demonstrate restraint. Use shields to contain crowds. Aim to disable unless threatened and avoid violence if possible. Maintan order. Tell guards to be on look out at the manor. Coordinate with Caelis and order of St. Victoria.

Putting them to sleep will hopefully do the trick.

How did this happen so so fast? The Prince must have lost track of time.

-order all available forces to protect Port, ships and maintain order

-coordinate with Attolians and Order Of St. Victoria.
-orders cleric/mage to cast calming spell or sleep spell and or force barrier if need be
-protect manor and highborn area by closing gates.
-use non lethal means and kill only for self defense or total non compliance

-defer to Caelis in assuaging Muurdan
 
It should have been a glorious day for The Order of St. Victoria. The lighthouse was finished and Elien was all but set to have a place carved for the tear of fire at the tower's zenith and to hold a gathering in prayer as their base of operations was truly introduced to the colony in magical light. The arrival of slavers had been a spanner in the works for them, The Order had taken part in some less desirable activities in the empire over its time but given the history of two of their major saints as former slaves human trafficking wasn't one of them. Indentured servants and prisoners of war were one thing but given that these merchants were openly referring to themselves as slave traders this simply couldn't stand, besides it would offer a way into the hearts and minds of the unclaimed colonists.

Sirs Ravalla and Domision had been hard at work getting the legal documents written up and going through all their previous knowledge of such trades in order to liberate or confiscate the chattel as needed. The other community leaders adding their own wealth to the issue was a mild complication but it saved Elien desperately trying to haggle with their own meager funds.

Then it had all been ruined by the bloody foxes. Who was it that had pushed them in this blasted confrontation to simply leave a gang of drunken slaves alone a thousand miles from home? If the highborn snobs or the Attolians were so hellbent on punishing them for these apparent thefts then waiting for the right moment to confiscate the slaves and any other property they cared to name once outside interference had been cleared away was the clear choice. If one wanted to harm a being with the utterly material mindset of this criminal class then one had to hit them in their coffers. Now the small coastal town had descended into frantic damage control, not just for the murderers on the loose but for what came afterwards. Such as the remaining crew and how to stop word of this reaching the underlords.

Elien had scrambled the devout to meet the pressing threats along with a portion of knights and squires. It was while she marched at double time towards the platz square that Sir Ravalla raced through possible plans with as much calm as he could muster.

"We cannot know for certain that they freed them. If there is no written proof then this is a matter of a wild slave that could not be controlled by their master, the slaves are executed and the fault lies with the Fennecen. Even better perhaps there is not even proof of purchase, and it is left as the trader's own fault."

Elien was swift to point out that this would all end in the death of the former slaves either way and that was assuming no proof appeared. Then there was the matter of the remaining crew and what word they would spread to their masters in the old world.

Ravalla was still looking for angles. "Then they were free men, they are tried as free men for the murder of nobility. The man was drunk among savage races, the victim of a tavern brawl gone wrong one might say. The Muurdaan cannot lay the blame upon us for this pairs own hubris."

It was cold but a path they may have to take, murder was murder after all, no matter how justified one might feel by the wrongs done to them. These people had made their first choices as free men and they would face the consequences. That would all have to wait until they were contained however, as the order mobilized to assist in local law enforcement and to prevent a possible riot breaking out.

Elien along with 15 Devout and 3 foot knights are sent to assist Attolian forces in the platz, cordoning off the fountain area and maintaining public order.

10 Devout and 2 knights are sent to support troops keeping order at the docks.
 
Update due to police response...

If there was one thing in the world the newly "free men" understood, it was armed soldiers menacing them from every direction. The Attolian constables were few, and their initial attempts to calm the slaves/freemen/murderers or whatever pleased you to call them -- was even more confusing. They barked orders as they asked for cooperation... they threatened, but no immediate lash, nor consequence loomed... The fountain of blood was terrifying to them, stuck next to it that they were, and the true horror of being slaughtered in a land utterly alien was taking root in the subconscious of every one of these new arrivals. This was the end, or they'd have to run.

It was reaching a boiling point, where the kobolds, almost in unison were set to try to stampede to the north out of the Platz, likely with the thralls behind them...

Then the Order and Highborn Troops arrived.

THIS, this massive show of force, the threatening mage, the armor, the shields, the blades -- they understood this. Almost in unison, the kobolds, then the thralls, laid down with their hands behind their back.

The wildfire had been contained at the fountain...

...which if one really cared to notice, seemed to be bubbling quite happily...
 
Sir Bors dismounted his horse and landed with a harsh clank as his steel boots clashed with the stone floor of the agora. A small plume of dust rose from the ground from the sheer force of the landing. He took off his helmet to get a better look and to talk. To be frank, Sir Bors had no idea what to do about these twice born, but it appeared that it was going to be hard to talk to them. So, it seemed appropriate that they looked for these Zembani to translate... wherever they may be. Likely, the directions given in the sewers were right, but the sewers were now host to a bunch of hungry alligators... who almost ate Lord Caelis last time. So, traveling there was going to be difficult. Regardless, he ordered one of his men to send word back about the situation. Sir Bors was not the one to make decisions like this. He got orders and made them happen with the best possible outcome in mind. Thus, he would carry on with his mission. So far, these Twice-born seemed... not hostile. He turned to his men and said "All right boys! We still got a job to do here. Let's start making this place feel like home cause I think we're going to be here for a while lads and then get searching this area. Keep your eyes out, and don't bother the talking skeletons..." His eyes then came upon Jav and Tomaz. "You two ladies! You like gossiping and blabbing. See if you can somehow get the Twiceborn talking and understand us. We're going to need to find the way to the Zembani if we're going to properly talk with the Twiceborn." He then went on his way to supervise the construction efforts.

Tomaz and Jav looked at each other, confused. "How in the heavens are we supposed to bloody talk to a bunch of bones? They can't see, they can't hear..." Tomaz ranted. "Shhh, they might hear you!" Jav said to cut him off. Tomaz rebutted "Nonsense, they're almost no different than those walking rocks. They have no ears, and hell... they don't know any common." as he pointed at the stone constructs who were working to help build the outpost. "Just some gibs being forced to move by magic... the only thing is that we know who made and controls the stones... but who made these walkin' and talkin' skeletons?" Jav replied "Well, we still got a job to do." Tomaz sighed "This is a fool's errand, but I guess we could bloody play with these magical bones. Better than lugging around a sack of stones." The two walked towards the Twiceborn and tried to think. They couldn't see, nor could they hear... but could they feel? Jav had an idea. He remembered his town's blind beggar. Gods knew where he was from cause he sure as hell didn't know a lick of common. But, the town had a way to communicate with him. They drew things on the dirt and the blind beggar would trace the drawing with his fingers and make the image in his head. He was a nice beggar though, Jav like him. Anyways, a picture is worth a thousand words, after all... or so Jav had heard. He didn't really understand what that meant and he didn't really understand art much. But, he knew when a picture was pretty, or if a picture meant something.

Thus, Jav walked over to a nearby pile of dust and tried to recreate the picture that he remember seeing in the sewers of the imps. Using his hand, Jav then tried to draw a basic drawing of a man trying to go towards the imp, but tried to show some uncertainty by adding question makes and making body and face gestures that showed confusion. The whole time, Tomaz watched Jav and wa befuffled. "Oi, Jav... what are you doing mate? Didn't you say we have a job to do? This ain't the time to be drawing pictures on the ground. Quit it before Sir Bors sees us." He then walked closer and saw what Jav was drawing. Tomaz went silent for a few seconds and said "Huh, not a bad idea there.", letting his partner finish drawing in peace. When Jav was done, he smiled at his tiny masterpiece. It wasn't much, but he thought that it would get the job done.

Summary:

The expedition continues with its job of setting up an outpost and searching the area.

Tomaz and Jav try to use drawings in the ground to communicate with the Twiceborn, asking them how to get to the Zembani.

---

Things were getting tense by the fountain. It appeared that the freedmen were getting restless and more confused by Caelis. In fact, he could tell that some of them were about to start fleeing north. This situation was truly out of hand. They outnumbered the police more than 4 to 1. It was at that moment that he heard a bunch of metallic footsteps coming from behind. First were the High Elves who swiftly joined the Attolians by the time that Caelis turned to look. They were quick for certain as he barely had time to turn his head before they had joined the Attolian Police. Soon followed the Order, whose armor clattered on their way to the fountain. While not as quick, the Order with their sounds of heavy armor and metal clanking closer was worth something. It was with these reinforcements that Caelis could breath with relief. He thanked the leaders who joined him to help contain the situation. Then ordered the Police to begin detaining and retraining people so that they could no longer be able to run away so easily. He hoped to get the freedmen away from such an open area. Perhaps the nearby inn would do for now. He needed them to calm down and to listen. He then went over to the High Elven Tactician and said "Hail High Elf. Unfortunately, my Linguist is away from the platz... but if I remember correctly, your Captain has a linguist in his retinue? It would be prudent to have him come... it seems the Kobolds do not speak nor understand common."

Once the freemen were detained and brought over to the inn, Caelis planned to have the freedmen calm down and get them some water. Perhaps it was the brew that they drank, but it was clear that right now... they would not be listening. Once they were calm, Caelis planned to clearly explain to the freedmen the situation. That they were bought by an organization known for its criminal activity in the Platz, and how they were released from their duty to the Fennecs. They would be let known that these were not Muurdaan lands and that their laws did not have power here. However, the colony did have its own laws based largely on Attolian Common Law, which is much more merciful. While they would not be punished according to Muurdaan law, this breach in the Colonial Law would have to be paid back as there was substantial damages to the Colony from their actions. However, this term of service to the Colony will not be indefinite and the terms. It will be proportional to the damages that the Colony suffered. After this term is served, they would be released and be given citizenship within the Colony and their children will enjoy the same rights, which is very similar to being granted Attolian citizenship and the rights that it entails. The service will not be cruel, and they will be afforded the same rights that Indentured Servants have in Attolia, which means that they will be provided for and even be paid during the term of service.

That was the plan at least, and he would discuss with the others who came to help before going ahead, but he reasoned that these terms were the most logical in deference to the new laws of the Colony and the situation that had occurred. At least for the freed thralls... the Kobolds were a more difficult case as they seem to only respect force, and had instigated this issue, which meant that they would have stricter sentences.

Summary:
Police begin detaining and restraining the freedmen who are to be brought to the inn to calm down and sober up a bit with water.

Caelis is to explain the situation slowly, but clearly to the freedmen after asking the others for their opinions. (Want to give the others some time to give their input.)
 
["But what exactly is an Aboleth"]

["Best I can guess it's a fish, maybe a mermaid. They got enough salt water around here and Shul said it sounded like a drowned voice. I think the first ring talked about them once or twice, something a gnome passed onto him. Saying they were dangerous things, lost gods from the deep or strong enough to claim it. They have to be something powerful if someone's up for paying that much coin for it."] Brull said, motioning at the empty containers around the shack of the paymaster's office, that and the heaving chest in chains. ["That's not the big part though, Chief, it's not just the slaver who gets paid for it."]

Bruul went on to explain what he'd learned from the Paymaster in as simple a way he could to help Orm keep up with his limited knowledge of contracts. Luckily a doom fund was a simple thing when you broke it down, a little morbid too. Orm had to let out a long, heaving, sigh at the news as he ran his hands through the fur on his head. It could never be easy could it? They'd never get a nice little, simple, problem that they could solve in an afternoon and all laugh about around the cooking pot later. Could they afford to cheat the warriors that had made up most of their guard for the past season out of their pay... pay that might go to their own kin back home? If they let it be they'd get more swords on their side, fighters that would do their duty with a grim smile. Beside's the only way Orm could think of to make them look the other way on this would be to offer them a better deal than they were getting... and that would cost most of the coin the whole colony had to offer.

But if he didn't what was he condemning this creature to? The Muurdaan weren't above forcing their old foes into service in their unending wars... if this thing was some great predator of the sea waiting to grow up he'd be letting it fall into their hands.

It was the heaviest lesson a chief must learn and the first they must remember, just like old Thunder-Hoof said to him. You won't make everyone happy, you won't help them in all things and some you will leave behind.

He couldn't risk his people's safety for a voice in a box however much it begged. Then things changed again as a mercenary rushed through the doorway.

"Boss, the slave master's dead! The kobies killed him and his misses, it's a riot on!"

And the shack was silent. The two tyren closed their eyes, flared their noses and pushed back that tired need to smash something. The paymaster was in a right state at that news and needed Bruul to step in and give him purpose.

"We still have your contract. We need to get down to the boats and make sure no one else goes wild. What does this do for your transport deal?" The shaman intoned.

["If he's dead does that mean we don't have to pay?"] Orm muttered.

His answer would have to wait as they made for the docks to rally the mercenaries still on tyren payroll. Other fighters had already been sent and Orm got the distinct feeling of someone watching the hyenas starting to circle. Maybe they could bring that golden wood back for nothing.
 
SpiralErrant SpiralErrant :

"We still have your contract. We need to get down to the boats and make sure no one else goes wild. What does this do for your transport deal?" The shaman intoned.

The paymaster was devastated. The five remaining mercenaries, making a full score -- united with the Tyren's peacekeeping force... they could read the writing on the wall.

The paymaster spoke:

"We're keeping the down-payment, and we're taking back our fee of couriership. We already know this damn admiral won't be taking courier goods for us back to specific areas -- he's washing his hands of this place -- they're headed on to god knows where. We'll NEVER get this damn "Anais" thing back to the Actuary Marshall... this is a horrible hit to the regiment, and the company."

The paymaster went on a tirade of curses and epithets...

"THE DAMN THING MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD ALREADY! Unless we had access to a friggin' COLD IRON containment tank, filled with THE PUREST SALINATED WATER... this thing is dead in a week."

He continued... "Clients, if you want whatever the hell is left of what's in that case, take it. Try to save it, find a use for it. I only ask that if you DO manage to preserve it, and you DO sell it to the old world, we can at least get a finders fee for the pensions. I have thirty sons, daughters, cousins, nieces and nephews and they are all in academy. No matter how big the home-stipends are -- Pension legions will grow roots into that money. We really thought we had a hot ticket here. Now we're standing on a damn beach with a box of melting jelly. Damn the gods!"

....Hands and knees, the paymaster put his head to the sand.

"Just take it, Tyren. We'll police the beach, we five of the office and the new score from the ship. We'll make sure nobody gets in or off the slaver ship without due cause or colonial permission, and we'll make sure these privateers are gone when they say they will be without causing any trouble."

....He stands back up and a peer dusts off the sand from his uniform with varying levels of success. He turned to Bruul again for a final time.

"War Shaman, one thing -- try and get us an angle here... the regiment won't show it, but we've taken a hit here. Please -- point us at something shiny, if it costs us Tals or not. Make a damn use of is and we'll impress you to where you'll want to cut us spoils." (sigh)

The Tyren would have the crate -- which made weak, but purring burbling noises -- sea-water splashing and leaking from the crate. What they could or would do with this thing would remain to be seen...
 
Spacekitty Spacekitty :

Fennec Relocation:

Despite the circumstances surrounding the move -- the fennec were seemingly cheerful and all business.

"They think this was the first time some tin-man told us to skidoo?! We'll show 'em!"

"Don Salvator has got a heavy hand, but we don't got much choice in that -- if he listens to his capos maybe we can provide the vice this colony needs without kicking up too much scat. You know the coppersmiths framed us? Opium shows up in our stores and Don Sally doesn't even question where it came from!"

"Mr. Mallowthews been talking to salvator and the capos and I've got no idea what HIS plans are, but HE'S a solid consigliere -- never y'all waste a yip on this -- we are going away from the colony, and then the colonists are gonna COME TO US!"

They wasted no time, they strained the limits of even the trolls endurance dragging huge pallets of material that rapidly broken down could not go back into the few wagons they rigged with the same efficiency.

The Fennec headed far northwest -- leaving the platz behind, skipping and bounding and marching while even the great trackless ruins grew smaller in the distance. They had gleaned rumors and maps of an ancient excavation -- and would make NE corner of the "Collosi Excavation" their new secure place of emcampment. Not too far to the east, The woods and water of Muddy Lake promised materials as well as irrigation for the moist, arable land around them.

Each Fennec looked at the tiered excavation and same something else -- some saw home warrens just waiting to be dug out... some saw buried treasure -- some saw a stadium that would draw crowds.

When the last troll, groaning, dragged the last of the materials to the construction site -- they wasted no time in rebuilding the great warehouse they had already had to dissemble before it's completion. The Fennec though, needed a break. They watched the sky turn into stars, and prepared for harder, hopefully better directed work in the mornings to come.

...and best of all... there was silence... and sweet, sweet, PRIVACY.

Second best was the really awesome titanic statue of the colossus that looked like it had fallen to its knees following it's excavation. The first night Fennec had covered it almost as if they were ants, or birds, and enjoyed the view from it's head and shoulders.

"surprisingly life-like face to be made out of such cracked and crumbly rock, eh?" said a Fennec.

"Don't be an idiot, Poori." we're having late lunch on a dead god. Deal with it.
 
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"The attolian/highborn exploration of the Agora district":

Sir Bors and his troops were not done here -- they had jobs to do... while the agora district did not have much more in the way of intact structures than the 'platz, it was worth noting it had many open spaces, areas that were once sunken or elevated gardens, desolate parks -- and the like. Promising sites for excavation, cataloging, and to be direct, looting -- were marked as the district was mapped out. In certain areas the more rough white stone of the ruin littered with piles of horribly fragmented, but nonetheless salvagable marble. Here and there disintegrating pillars showed promise of more useful stone (Attolians can take 2 units/carts of marble from the district)

Meanwhile... Jav and Tomaz were uncertain the "Twice-born" could grasp what the heck they wanted to convey, they didn't seem to think Jav's creative interpretation of an imp looked like a very good Zebani... and they certainly didn't know what a question mark was. The attolians ginerly took the bony finger of Humurus and had him run it in the dirt through their patterns. Occasionally, the voice of the twiceborn would echo in their heads.

"Heh. Beginning to think what you see and what we see doesn't have a great deal in common. I mean... I can see your circulatory system -- is there any way you can orient that into images better?"

Tomaz rolled his eyes at this.

Humurus attempted to feel Jav's etchings... when he put together that the different beings (attolians, imps, skeletons) were the parties Jav intended. Then humurus spoke:

"Find the Zebani? They're all over the sewers unless their avoiding you, friends -- lets assume that's the case. There are two things we could do. You guys can wait here and we'll go to one of their huge tunnels they use to navigate the area (Humurus does a MUCH better symbolic representation of the north part of the ruin showing "the cave of clear lines") and we can bring them here, or you can just go to the tunnel of clean lines. They're not going to let you walk around in there without confronting you... but you guys seem alright, Scapula and I can come with you and maybe we can field some questions, good neighbor stuff, right?"

"Let us know what you think. The Gravel Zebani are pretty skittish, but perfer to be friendly... the ones that call themselves rocks -- we try to stay out of their way."
 
"Maybe they could bring that golden wood back for nothing." :

Since the Colonial police had evacuated most everyone from public spaces and established a Cordon around the Blood-fountain in particular, The few warrior/attendants working the stalls for the slavers in the market-platz had become wary and nervous. Highborn, St. Victorian, and Attolian forces had told them that until faction merchants came to visit, the public were to be kept out of the market, and that they were to remain with their valuables.

Mr. Narvik, and more importantly the Lady Narvik, had not been seen since the night before. A quickly improvised sign painted in flourishes of gold pigment on an arch of laminated wood popped up:

'Just trying to sell this stuff and get back to our ship so we can go home sale! Make offers on any lots! No reasonable offers refused!'

-- the arch read. Apparently the slaver-merchants had protocols for remaining on a schedule -- they knew their escorts would leave in 2 days with or without them, and were NOT going to fail to make sales if they could somehow encourage a profit in this port.

Meanwhile, what remained of the slaves at the slaver's auction were put back in their wagons under stalls. Nobody but Mr. Narvik was permitted to trade livestock.

Of the Slavers that were not killed in the fountain riot, 10 merchants between the stalls and the auction-space remained, and a remaining 5 bodyguards that were spared the duty of walking the Lady Narvik on her ill-fated round.

Below that, in port, a skeleton crew of 16 sailors, likely dependent on their taskmasters to direct them, relaxed on their deck... though slowly nerves began to overcome them the longer they watched their convoy escort refuse to set foot off the dock, and indeed plan to leave without them...
 
Tomaz sighed and said "Well, it took a while, but I guess we got the job done. Good job, Jav."

Jav swiftly turned his head and looked at Tomaz with an exasperated look. "Who are you? Tomaz doesn't give any compliments."

To which, Jav got a swift slap to the back of his head. "Shut it, ya bloody dolt." Tomaz snapped back. "I ain't that much of a hard-ass. Besides, it's Sergeant now. Get it right."

Jav chuckled and said "Ahh, he's back all right." He then continued "What do ya reckon we do? Wait here for them to bring the Gravel things here, or do we go find them at the cave?"

"Well, it's rude to have our hosts to come meet us, so I suppose we should go to the cave. Let's just let Sir Bors know. Maybe, he'll come with us, or think of something better." Tomaz said as he began to walk towards Sir Bors.

Jav stood and waited. Rather awkwardly with the Twiceborn. He couldn't make small talk as he usually did, so this silence was certainly uncomfortable. He was saved when Tomaz came back quickly and said "Alright, looks like Sir Bors is coming with us to the cave. Can ya tell the walking skeletons that we want them to come with us?" Jav nodded and then gingerly took Humurus' hand again and tried to indicate that both the Attolians and the Twiceborn would go to the cave by circling the two and drawing lines with arrows to the cave. He then let go and opened his reaching hand as to indicate that they wanted the Twiceborn to come with them to the cave.

---

Summary:
Sir Bors, Tomaz and Jav are to head to the Cave with the two Twiceborn to help introduce them to the Zembani.
 
Date: ???? (I lost track ‘cause the boss has been working us so hard)

I’m as excited as a kit right now! Man am I relieved I found this- I thought one of the other “thugs” (I don’t know why the others call us that. I’ve never done anything thuggy in my life! Well besides stealing the Admiral’s sword… and stealing some of the Dream Soda… and a weird sock I found on one of the Frenrieks… but that’s normal Fennec stuff!) had stolen it. Even though they can’t even read or write (But I can and it pisses them off, hehe). They are always trying to take my journal so I CONSTANTLY need to look after or hide it. I use to keep it in my sack but they would take it out when I wasn’t looking and throw it around like I was the beggar in the middle. I had to bite one just to get it back! They are such jerks sometimes…

Anyways, I had forgotten where I had hidden before boss had us start working on the base. Since we’ve gotten off the ship everything has been C R A Z Y!!! First I heard that Jonky and the other Frenrieks had almost gotten captured by the coppersmiths (how are those guys already here?!?!?!?!). Luckily they had burst out of the box and sent those Coppers running with their non-existent tails behind their legs (why don’t humans have tails??)! Unless they killed them. Yeah they probably killed them.

ANYWAYS, then there was the Opium. Everyone thought we had brought it or the Frenrieks had stolen it or something. No one had questioned it- not even the boss! Kinda weird. I PERSONALLY was suspicious- but i’m just a lowly thug… After that was the big raid on the Reinen!!! Can you believe those people just left their camp with only a sleeping old man to guard everything??? Serves them right!

And the slaves! Everyone was super excited when Mr. Mallowthew went to go buy them. FINALLY we were going to have some help around here. Building an entire drug empire by yourselves is hard work. Slaving day and night (You’d think WE were the slaves) to rebuild some weird ruins we found (I thought this place was uninhabited? That’s what they had told us at least...) and dig tunnels. At least we had the trolls to take some of the work load off us. They would do anything as long as we gave them food and shiny things.

But then Mr. Salvator freed the slaves. It was weird… one moment we were all excited about not having to work as hard anymore and the next thing we knew we were all partying! Not that we were complaining- finally getting some food and drink was nice. I’m pretty sure I was drunk within five minutes… haha…

But then… I don’t know my minds kinda fuzzy from last night. Boss got a letter or something and then suddenly bam, the party was over. I’m not sure what happened to the slaves- I haven’t seen them since we got to this place (more on that later!!! This place is freakin’ cool! I got to sleep on top of a statue last night!). We all shuffled back to the camp with half eaten mutton and beer (which we finished on the way back) and the Capos disappeared inside the tent for a bit before calling in Jonky. And then not a minute later he reappeared COMPLETELY NAKED??? With a letter. He looked so scared! The poor thing, covering his junk with his hands while he shuffled away from the crowd. Cute though. Not sure where he was sent… and why he was naked. But he’s back now so anyways…

We are still confused as hell. No one knows what happened and the capos haven’t really said. They’ve mainly been huddled around each other whispering. I tried to listen in but Sontio saw and yelled at me… Mr. Mallowthews been going between them and Mr. Salvator. Which is weird because usually they're all together. Maybe their fighting or something. EITHER WAY (I keep getting side tracked, oopsie) Salvator made us tear down and pack up everything after he sent away Jonky. Which SUCKED. Not that I really remember complaining too much… I’m pretty sure I was high at the time.

My friend, Poori, told me we walked for like MILES. And I totally believe him because my feet hurt like all hell! Even the trolls looked tired and angry. Luckily Mallowthew gave them some coins and their happy now. Dumb, ignorant brutes, haha. Totally blind to how much we use them! I’d hate to be too dumb to see i’m being used like that. Eventually Poori said we ended up here, a place called the “Collossi” or something. I’m not sure. Either way it’s the coolest thing ever! I haven’t really gotten a chance to explore it yet, but it's like a big staggered pit arena thing with plenty of pre made burrows we can expand on. In the center is their weird crumbling statue thing. I got to sleep on its head last night, you could see EVERYTHING from up there. It was almost like I could reach out and grab a star. Of course everyone knows their too small to fit inside your paw. We’re all still confused why we moved, but no one's complaining. This new place is gonna be so cool when we’re done with it. Mr. Mallowthews already talking about how we’re going to make a big underground colosseum amphitheatre with gambling, prostitution, drugs and fights! I haven’t seen a gladiator fight since we were back in the old world! I wonder who were are going to use as the prostitutes. On a side note some new clothes appeared on my lap when I woke up. They look super hot on me, although I’m not sure why I got them. A mistake probably?

Either way, everyone is super stoked now! We’re far away from everyone so that means TOTAL PRIVACY. We can basically do whatever we want out here. Although there’s no one to steal from. Anyways I have to get back to work now… pretty soon the colonists will be coming to us!
 
"This is all well and good, Lord Wolff but we still have the matter of the crews to deal with."

Elien had stepped aside with the lords and leaders present in the inn, speaking in hushed tones once the situation had been calmed down. Half the issue had been taken care of but this half measure of Attolian law might only make things worse if word of this reached the old world. If the Underlords heard of this they might take it as the murderers of one of their own kind being rewarded with paid work and a state provided home rather than punished by the colonial law.

"They went beyond murder here, they sacrificed a member of the Muurdaan in an act of blood magic, examples must be made unless you can think of some way to place the blame on the victims." If the word she'd received at port before leaving was anything to go by then the underlords had powerful scryers at their disposal and if this woman had powerful enough friends it was likely they'd find out eventually. Whatever the case this fledgling goverment needed to cover itself.

"I can offer you the service of the chapter's legal knowledge but a direction must be chosen and the sailors handled before they take sail and claim we have murdered a member of the Muurdaan powers as an act of rebellion or war. Someone must be held accountable for this."

They just had to think of a way to come out of it as clean as they possibly could. Until a direction was chosen then the chapter's minds would have to try and conjure as many angles as possible.

---
Summary:
Sir Ravalla (skilled lawyer) and the archivist cannonate are offered to the colony government to think of possible protocols for dealing with a murder case and a way to smooth things over with the Muurdaan crews.
 
Caelis nodded and agreed. "Of course, Chapter Master. There must be measures taken for the remaining crew. I suspect that they would take off at a moments notice if we just set them free. However, I suggest a few things. One is that we detain the ships as part of our "investigation" of the situation until further notice. Two, the crew must be notified. That way, they will be able to seek further employment and not wait in limbo. Three, I suggest we do notify next of kin, in particular, Underlork Narvik as he is legally the heir to the estate of the now late Baronetess. There is no need to further cause any more harm than already inflicted. However, we should CLEARLY explain the circumstances of what had occured and how the newly arrived Fennecs thought that it would be a grand idea to allow the freed slaves to host a party with the Slaver. Alcohol and newly freed slaves with the former owner in close proximity? What were the Fennec thinking? Perhaps, they did think this through and this was a bit of revenge? Regardless, we did not cause this mess, but it is up to us to clean it and not to make a bigger mess than current. Thus, we come clean, send all property back to the old world, and they will likely not care much for the death of a minor Noble. Afterall, she married a commoner, and take it from me when I say that the weight that her name bears is nearly minimal. In fact, it might not be crazy that someone wanted her to meet her end here... she tarnished the name of her family with her marriage and is likely a shame upon the Narvik name. I mean... did they really think that bringing that golden wood here to where the wood elves are would be a good idea? Nay, I sense polical intrigue and someone will be watching closely as to what happens here. We cannot afford to make a misstep that could implicate us directly. If anything, we pin it on the Fennec and the Admiral who decided it would be a good idea to drop them off here without an official charter or approval of the Muurdaan Empire."

Caelis then paused and said "Although, we may consider alternatives, which have been brought up to my attention, but I find myself not being able to support them. One particular suggestion was to set the crew "free", but find a way to make it so that it will have an accident later on. The magical barrier is too strong for the old world to have a glimpse of what happens here through magic."
 
UPDATES:

Everyone:
* Newly freed slaves currently quartered in excess housing in attolian housing district. They have calmed down, but are uncertain about their fate.

*Reinen still seeking contact from faction leaders -- it is unknown what they plan to do with the fountain or if they still plan to blast it, but after getting some fellowship from the various colonists have returned to their domains and were not party to the Fennec revelry that followed, and it's unfortunate reprecussions.


@colonial government:
* Order at the docks is secured, though some exiles resent being restricted in movement back and forth from the depression, and lenient attolian constables allow exemptions for worship at temple of dracos.


Heyitsjiwon Heyitsjiwon :
* Before Fennec Arrive at the Collosi Excavation, Attolian Researchers gather many shattered pieces of smashed automatons... the automatons, or the scattered bits of them, radiate outward from where the Collossi collapsed outside of his excavation.

* Muurdaan house Elite have been... shall we say, "heavy handed" in keeping prisoners in line. After a couple of incidents, ONLY 12 MUD-ELF PRISONERS REMAIN.

Prince Vaethorion Prince Vaethorion :
* Highborn Examine "God Rot" and perform experiments on it... They quickly reduce god-rot into something immediately recognized as "Divination Distillate" -- Which is a name of the family of chemicals that is either the extract of the mana/fabric of forgotten gods or the remnants of forgotten gods themselves. How rotten samples of this are turning up in the stomachs of Larger deep-water sharks is an even bigger puzzle.

*Once Security in the highborn quarter, where the Mud-Elf Witch that was taken prisoner in battle has languished until such time as an interrogation could be conducted, apparently gave up hope of escape when she, despite wards and best security measures, performed some kind of chaos magic overload -- Exploding in a massive sphere of green flame and DESTROYING the building she was housed in. TWO HIGH ELF SPEARMEN posted to guard at the time DIE IN THE EXPLOSION.

Elendithas Elendithas :
Aymarans eating god rot have showed a slight increase in intelligence and a marked increase in mass. Aymaran brutes may be showing signs of beginning dependency, or they're just really REALLY stupid and don't like anything as much as they like God-rot, which is sort of the same thing.

Training at the learning square advances techniques of controlling brutes and making them less dangerous around other colonists. Low-frequency vibrations and bellows (imperceptable to most humanoids -- with a marked exception of elves) Prevents Aymarans from seeking to eat anything that isn't already dead. Dead matter is still 100% fair game.

@Tori_98 :

Tyren offer shamanic help in fighting the witch, as well as gifts of wool and "Dark-leaf" -- a kind of uber-strong tobacco. While only appreciated by the toughest or craziest Reinen, it turns out Dark-leaf smoke makes Honey-Stingers (the hive insects they gather their honey from) VERY docile, if not unconscious. It may have an alternative use allowing Reinen to TAME the insects and create an APIARY (or apiary guild) considering the insects can be rendered inert and relocated even if desired.

Cassandra of the Attolians arrives to assist the Reinen with seeking the witch, and making sure the Reinen are given the Witch's ring (and detatched finger!) -- at the Reinen's behest, Cassandra is prepared to attempt to repel or hold at bay the wisps of the wisp-wood.

Enemy Standoo Enemy Standoo :

Once the riot in the Platz subsides, the Order will be able to post their completion/ignition of their lighthouse. OOC: Either you or I may write this post, at your choice -- if you have questions about this, PM.

General Deth Glitch General Deth Glitch :

Dwarves continue to dig straight down towards the base of cliffs, stopping temporarily only to move a great amount of excavated rock to the surface. (8 units of stone, 1 unit of salt!) They are running critically low on supplies however and will need a source of food, progress has slowed due to work-rations needing to be cut to large (normal.)

Spacekitty Spacekitty :

Andrei Connic and his hitmen are utterly at a loss as to where to find Sorkin as of yet. If they focus on specific areas or buildings they may have better success.

SpiralErrant SpiralErrant :

Real progress on the bark-bound tome begins to be realized -- Tyren must decide to make progress with tree-singing arcana or the arcana of natural weapons and defenses. The next choice in research relates to "summoning" or "Veils of Magic"...
 
Heyitsjiwon Heyitsjiwon :

"In Through the Ruins with strangest of guides, with twiceborn protecting Attolian hides"

As the rest of the Attolian group continued to camp and catalogue the Agora district, Sir Bors, Jav and Tomaz followed their fleshless twiceborn guides to where it was thought they might meet with the Zebani. Following the Twiceborn was strange -- they seemed to see things that the attolians didn't, insisting on going around things that weren't there, or at least weren't evident -- before long, the Twiceborn picked a very specific area of the ruin to cross into a new area -- separated by what remained of a pitted wall, that might have at one time been high and glorious. Now only the odd spike rose above two stories, festooned with some kind of twisted brown reinforcing bars. Most of the wall was not higher than a mans waist, though in certain areas it rose higher than a man if you looked far enough along the district border.

The Twiceborn turned to the Attolian rider and his men:

"Ahead is the Menagerie District -- We've lost kin here, in the very beginning, but have learned how to navigate it -- but we'll have to be very careful... there used to be zoos and gardens here... the ghosts of some of the larger creatures are very dangerous, and the few species of plants and animals that have survived or reclaimed this area are profoundly dangerous and even the longdead avoid them. Never, under ANY circumstances, regardless of how much light you bring, are you EVER to set foot out of the light in the menagerie district, and never cross the wall into this district during the night. You've been warned..."

...Only three blocks into the Menagerie district the Attolians were lead in a great detour around a circular plaza, picking through ruined buildings. In the center of the plaza were two great towers, the dust and mist of the ruins obscuring them despite being relatively close to where the Attolians already were, much less the 'Platz. Both towers, four stories in height -- were now oddly joined in a strange singular structure -- one tower looks shattered at mid-height, the upper half bending and colliding with the other tower so that the tops of said towers were a twisted mess. All thoughout the plaza, strangely odorless pools of green simmering fluid lay all about -- giving the entire area a ghostly glow akin to that of hunger ghosts.

A great grey winged creature, it's wingspan easily two-score feet, sped low over the ruin to nest in the ruins of the towers. a trail of purple gristle dripped beneath it, and the Twiceborn did not seem to notice, but the Attolians, horse and footman both, stepped over it. Upon leaving the square the Twiceborn took another great detour, across a brigde over a dry aqueduct and away from several dark tunnels, the inside of which little red slits and soft chirping noises could be heard...

"NOT the Zebani" -- the Twiceborn stated, flatly. "NEVER go into the dark here. Never come at night."

Jav and Tomaz would have long turned back if Sir Bors, perhaps refreshing himself with a second wineskin of liquid courage, had not spurred the group forward. They saw other things on their way through the outside of the menagerie district... Blocks ahead they saw something that looked like a MASSIVE DIRE-BEAR -- Furless, it's entire mutated body looked covered in burns and scars -- with three of it's cubs, similarly mutilated, in tow.

The twiceborn warned again -- We are half-way there... if you should encounter what we call a "Desolation Ogre" -- freeze. Do nothing, even if it approaches and makes threatening gestures an inch from your face. The horse will likely panic and bolt, make sure you take the same route we've come if this happens." (To Jav and Tomaz) "You cannot outrun a Desolation Ogre. But stand still like we do and perhaps we can expect a similar outcome. They provoke aggression, but are not likely to attack without such a challenge... we --"

That was when the Zebani were seen, climbing out of a cellar in the open husk of a ruined building -- little beings that by night looked like shimmering imps by night -- by day looked like blood-red crystalline humanoids -- pointy ear-like protrusions without any sort of concave or hole, flashing yellow eyes that shed a soft light, angular articulated limbs and hunched bodies that gave them a mischievous or almost misshapen gait, despite their odd symmetry and uniform size.

They beckoned the group down a ramp -- and out of the sunlight.

Jav stammered "I fot we wuz never supposed to go into the darkness, eh?" -- but the twiceborn couldn't hear them.

Sir Bors Smirked, and lead his horse forward... Jav and Tomaz did not have the luxury of wine to give them confidence, so they were quite pale descending until the ramp quickly took the form of cleaner lines, and then came to a dead end -- a flat wall of bricks.

The Zebani stopped here, and rested on three out of four limbs as they made some kind of high-pitched note... and the bricks, like scurrying insects gave way one-by-one, crawling over one another and folding back to reveal a huge tunnel beyond, nearly three times the width of the vaulting sewer tunnels beneath the 'Platz.

The Zebani beckoned with their single free hands and hopped through the yawning portal in the once-solid wall -- and when Tomaz, Jav, and Sir Bors and his steed had stepped through with their escort -- the stones in perfect reversal closed behind them.

A huge Amethyst crystal being stood next to the once and no-longer portal -- a thing easily nine feet high which, while crystalline in nature like these little imps, looked altogether different -- it had no eyes to speak of, and while it had "legs" and "arms" complete with floating "joints" -- the humanoid "whole" looked like a floating assemblage of something that seemed like several discrete objects that just hovered around in the configuration of a person. It's head, hands and feet tapered in crystalline points, and it emanated a low frequency as the bricks closed the wall and then crumbled into a heap of it's component pieces where it "stood"...

...More zebani crawled out of slats in the floor of this vast cave, every inch covered in well maintained brick. The tunnel itself was dark, but almost impossibly far to the north a light could be seen -- daylight -- what the Attolians speculated was the mouth of the newly discovered cave they had only seen but not explored from outside the northern ruins.

Twelve in all, the Zebani crouched around Sir Bors and his attendants -- the Twiceborn, as if taking a cue from the giant Amethyst construct, themselves collapsed into heaps of bones. They spoke once more into the heads of the men they escorted...

"Just taking a little weight off the bones, we'll be here if you need us, but here are the Zebani, as promised."

The second Twiceborn added: "It's a good thing they found us, it was beginning to appear quite foolish taking people covered in delicious meat through the Menagerie... but it all worked out for the best!"

The Zebani spoke like the Twiceborn did -- directly into their heads, via some form of vibration this time -- directly on the bones of their inner ears.

"We can hear and interpret your vibrations, and you can hear and interpret ours... you have finally sought us, so we thought it best to receive you before something unfortunate happened on your trip. We are of course the Zebani, just as our great purple friend is Zebani -- but we are Grav, Rock built. He who now slumbers is Rock, Heet-built. The Heet-built wondered if you would attempt to commune with us before you were destroyed by the Cull... and so you have. State your business, and in what capacities we may serve one another?"

The Zebani, their seemingly mage-lit eyes blinking thoughtfully, looked at Sir Bors and his men expectantly....


Below: "Humurus and Scapula lead the way through lands of bone, rock, and the green glow of the haunted"
 

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After waiting for a response from the lighthouse and being given no information, Grimdr assumed that one of two things were going on. Either he was being ignored or something far more important was underway. He headed back to the hold. Slowly the great slabs were opened to allow him entry and as he headed in he said "Leave 'em open. Ima be back out cannae soon." and then headed down. As he did he was informed of the fissure. "Damnit. Alrigh' be damn careful. dig a tunnel toward it and, once your close to it, dig a hole just big enough to peer through. And do it with no light. We dont want to alert what demons lie within iffn' we dont need ta'." He then asked that all over activities cease. Requesting his men to be ready incase of an attack and also dont over exert themselves while he went off in search of food supplies. With that done, he did exactly that. He headed off to the Platz to learn what he could meet with whoever he found that could possibly help his people. He sent some of his fellows to branch off and start looking for influential people and food vendors with large stocks.

As they were off scouting both help and supply for their humble lord, he was wandering the Platz, exploring what he could find and asking people about what they could tell him. He wanted to be caught up on everything about the colony and its happenings. He wanted to know what the common people knew about the colony and then he would begin to learn the secrets only those who lead knew. While he was looking about and asking people what they knew he was only thinking about his dwarves. His people had famous appetites. They ate and dines well. He was very much the same and they were currently unable to do so. Until they could begin their lightless farming they needed to eat the food of the surface dwellers. And there was the matter of the cave creatures near his new hold.

All he knew was that he and his people had only just arrived and they had already seen slavers thriving from trade and people. He had been greeted by elves. And only Dracos knew what would greet them next. There must be some great oppressive evil if the elves were looking for allies.

  • Grimdr orders a 'peep hole' dug towards the fissure while stopping all over mining pending the securing of supplies
  • Grimdr travels to the Platz to try and find other leaders and buy food
  • Grimdr also begins asking around for info about the colonies past.
 
Spacekitty Spacekitty :

"WHAT THE FENNEC SAW ON THEIR EXILE FROM THE PLATZ -- AND INDEED WHAT ANY SCOUT OR MAP READER KNOWS ABOUT THE LARGER NORTHWEST:"

After a bit of travel west "off the map" through a mix of plains and hills (typical of "Grazing hills" east of muddy lake on the map) -- the land suddenly terminates is a huge canyon, 30-40 stories deep, with sea-water at the bottom of it -- the canyon seems to cut it's way all the way to the sea, even through the ruin, and on a clear day you can see a cross-section of the structures honeycombing beneath the city. Sea-mist and sand alike are violently churn up above the valley -- making crossing it (at least at this time) seem risky. It seems to reverberate and capture the tides from out to sea, for at the bottom one can see waves moving across the water at the base of the canyon as well as up and down. Every few waves (with each turbulence making the water below ever more fierce) a wave is strong enough to eject water and sand up to the top of the cliff again. This leads to an odd "Sky beach" of sorts, because the would-be grassland is caked in sand and has beach-plants instead of inland fare because of this environment.

Here is a description of various details and landforms the Fennec (and any Northwesterly scout of any faction) would see :

* Lots of Barley and Wheat on the farmlands north of the Platz... a bunch of relatively isolated farmers houses as well...
*Weirdly uniform slope running all along the side of the ruin... makes the city above look like it was built on a mesa, or did it rise from the ground, or has time and the action of nature buried a wall that once surrounded the now destroyed city?
*The massive boulder in boulder field.. like kids watching clouds, folk who stare seem to see different things in the contours of the rock... faces, a map, a fennec with a rolling pin braining an unsuspecting baker, stuff like that.
*Cave of clean lines: Just that -- a big tunnel mysteriously dug under the base of the ruin, completely cobbled uniformly with white-stone brick, locally sourced. No noise emanates from the cave... it's more like a tunnel, actually -- why did the people who gave them this bit of map call it a cave? It's a Tunnel!
*The Giant Doors: On the north side of the ruin there are three gates -- well, two gates, the middle one is missing and looks more like a ramp made of rubble. The gates are sealed tight with no visible means to open them, and nothing to indicate to an outsider how they would be opened from the other side...
*Muddy Lake -- Three little forests with a brownish shallow lake that doesn't get clear until the very center. The water is surprisingly cold, and if strained, perfectly fresh. There is an odd turbulence in the water that suggests it is both fed, and drained, by numerous underground sources -- it would be VERY dangerous for a fennec (or other small creature) to swim past the muddy part (the muddy part is filled with disturbed debris, dead trees, algae and foliage which slow the turbulence -- you are quite confident even large and strong swimmers would tire quickly if they swam beyond the "browns" of muddy lake for very long.
All around muddy lake in the shadow of the forests, Large (Horse sized) reptiles the for now called "runners" drink from the lake -- traveling in small herds of 20-30, the runners actually live in the "Swamp of onlyday" most of the time, and if you are patient you can see herds quickly flee between muddy lake and "dirtwater basin" to the north... it is unknown how many herds there are, but each herd has it's own protective "alphas" -- larger female specimens that get aggressive against other herds that stray too close, as well as you would assume, foolish humanoids.
*The excavation: The outside is ringed by a giant pile of loosely packed dirt that in time has setted into a kind of wall of high ground around the excavation -- clearly made of the dirt and rock ejected from the excavation while it was dug -- making the outer lip of the landform a dark brown with patches of grass and the occasional tree. Below that on the inside, is a partially dirt and clay-covered solid structure -- that looks like an adobe, if an adobe was made in a fashion that made it impossibly hard. This drops off to a cleaner more sandy-colored tier, with the adobe and sand tier both having various collapsed arches and dirt-clogged passage-ways that once lead into the now long buried and barely revealed structures. The soil and rock in the cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) seems strangely more crumbly and natural in places... even where dirt-filled passages are not far off. It's confusing and the casual observer might wonder if the excavation was much larger the contours of distinct structures could be made out. The base of the excavation is solid bedrock -- and atop the excavation on the south side is the collossus itself, fallen to it's knees and covered with it's own ecosystem of moss, trees, birds, and now newly settled fennec. It looks defeated in expression, if you really study it.
 
This day proved to be more confusing to Sir Bors than any day so far in these god forsaken lands. There were skeletons who didn't want to kill them and could talk through the mind, but couldn't understand speech. These lands were just a confounding place with too little answers for his personal liking, but heck... he just did what was asked of him. At least he was now speaking with folk who seem like they would finally understand common... if he could call them folk or even living. They were magical, moving and talking rocks for all he knew. He would rather that odd boy, Nicholas, be here to talk to them. Sir Bors imagined that Nicholas would better understand what in the world they were looking at, but that was too much to hope for. Here was finally an opportunity to get some answers, which have been severely lacking ever since the colonists had arrived here. Thus, with the depth and confidence in voice that a man who had faced death hundreds of times and laughed would be able to summon perhaps only with the aid of a bit of wine, Sir Bors began to speak

"Hail! Zebani! I bring greetings on behalf of my Lord, Caelis Wolff, heir to the Noble House Wolff of the Kingdom of Attolia. We have had signs of your welcome in the sewers of the platz, but admittedly we were cautious. These are strange lands for our people, and thus have took our time to eventually reach you and your fellow kind. Thank you for your kindness to help us get out of the Menagerie District. We come to learn more about these lands, and how to deal with the numerous nearby dangers that seem to plague this land, especially the Cull and perhaps be able to find mutual interests that we can build amiable relations upon with the Zebani and Twiceborn."

Perhaps it was experience of years of being a Noble and drinking, but Jav and Tomaz were surprised at how composed and well put together Sir Bors was. Rather than making him sloppy and slow, the wine seemed to make him more charismatic and well kept. Hell he seemed almost damn likeable compared to before when he complained about being hungry even though they had eaten about two hours ago. This dramatic change would almost be scary, that is if those two weren't already nervous from walking by huge mutated animals or by the fact that they were surrounded by a bunch of magical stones that can move. Particularly, the large amethyst one who appeared to be asleep. That one looked like it could crush all three of them in a single moment. At that moment, the two began to wish that they never spoke so badly of guard duty.
 
Well you could say that this made Orm's moral conundrum a lot easier to shoulder. Orm wouldn't have said that, he didn't have the thinking or time a five silver word like that. All the chieftain had to know was that he wasn't about ruin the human's that had been standing as guardians for their little hill town... cus that had already been done, giving him free reign to do what he pleased with the little spirit fish that was inside the box. That felt like a win! He felt bad for the paymaster and his folk, Orm still wasn't sure on the exact way they'd been harmed by this but he recognised that the mercenaries had felt a heavy loss of coin.

They were genuine in their desire to work though, that was something.

"We'll see you sorted, Paymaster." Bruul promised him, patting the human on the shoulder with a heavy hand.

"We can get silver from mine maybe... give us time." Orm added chirpily. If the mine could just create stone when commanded maybe they could do the same with their silver. If they got the chance, they had other tasks in mind for the mysterious vines right now. Hopefully the merchant minotaurs were meeting with success at the market.

Right now though they had a job to do themselves. This sea spirit was running out of time and according to all sources was in desperate need of salt water. Its box was losing water with every passing moment and more pathetic gurgles and clicks were coming from inside. It was a big box, yeah, but not so big a human couldn't push it along... nothing a tyren couldn't carry or push through the sand with ease. If these things were supposed to be great kings of the blue then this one didn't live up to the reputation. Maybe it was a baby? Whatever it was it'd been smart enough to reach out to a shaman, hopefully it'd be smart enough to recognise a kindness given and not try to eat the two bulls once it got out.

With quiet determination Orm and Bruul started to move the crate to a quieter part of the beach, one far from angry onlookers and fishing nets. Didn't want the little thing getting speared or caught up once they got their first taste of freedom.

["Easy does it now."] Orm cooed in his mother tongue, just as he'd heard the shepherds do to theig sheep countless time as they herded the animals along to do anything they didn't care for. ["Gunna get a little bumpy... we're alright... so close to the sea now... you're doing so well."]

Bruul looked over at the cooing chieftain, chattering away like a midwife with all the incredulity such a foolish sight deserved.

["What? They're probably having a shit time. You gunna question your chief?"]

The war shaman took the hint as Orm glared him down... ["Almost there. You'll be alright."] The shaman joined in as the two giant bulls gently whispered away to their cargo across the beach towards the sea.
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"This paper, it's worth a ship full of stuff! I'll give you this and some coin to go with it for the lot. Those are real silver orms, real heavy pieces of tyren make, I tell you whut." Minax went on, jingling her purse of silver coins. This sudden sale of desperation played right into their hands and the chief's hopes for the golden wood. She wasn't sure what his hopes were for it, she was just liking the chance to haggle with some uptight old worlders and take them for what they were worth and fancy magic wood.

She was sure the stall vendor wouldn't take her first offer, but no one ever did, the point was to leave yourself somewhere to go. That was the dance of the haggle.

(First offer for 2 units of ancient wood! 2 wealth - 1 in imperial script, 1 in silver)
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"Peace now, Whipporwhill." Whispered one of the springborn, their voice still husky and shaken as she tried to halt the tears from coming from her red, puffy, eyes. "The chieftain shall return come the dawn, I'm sure and you shall meet the tyren truly. They are a gentle kind of people, despite their size, you shall see, you will have a seat among the glades again. Rest for now..."

No elf in Hrun'Taras could hear the ent's quiet sobbing or look upon his ravaged form and not feel their hearts being ravaged by the sorrow that radiated from him. If any of the mstill hoped to hear more from the home forests that hope was quickly being called into question. For now they would focus on the present, as the novice tree singers let their melancholy tunes float through the air, tending to the injuries of the ent and encouraging the green to return to his branches.

Progress is made with tree-singing arcana.
 
@Tori_98 :

Ambience!


The Reinen know they will soon face the witch -- The Tyren Shaman, and The blood-mage of The Attolians have offered their help on a moments notice.

...But the reinen have their own magic too -- The congregation stands at the riverbed and set flowers into the river to flow to the sea, as a symbolic gesture to the wisps -- that they might still find peace in joining with the infinite.

They sing a Hymn for the wisps, who of them grow close to the edge of the wood -- some must hear... for as the little flower boats set sail, and the Reinen sing their glorious songs so holy...

...WISPS (few at first, but a substantial amount before they Reinen are done) ....

...They BOARD the little flower ships -- and drift, undoubtedly downstream and over the waterfall...

...While the flowers fall, The Reinen are sure they sense that spirits rise...

"Can Gnolls know the love of the lord of purity, Oberst?" a child whispered.

And the Oberst, shedding tears, hoisted up that child and whispered her response while tossling the young girls hair...

"All of us can know the love of the Lord, child. Never forget this. No tortured soul escapes his grace, that will hear the songs of his faithful. Now sing child, I've got something in my eye."

And the woods green glow dimmed -- if just a bit, as the Reinen considered what next to do...
 

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Heyitsjiwon Heyitsjiwon :

"Long-running projects of the Attolians":

An expedition to the tower, the quarry and the recently discovered region around the quarry is to take place in order to search the area for resources, further explore, and for Nicholas to get more samples for research.:

The Attolians arrived at the Collossi "Quarry" not long before the Fennec did -- and indeed as they left, they Saw the Fennec pick that place, of all places, as their new base of operations since leaving the 'Platz. To Attolian dejection, they saw that the fennec had been watching them too -- and while the Attolians had gathered plenty of shattered samples before they arrived -- as they packed up from this area they saw the enterprising little fennecs were doing the same... gathering every little bit the Attolians had left unnoticed. (2 research points on automatons secured by Attolians) -- they were proud of their discoveries, including a semi-intact head, but one thing was certain -- this "goldmine" of technological discovery would be picked clean by the time they ever sought to return.

Spacekitty Spacekitty : Enterprising Fennecs find 1 unit of "shattered automaton parts" -- maybe the Attolians value them? Maybe there are more to find?

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Another expedition is sent to the recently cleared agora district. They are to set up an outpost and explore the region/investigate for anything useful. Worst case, this region's destroyed buildings will provide stone for future construction. They will have the silver bell just in case.
Sir Bors, the Sundered King, 5 Halberdiers, 5 Skilled Laborers, 10 Unskilled Laborers and 3 Augmented Stone Constructs:

Sir Bors and two of his Halberdiers moved on to meet the Zebani, but this outpost seemed safe enough if the next four nights told them anything. The twiceborn slowly pulled away from them, either growing tired of watching the Attolians working, or perhaps wishing to return when conversation between them could be reciprocal. It would be a while before the district was mapped, and besides the occasional shiny bit, there was little of grand report -- but one thing was certain -- this place was cleansed of the restless dead -- it would be ripe for settling!

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Help the Order with their construction efforts with the lighthouse.
10 Skilled Workers, 15 Unskilled, and the Architect:

Almost complete, and profiting tremendously from the cranes, the Attolians put thier own flourish on the Lighthouse of St. Victoria... For some time they had been developing an infant glazier (glassmaking) project -- and they offered some curved lenses and thick glass windows to the top of the lighthouse, that would further enhance it's effects. If the four curved lenses were aligned, it was speculated that a very concentrated beam could be made, but if spread in the cardinal directions it would shed light brighter and farther in all of them, and the control of single lenses would allow "Spotlights" on the Platz or out to sea. A crude but clever rigging was designed between the Attolians and the St. Victorians, and the functionality of the lighthouse would doubtless be tremendously enhanced. All involved with the project, Tyren included SpiralErrant SpiralErrant , were excited at the fruits of the collective labor -- It turned out that the headpiece of the Tower, with delicate parts and a grandiosity first unimagined, could only be secured safely with the bravery of Strong Tyren workers fearlessly riding the crane with the head-piece of the tower... It was expected to be a fine and spectacular contribution to the colony!

*Glasswork project on a larger scale will either need multi-factional guild support or the investment of wealth to bear more fruit.

*Attolian constructs, what few there are, become ever-vigilant guardians of their goods at port and in the depression. Unsavory characters avoid them like the plague.

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Create a Commons to the northeast of the Attolian Housing District, close to Learner's Square. This Commons is dedicated not to learning, but to spend time with and enjoy each other's company via sports or games. Especially the Attolian favorite (among the commoners) Gameball (read"\: non-american football/soccer")

The games had yet to attract great crowds, but various human teams had already formed a league, most notably the Exiles leading team, the "Sharkrats", closing out their local rivals the "Ratsharks" in a most recent 3-2 nailbiter. It was a place for people to picnic and seek entertainment that didn't revolve around the Inn, or other forms of drunken revelry, and it was well needed. Spacekitty Spacekitty : People already wished they had their own stadium -- but a desire to bring in more races to play and show their particular skills was also desired. A needed entertainment venue. (+1 influence Attolians!)

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Begin the excavation of the graves and the depression to see if there's anything useful we could find or use. For example, how did those people in the graves die? Maybe from the Cull? What kind of structure is below the sands? :

This project was given plenty of labor and quickly gave up answers...

*The oldest graves were of muurdain military manufacture, in particular 4 "burial shafts" -- basically one marker over a vertical dig, with 4 layers of 4 coffins going down twelve feet of earth! The shafts were excavated, but the sarcophagi (fancy stone ones!) that lay on each side of each level had marks of warning sculpted onto them, and threatened that they were trapped.

*Later, the graves of two distinct previous colony attempts were discovered. The first was entirely human, likely Muurdain, and the graves are too old and decayed to yield even enduring metal effects, everything is decayed -- even the bones are mostly dust. The next colony graves are obviously less in a state of decomposition, but are nonetheless centuries old. It seemed at first there was a fancy section just for elves, but it rapidly became a mass grave of piled corpses with collective grave markers. Orcs and Firbolg (How few they are! Why were they here?!) were a part of this colony, and many seemed to have fallen from either bites and the cuts of a canine-like animal, or horrible scythe-like disemboweling wounds... and strangely the largest grave area is also the oldest, and whatever type of creature was not traditionally humanoid -- a black dust fills these diggings... and a lonely grave, similarly full of black dust, lay beside it. It is pure speculation, but imagination runs wild that slowly casualties mounted, until all of a sudden this colony was wholly wiped out. One species of this lost colony remained, and after it too was slaughtered wholesale, one or more of the last of them buried all the bodies then buried themselves.

*Most strangely, a couple of graves were recently disturbed -- and not only contained the bones of old colonists, but the obviously hidden bodies of two of the shadier exiles that had recently been reported missing, but had a habit of vanishing often so a search was not so greatly motivated. Now they had been found. Expressions of terror, slain by crossbow bolts at close range and seemingly short knives to deliver killing or "insurance" blows. More disconcerting was the remains of a Reinen storage crate in these adulterated graves... The Engineer and his men had come upon a murder scene -- or at least the location where a murder had been disposed of. The engineer also found what could be strange vault entrances in the mausoleums in the back of the graveyard, but there was no means to open them evident from the outside... they would seek Caelis' permission to break the vaults open...
_____________

Sidenotes:

Use of messenger birds by the common public is increased by training at the learning square. Commerce slightly increases, but more notably, familiarity and friendship begins to cultivate, as questions get answers, and asks for help are greeted receptively. (Colony morale increases, happily coming on the heels of the confusing evacuation of the 'Platz recently)

Customs efforts are met with hostility -- The seawall has been closed since the incidents in the platz, and the convoy and slavers proclaim: "Your doors shut, so are ours... Beat it, and we're not paying Tarrif if it ain't even clear you'll let us go. "Admiral says they are staying only a little bit longer -- in 5 days we'll ram that sea-wall gate if you folk refuse to open it. We don't care about the affairs of this colony. Those of us on the Docks want to be GONE, from here, and the old-world, for all we care for it."
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Expedition to the Tower "Spire" :

Finally, Nicholas, the Linguist, a sundered king, and 5 halberdiers visit the spire of sky hill again. As might have been expected, they are quickly confronted by a regiment of 25 clockwork soldiers who Met them, stopped them really, on the way to the spire. 5 of these clockworks were painted head to toe white, with four having a black "X" on their solar-plexi and one with a gold "X" -- the X of gold covered a flap, that like in a previous encounter opened to reveal inner-workings, tiny "groove-players" -- A minute ticked by in an almost tense standoff, when popping and crackling emanated from this one clockwork's chest cavity...

"R.R.R.R.Tist. Artist. Hello. Artist. Your. Weapons. Incorporate. our. Principles. You. are. a. maker. Steal. No. More. R.R.R. Artist. You. Are. Asked. To. Take. One. of. the. frac. frac. broken. back. with. you. Repair. it. Artist. Or. Break. And. Steal. Your. Choice. Fixer. Comes. In. Thief. Forbidden. Take. Frac. Frac. Broken. One. Leave. Now."

One of the white-lead painted automatons stepped into line behind the Attolian Sundered King... it's Black X on it's chest, and a strange limp to it's gait and a weird bounce to it's pinhole-eyes. It would follow them home, even as the clockwork men marched in unison back to the spire.

"Don't. Re-Re-Re-Re. Without. Frac-Frac. Broken. Goodbye."
 
Elien had to agree on that last point. If this fledgling government body wanted to prove its legitimacy and ability to impose order upon the wild hearted then sabotaging a visiting merchant ship and consigning its crew to a watery grave like some gang hit would only hurt them in the long run. What was needed here was a calm and cold hearted mixture of openness and strength. After a brief talk with the present leadership they had gathered as much information as one could on such short notice.

With an escort of devout and knights in tow Elien made her way to the docks to pass on the news of their masters' unfortunate demise to the crew of their vessel. She would leave out the grisly details, simply telling them that they had lost their lives in an altercation in the public square and giving her condolences for their loss.

And of course the two ships would have to be detained for now as an investigation was underway, all in the name of seeing justice done for the poor Navricks and their retinue. Elien brought along Sir Ravalla to bombard the crew with legal jargon, lending further weight and power to their standing and commands. The knights of St Victoria were well known in the old world and steel booted wardens in orange and white tabbards could conjure up many emotions when they set to righting wrongs. So long as they imposed obedience in this admiral and his crew then Elien was happy.

She had also brought along the chapters resident archivist to hang around the back of their formation where it was safe for the older cannonate whom she had summoned from their lighthouse. Their knowledge could yet come in handy if any evidence was found. She had also called for some of their more personable brothers, Sir Arran the miner and his personable nature along with Sir Abel, who's quick tongue and easy wit were swiftly finding more work in the new world than he ever expected. Sir Magda was also called for, she was of less use than the others when it came to the written parts of the investigation but she knew a ship better than any of the other knights and would be a blessed pair of eyes in spotting any foul play on the part of the sailors or noticing anything amiss in the ships themselves.

Because of course Elien would ask for the right to search both ships! One held the quarters of two nobles who had died on the colony lands and more fould play than the obvious was expected. Then there was this admiral that had escorted them, so little was known of him and the cargo he had brought with him, both ships were suspected extensions of the crime scene. Their refusal to pay any legal fees on trade and use of the docks as well was an issue that would also need handling but went against all regulations in the known empire. The crews were assured that so long as they cooperated with Victorian authorities and paid the legal trading fees then they would of course be allowed to leave and afforded all the rights and dignities given to law abiding imperial citizens. If they did not then action would need to be taken.
 
Enemy Standoo Enemy Standoo :

The crew of the Slaver ship did not seem broken up that the master and mistress of the ship had been slain, and opened their ship to investigation -- The cargo manifest showed all of the slaves as encountered, and the ship was empty except for one discrepancy -- The manifest read "One Colossal Gnurl" -- but it was not unloaded on the manifest, and the cargo hold was empty. The quarters of the baronetess and husband was modest in size but opulent in decor... a strange swing and numerous whips, of strange color and different design then those in the slave hold, seemed to litter the area. There was a Log book for the voyage, but it was empty! (strangely enough) approximately a score of sailors, who just wanted to go home, submitted to full examination.

As far as the Admiral, this was said :

"Board us, Bookworms -- and we'll give you a dock-tax of our own. The Bosun's ship had little more than a skeleton crew so that the full complement of sailors, many of them seasoned veterans, festooned the admirals ship -- We concluded our business here the hour we landed. You have nothing to do with us -- touch my escort vessel or ask to board my ship again and we shall open fire upon you with blunderbuss, then we will take control of these port defenses and have another pleasant discussion about YOUR docking dues... These are no threats. We knew those fools were dead the second they blundered up that sandslope -- you all are. No offense intended, but the sooner you open the seawall and let us on our way, the sooner we can both forget either of us ever existed. You can keep the slaver ship for all we care. But I vow in front of my whole crew that we will not consent to this search, and have nothing to hide, nor to show you. Sue for peace and let us go, or there will be blood. We have not been successful smugglers by letting every petty tyrant with a piece of paper and confusing gib to board and search us. Let us go and we'll even put in a good word with other smugglers... that'd be your gain, but we have nothing more to discuss, Victorian."
 
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