The Campaign Builder's Guild

[ic=Grand Warden Malik to the Despotissa Koura]Perhaps if your husband has a sister of marriageable age, that might be acceptable. Otherwise, I feel that such distant relatives may not be a very meaningful guarantee.

No matter, if nothing such can be arranged, we may make do without. But rest assured, that Kashtu will remain vigilant against any further adventures in the Ma'a or on our borders.[/ic]

[ic=Peshuek Barzan to the Honorable Grand Archon of Celend]Since my last report, it has come to my atttention that the Despotissa Koura has made peace overtures to the Grand Warden. At this time, I am not certain of the particulars, but it seems unlikely at this time that you may look forward to any help from Kashtu in your struggle.

However, I have also caught wind of a supply of arms being shipped from Artash. If a sufficient gratuity were to be supplied to the caravan master, it seems that some of those arms might be diverted to Celend before they reach Kashtu.

This must be done with the utmost discretion to avoid alerting the Grand Warden, who would most certainly be displeased. Please advise any further actions.[/ic]

[ooc]
Orders for Egwydor  
- Pull together the small forces in what was the old tribes' territories and gather/train a suitable fighting force
- Build a temple to the four in each tribal territory
- Build a harbor
- Dig for gold and gems
- Dig out sewer systems in major cities
[/ooc]

[ic=In the court room of King Meas V]

The King sighed as he rubbed his temple, a clear display of how this situation vexed him, not that he hadn't expected that there would be atleast some people who would be very...opiniated about this.
to have his sons, or his brother sons inherit the name Meas?
the ongoing discussion had been going for far too long now, the loudest ones being those who could see a benifit for them self if the son they wished to be king was amounth the possible candidates, when a nerveus hand was raised, gesturing a wish to speak and held up for several minuts, patiently.
Meas silenced the room, partly because he simple wanted to hear something else "I believe Douran of House Sang, wishes to speak"
"thank you King Meas" Douran bowed, then continued "uhm....well...it's said that >>Avardera entrust upon thee her future<<, so I was thinking....well, perhaps that's what's important.   it doesn't matter if it's King Meas V, or King Meas IV, may his spirit be with the ancestor and the land, sons who will lead Avardera, so long it's the best one....so...how about just this once, we let tests all six of them and find the must able to protect Avarderas future, no matter whose sons it is?"
The King smiled, even as the other assumbled nobles had started to murmur amounth each other over this suggestion. bring enough nobles together for long enough and eventually somebody.....using a Auri expression...will have a bright idea[/ic]

 [ooc]

Foreigen Orders:

Salvage what ever is possible from Arennias lands

Aid the Auri in the construction of roads

Teach the Auri the Avarderan writting

Maintain a policy of peaceful vigilantcy toward the Andos, but with strict orders to not initiate any hostility and lift the ban any trade and travel from and with Andos.

Domistic Orders:

Expand the road network in Avardera and as far as possible connect all cities and villages.

Standardsize the written language.

Continue the gathering and expasion of knowledge about foreign countries.

support the above, by making parpyrus more widely avaliable to the scripes and scholars to phase out the bark stripes.

When the time come (incase Meas V pass away in this turn) then have both his and his brother sons be tested.

Military Order

Construct a 2.nd fleet, and if needed, disband one spearmen army to support the fleet.

Order the fleets to protect Avaredras water against pirates, while also keeping an eye out for the "western demon" and Andos alike.

Personal Order

King Meas V converting to the light (not changing it to state religion though) [/ooc]

[ic=Celend to Peshuek Barzan]This is an unfortunate turn of events, but it was already evident that we would be receiving no help from Kashtu.  Unless Kashtu wholly defects to the Despotissa, the situation has not changed significantly.

Your information is appreciated, and we are willing to provide the necessary leverage to make sure Kuregn gains no additional assistance from foreign states.  We must, however, make sure that no other states - Artash included, minor though it may be - are brought into this war against us.

The Archons will remember your assistance in this time of need.[/ic]

[ooc]Typo in my last message - it should have been clearer that the arms were coming from Artash to Kashtu, not Kuregn. Then again, I suppose that Celend's intelligence would be good enough to know that.[/ooc]

The Years of the New Lords
Year of the Comet 226-250

[spoiler=The Inverness]
The Invernessi War never really ended; it just entered a 20-year lull while one generation handed off their grievances to the next.  The time was needed for the Machta to rebuilt his shattered fleet and the conflict itself to escalate into a full-blown proxy war between Ar-Auriban and the Despotate of Kuregn.  In the years leading up to the renewal of hostilities, representatives of the Agah and the Despotissa met at Norpost, attempting to find some way out of the war.  Both the Agah and the Despotissa wanted a quick conclusion to the war, but neither was willing to back out of their commitments, and the delegations found no common ground.

The arrival of the Auri army from the Lost Lands was what the Dragonlord had been waiting for.  With their aid, he finally possessed the ground forces needed to challenge the Machta on his home territory and present a credible defense against Kuregnite intervention.  Both the Machta and the Dragonlord, however, knew that the decisive battle would be at sea.  The Machta had been rebuilding his fleet, and had received reinforcements both from Kuregn and loyal corsairs '" he too was eager for a renewed push into Inveran.

Perhaps aware of the greater stakes, neither side was willing to quickly come to grips with the enemy.  Both sides had competent and veteran captains who spent several seasons skirmishing and feinting back and forth among the islands.  It was not clear who had the upper hand.  The Machta's forces lacked experienced sailors, many of whom had perished in the last battle with Inveran, and also lacked the same ship technology as the Invernessi fleet; on the other hand, the Dragonlord's ships were outnumbered, the Auri-allied Pinur fleet was crewed by poorly trained levies, and the Machta had the advantage of a flotilla of small and handy corsair ships, which proved very useful in reconnaissance and fast raids.

Inveran consistently held the advantage, as winds generally blew in their favor.  The Machta found it difficult to defend his various islands, and the wind rarely cooperated for an attack on Inveran itself.  The first serious engagement at the Battle of Sha'fesk ended in a tactical defeat of the Machta's fleet, though corsair ships running interference allowed most of the fleet to escape.  A follow-up strike might have made headway, but the aging Dragonlord feared losing his fleet in an ill-considered attack.

The Machta considered his next move.  Believing himself to have a superior infantry force, he landed a considerable number of men on the western coast of the Lost Lands, just north of Ruthern, and marched inland.  The Dragonlord hurried to assemble a response.

[spoiler=The Battle of the Glade]
Forces of the East (Inveran)
1 Spearmen (Inveran)
1 Composite Archers (Auri)
1 Slingers (Auri Tribal Allies)
2 Irregulars (1 Auri Tribal Allies, 1 Inveran Tribal Allies)

Forces of the West (Machta-In)
1 Spearmen (1 Kuregnite)
1 Archers (Kuregnite)
1 Bladesmen (Machta-In)
1 Agnrian Guard (Kuregnite)

Result: The armies met just west of the river; the Invernessi commander had initially planned an ambush, but the Machta-Kuregnite army advanced too quickly to prepare an ambuscade.  The Kuregnite archers advanced first, but were driven back by a hail of Auri arrows before they even got within range of the Invernessi.  The Auri archers and their horn-bows proved their worth repeatedly; the spearmen ranks of both sides met in the center, and the Auri stood fast on the right flank and foiled an assault by the Despotissa's Agnrian Guard.  On the Invernessi left, auxiliary slingers forced the Machta's bladesmen from the field.  The battle looked to be turning to the favor of Inveran.

The center had devolved into a shoving match between the spearmen, a match which the Kuregnite soldiery were beginning to win.  They had discipline and experience, and their front line was unshakeable.  On the left, Inveran's slingers had caused grievous casualties, but were now out of bullets and resorting to rocks and pebbles.  On the right, the Agnrian Guard kept pushing forward even as successive ranks were slaughtered by the Auri.

The Invernessi commander massed his tribal levies, held in reserve, on the left flank '" though not his best troops, he believed that a mass counterattack would take the Machta by surprise.  Unbeknownst to him, the Machta had no fresh reserves of his own.  The tribal levies overwhelmed the Machta's bladesmen, already battered as they were by the levy slingers.  On the right, the Agnrians came to grips with the Auri archers, who withdrew with casualties.  The Guard, however, received word that their right flank had been collapsed by the Invernessi, and furthermore that the Machta's commander '" his own heir '" had been killed.  The Guard withdrew from the battle in an orderly fashion, while the rest of the Machta's army fled the field.  It was the Guard which prevented the rout from being a total loss, fighting a brave rearguard action to prevent the Invernessi from chasing down their fleeing allies.  The Invernessi commander attacked the Guard repeatedly, but the Agnrians held fast and defied any attempt to surround or break them.  When nightfall arrived, further pursuit was fruitless, and the battle ended.

Inveran had won a tremendous victory, though not without casualties.  The Machta's casualties, however, were far greater; his army was in tatters and his son was dead.[/spoiler]

The battle on the seas, however, was not yet won.  The Machta's fleet found favorable winds only two days after the battle, and attacked, attempting to isolate Inveran's victorious army from the isles.  Even a tattered army might still be able to invade Inveran if Inveran's forces had no way to reach their homeland.

[spoiler=The Battle of Amaro Strait]Forces of the East (Inveran)
1 War Galleys (Invernessi)
2 Galleys (1 Invernessi, 1 Auri)

Forces of the West (Machta-In)
3 Galleys (1 Machta-In, 2 Kuregnite)
1 Boats (Mandran Pirates)

The fleets of Inveran were only too happy to oblige this move.  The Dragonlord had planned to lure the Machta's fleet to the coast of Ruthern, where he hoped to repeat Numenus' victory.  The Invernessi and Auri-allied galleys retreated before the massed Machta-In vessels, while their war galleys waited on the flank.

The Machta's admiral, Idrun, realized the danger '" though he distrusted his corsair allies, they had spotted the Dragonlord's flanking navy.  For now, the wind was with him, but if the wind changed to blow west (as it usually did), the Invernessi could catch him between their fleet and Ruthern's lee shore.  Idrun's fleet executed a sharp starboard tack, riding the wind directly toward the war galleys with his entire fleet (including the Kuregnite ships).  The same wind prevented Inveran's main force from reaching them quickly.  The war galleys were superior ships with excellent crews, but were swamped by three times their number in galleys, as well as a sea choked with small corsair boats.  In a fierce battle, the Invernessi fleet was largely destroyed, though they had taken nearly half of Kuregn's entire navy and many corsair boats with them.  The rest of the corsairs, not being accustomed to fighting a real naval battle, fled not long before the engagement was over.

The Machta's fleet pressed on to Inveran.  They carried no ground troops, but they could attempt to cut off the returning Invernessi fleet.  Though the Invernessi strove hard to breach the Machta-Kuregnite lines and reach the city, the Invernessi fleet had lost its advantages '" their best ships were destroyed, and half their remaining fleet was both untrained and difficult to command, as communication between Auri, Pinur, and Invernessi captains was difficult.  The attack stalled, and the Machta's fleet needed only to wait for the wind to turn to its usual westward course.  When it did, the fleet drove the Invernessi ships westward and crushed them between their lines and the coast, within sight of Norpost.  League fishermen and the Auri emissary gathered on the shore to watch the last battle of Inveran's fleet.[/spoiler]

Sesto, the Invernessi commander of the Dragonlord's army, was watching as well.  He had been attempting to gain access to any League ships he could by pleading with the Captains, but the Captains had recently made peace with the Machta and kept delaying their answer.  Seeing Inveran defeated and believing that the Machta would not stand for an enemy army gaining asylum in a League colony, the Captains of Norpost politely but firmly requested that he leave the colony.

Triumphant, the Machta gathered his land forces and struck at Inveran itself.  The city had impressive walls, and was guarded by newly armed militia and levies from Balan '" not the best of soldiers, but a fair number of defenders behind good walls could hold a city for some time.  The siege of the city, however, lasted only two months before a Balanese levy captain, unwilling to starve to death in a foreign country for his hated Auri taskmasters, betrayed the city and opened a gate to the Machta's men.  The city's defenses collapsed.

Despite his initial setbacks, the war had turned to the Machta's favor in the end.  The Drakka of Ilneress saw the writing on the wall and offered his submission to the Machta.  Within two years, the entire Inverness was in the Machta's possession.  The only Invernessi holdouts were in the Lost Lands, where Sesto's undefeated army waited helplessly, and Numenas, where the Xuk had kept their promise and delivered the post to the new Drakka only months before the war had begun.  The Drakka of Numenas pronounced himself Dragonlord Gregor II, apparently brushing away the idea of an elective monarchy.

Sesto, now without a home or a leader but at the head of a still powerful army, sought revenge.  He dismissed his Auri allies; as soon as they had left, he returned to Norpost to teach a lesson to the League, who had stood by while his country fell.  When the attack came, most of the League merchants and Captains were forced to escape to their ships.  Most were able to flee, and so casualties were relatively light, but Norpost itself was utterly razed.

In doing this, Sesto had broken with the Auri, who were most unhappy with his attack on their nominal vassal.  The Auri, however, had no manpower to devote to his destruction, and Sesto had no quarrel with the Auri, who had been instrumental to his victory.  For nearly a decade, Sesto ruled as a bandit-lord over much of the western Lost Lands.  Only in 248, when the Auri arrived in Ar-Naghk with chariots and bowmen, did Sesto concede his defeat.  He marched his army into Avardera and laid his life and army on the mercy of King Meas.

The Machta died earlier, in the year 237, as a much hailed victor and the uniter of the Inverness.  His son did not live to succeed him, but Talor, his grandson and son of the Despotissa, was confirmed as Machta at the age of 26.  Four years later, his mother, Koura Bistar Tolumanou of Kuregn, also died at an advanced age.  The following spring, Talor was crowned Despot of Kuregn at the Red Palace.

The 30 year old ruler commanded an empire comparable to the Agah's.  Its problems, however, proved evident only a few years after his succession.  A renewed campaign against Celend was moderately successful, but almost simultaneously the Despot and Machta (for the two realms, though ruled by the same person, were still separate realms in every other way) found himself with rebellions in every quarter.  In the Inverness, a full blown Zakhite rebellion had seized many villages, with these xenophobic ascetics refusing to accept a half-foreign ruler.  An Invernessi nobleman pronounced himself Dragonlord of Ilneress and expelled Talor's garrison, doubtless hoping to capitalize on the Zakhite situation.  Most worrisome of all were rumors that the Kuregnite Army doubted his legitimacy to rule based on his mixed ancestry, though at present no other relative of the great Toluman is known (besides Talor's two sisters).  From outside his realm, Hayrine raiders threatened the Isles, while Celend remained a powerful enemy, and tensions grew in the Ma'a.

Not much domestic development was possible during this period, as Talor busily extracted as much wealth from his various domains as possible to fund wars and rebellion suppression on multiple fronts.  The next few years may witness the consolidation of the 'Taloran Empire,' or its total disintegration.

Wensleydale now controls Kuregn and the Machta-In.  These two states are still separate states at this point, and so their statistics are tracked separately.

Through conquering Inveran and fighting its fleet, the Machta-In has gained a military technology (WGa).

The Machta-In
Player: Wensleydale
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Popularity: 4 [-1]
Dread: 5
State Religion: Sadatism
Popular Religion: 62% Tumiiri Sadatism, 9% Zakhism, 29% Dragon Saints
Fervor: 6
Population: 23,500 [+6,500]
Cities: Danhula (C), Inveran
Prosperity: 4 [-1]
Trade: 3
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 3 [-1]
Espionage: 3
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal, WGa
Forces: 3 (5) [+1]
Army: 1 Spr, 1 Bld
Navy: 1 Gal

The Despotate of Kuregn
Player: Wensleydale
Government: Hereditary Stratocracy
Popularity: 5
Dread: 6
State Religion: Cult of the Despot
Popular Religion: 30% Kuregnite Polytheism, 58% Cult of the Despot, 12% Atur Polytheism
Fervor: 5
Population: 115,000
Cities: Kuregn (C), Agnri, Sabae, Yaffa
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 1
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 4
Espionage: 2
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Cam, Boa, Gal
Forces: 7 (9)
Army: 1 Agn, 2 Spr, 1 Arc, 1 Cam
Navy: 2 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Egwydor]It was in these years that a second Mandran state emerged on the lonely coasts of the western middle sea.  To the people of Otahvy, this was the 'unlucky land,' for the coast of Egwydor was not favored by the currents '" the counter-clockwise winds that drove the Middle Sea trade through the Inverness also drove hapless ships straight into the lee shore of Egwydor, and made any launch almost impossible unless a ship limped along the coast well into Kuregn.  No trader wanted to make the easy journey into Egwydor knowing of the torturously long journey back out, despite the new harbors constructed by the residents.  Land trade with Otahvy was possible, but few northern traders saw much profit in it '" it was far easier to trade over the waters with the relatively prosperous eastern states, or just raid them instead.  The lack of many decent pack animals in Otahvy, or easily transportable commodities, also made land trade problematic.

Nevertheless, the people of the Lee Shore were not unlucky in all respects.  Drawing fishing techniques from Otahvy and agricultural techniques from Kuregn, the people of the four elements made perhaps a better living than some of their kinsmen in Otahvy.  Good relations with Otahvy were established; emissaries sent to Kuregn were politely welcomed and sent on their way, as the Despotate appeared to consider Egwydor just another minor, illiterate barbarian tribe.  The Egwydorians were impressed by the grandness of the great kingdom, however, and borrowed much of Kuregn's ancient architecture for their own use '" new stone temples devoted to the elements bore clear resemblances to the famous Red Palace, though they were not nearly as grand.  Some simple drainage was also adapted from Kuregnite cities.

The discovery of gold north of Egwydor set off quite an interest in the resources of the western mountains; the people of the Earth caste took this as their calling, and greatly expanded their people's knowledge of the highlands.  Gold remained rather scarce '" the real finds were copper and malachite, which were traded in the markets of western Kuregn.  Malachite in particular, a semiprecious stone found with copper ore, was a popular item (it became known as 'Mandran greenstone' in Kuregn).  Still, the technology of mining was quite backwards, and Egwydor lacked a large enough labor force to really exploit these resources in great bulk.

In 241, a fisherman-cum-prospector and his brother, believing that gold might naturally be found nearest the sun, discovered a pass apparently leading through the mountains.  A storm came in, however, and the pass remained closed for several weeks.  It was the following year before the brothers made the climb again, taking their supplies with them on the back of an ox brought from a Kuregnite merchant.  The pass was quite high and filled with snow at all times, and the journey was perilous.  Running short on food, the brothers were forced to butcher the ox.  After a week of searching, however, the brothers found themselves looking westward over an immense valley with a mist-shrouded lake stretching beneath them as far as the eye could see.  Weary and low on supplies, the brothers contented themselves with a mere glance, and returned through the pass to their own country.

Egwydor
Player: Haphazzard
Government: Theocratic Tribal Council
Popularity: 5
Dread: 0
State Religion: Elemental Rite
Popular Religion: 88% Elemental Rite, 12% Mandran Polytheism
Fervor: 3
Population: 6,500
Cities: Egwydor (C)
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 1
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 0
Espionage: 0
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa
Forces: 2 (3)
Army: 1 Sli
Navy: 1 Boa[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Avardera]
Avardera marked this period with an increasingly close relationship with the Auri.  The greatest symbol of this relationship was the construction of the greatest engineering marvel the world had ever seen '" a road running from Avarra, to Ar-Naghk, to distant Zegarah in the east.  The techniques for building the road were invented on the spot by Avarderan masons, and the construction required thousands of Auri slaves (a fair share of which died in the process of construction).  The road itself was broad enough for four chariots to pass side by side, paved with flagstones.  At increments corresponding to one day's journey, small keeps were built for travelers to spend the night.  The duty to guard these posts was shared between Avardera (in their territory) and the Auri (in theirs), who found this to be a another good use of their ever abundant supply of slaves.

The road found its greatest use by the Auri military.  It became the artery of the western reaches of their empire, allowing them to swiftly move their chariotry at will.  As an additional benefit, however, Avarderan traders found the road an excellent way to avoid the rampant piracy of these years.  Few bandits dared operate in the lands of the Agah, and Avarderan merchants 'rediscovered' the silver mines of Daura that the Auri had never exploited on the scale of their predecessors in Durum.  For a few years, Avardera became the Middle Sea's broker of silver '" at least until the Sorghedai seized much of Daura in the year 247.

If relations with the east were good, Avardera had more trouble with its neighbors abroad.  Their expedition to Arrania vanished without a trace, and the Auri could offer no explanation as to why.  In the year 230, a single galley appeared off the coast of Taripont.  It was a Hayrine ship, from the far western coast of the Ochre Sea.  The first Hayrine visitors were interested in trading, but as more and more arrived King Meas began to grow uneasy.  In 238, a Hayrine fleet attacked Otahvy.  The following year, a different fleet attacked Stormshield Isle, and was only chased off with great difficulty.  The fleet continued eastward to Andos.  The Hayrines were no strangers to the Andosen, who knew them better as the 'western demons' who had raided their shores.

It seems that political changes far to the unknown west had collapsed the coveted trade route of Hayar, and the entire nation had taken to the sea and assaulted every coastal settlement between Baktash and the Machta-In.  The Kingdom of Hayar ceased to exist, replaced by raider lords commanding fleets of galleys filled with settlers and warriors.

The Hayrines redoubled their efforts and heavily defeated the Avarderan navy in 241, seizing the isle as their own.  They invaded the mainland in 243, but were not as successful, and fled from a pitched battle near Taripont.  King Meas rebuilt his navy and managed to prevent any further invasions, though the cost of an army and navy capable of dealing with the Hayrine threat strained the resources of his lands.  The Auri were incapable of helping him, occupied with a life-and-death struggle of their own on the steppes.

Still, though the Hayrines were a notable exception, the situation was in total quite good for Avardera.  The demise of Inveran ended their influence in the Lost Lands, and Sesto's actions simultaneously gave the King access to a group of trained men-at-arms and crippled the League presence in the Lost Lands.  Avardera's written language became the standard both in Avarra and Zegarah, though papyrus found more use in the lands of the Auri.  In the wetter weather of Avardera, papyrus had a tendency to fall apart, making permanent record-keeping difficult.

A notable change in these years was the conversion of Avardera's king to the Light (better known as Zhasmunism).  The Auri had always had difficulty accepting the idea of an equal ally; their traditions dictated that only those following the Light were pure enough to rule the earth.  The King's conversion allowed the Agah to accept Avardera properly as a friendly state, and Auri holy men and their philosophies (put into writing for the first time ever, in Avarderan script) became common in the cities of Avardera.

Through trade and alliance with the Auri, Avardera has acquired a new military technology (Cha).  As they have both chariots and horses, Avardera may train chariot units.

Player: Tillumni
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Popularity: 6
Dread: 2
State Religion: None
Popular Religion: 62% Animism, 24% Zhasmunism, 4% Runethainism, 7% Dragon Saints, 3% Mother Earth/ Father Sea
Fervor: 4 [+1]
Population: 19,000 [+2500]
Cities: Avarra (C), Taripont
Prosperity: 4 [-1]
Trade: 2 [+1]
Advancement: Middle Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 3 [+1]
Espionage: 2 [+1]
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, CAr, Sli, Swd, Cha, Boa, Gal
Forces: 5 (4)
Army: 2 Spr, 1 Sli
Navy: 2 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Andos]
Relations with the Ivrusken, while rocky at first, took a dramatic turn for the better.  It was eventually discovered that the people of Ivrusk considered themselves to have been at war with Andos; in fact, war was the default state between them and every other people.  Only submission through the giving of tribute would change this situation, and that was exactly how the Ivran (the priests of Ivrusk) had interpreted the gifts of the Andosen.  As a 'tree-keeping' people, the Andosen were free to travel in Ivrusk, though much of the 'Amber Shore' remained the private domain of the Ivrusken.  The tree, it seemed, really did ensure peace.

The Andosen were most interested in these lands for the metals they might hold.  No Andosen managed to reach the White Sea, which apparently lay far to the north and east, but this was apparently the source of copper for Ivrusk.  The Ivrusken were willing to trade, which was sufficient for most Andosen.  After all, the idea of 'Gray Giants' sounded rather formidable, and probably something to be avoided if at all possible.  Tuarescou was another matter entirely.  The Andosen sailed north '" so far north that the navigators were certain the world would soon end.  The coast was largely uninhabited and rather bare, and few supplies could be had.  In the end, the expeditions simply could not carry enough supplies to reach the fabled northern land.

To the south, Chirub and the warriors returned from the lands of the Sorghedai.  They had been witnesses to a considerable success '" the Sorghedai, under the leadership of a new Council, had wrested away the ancient lands of Daura (Durum) along with its silver mines.  Their style of warfare was like nothing the Andosen had ever seen.  Rather than irregular warfare with small, fractious bands, the Auri and Sorghedai fielded line upon line of ordered foot archers and rows of rumbling chariots.  The arrow was the decisive weapon of the steppe battlefield, and it was fired by the composite bow, which the Andosen warriors observed was far superior to the bows of their homeland.  When they returned to Andos, they bore these bows back to their homeland.  They were guests of honor upon their return, though the Andosen thought some of the customs they had acquired in foreign lands were a bit odd '" namely, an annoying habit of referring to themselves as 'my ancestors' on occasion, and a taste for fermented mare's milk.  The 'horn-bows' they brought spread like wildfire, replacing regular self bows across the isle.  This change was spurred by more than just preference, however.

In the year 240, the demons returned '" though this time, they seemed to sail from Avardera rather than the northwest, and they had far more ships.  Without warning, the fleet sailed straight to Grycham and devastated the territory, laying waste to Andosen holy places, killing Andosen men, and taking Andosen women and children as their own.  Andosen women and children, however, were more formidable than the demons had predicted, and the practice of taking Andosen slaves was abandoned in short order.

The next ten years saw nearly total war for control of the western shore of Andos.  The 'Hayrines,' as they called themselves, were the most ruthless enemy the Andosen had ever encountered.  They were not interested in formality or honor '" if they offered peace, it was only in order to form a subsequent betrayal.  They desecrated holy places so purposefully that none doubted their vileness.  A Hayrine 'Connetar' actually ruled in Grycham for two seasons until a grand alliance of motherhouses forced the Hayrines out.

The Hayrines regained a foothold through negotiations with the disaffected tribes in the north who resisted Andosen rule.  Vys, the leader of the Anarvi people, had been kidnapped by the Andosen of Stavram and her alliance left in disarray.  The Hayrines promised them deliverance from the Andosen, and many of these tribes, as well as inland bandits, joined them.  It was in the north that the Hayrines built a great fortress, from which the Connetar Hayk-ai directed his ships.

Though before the coming of the Hayrines, the various factions of Andos had been concentrating on their sea power, the incursion turned their attention to the land.  Many war canoes had been destroyed in the sack of Grycham, and though the newer ships of the Grychgayte proved excellent for exploring they were still inferior to and outnumbered by the excellently crafted galleys of the Hayrines.  Only once did they defeat the Hayrines at sea, in a battle whose fortune rested largely on a bank of fog that left the Hayrines blind on an uncertain shore.

Andosen tactics and weapons adapted to the new threat.  For all their naval technology, the Hayrines lacked the new composite bows of the east, which the Andosen used with deadly effect against them.  Giant bows proved somewhat of a dead end, but warriors of the Ryvan-Holme developed a sling held on the end of a staff '" a staff-sling, if you will '" that was a poor combat weapon but could hurl heavy payloads long distances.  This was used to ambush Hayrine ships, which the staff-slingers could attack with 'firepots' filled with flaming oil of Arranian recipe.  Soon the Hayrines knew better than to casually sail close to shore.

The Ryvalnya outposts on the coast were invaluable, at least as long as they resisted attack.  The Strava found themselves rebuilding these outposts constantly, as the Hayrines made them targets of constant attack.  The Grychgayte made out the best of all the Andosen factions, for Krynam became an important Andosen center as Grycham remained under constant threat.  They maintained the only effective fleet and a network of lumber camps to maintain it, and despite the threat from the west seemed happy to keep their resources and knowledge to themselves.

If life was made precarious by the incursion, the poetic life was enhanced.  Beginning with the Chirubyan stories told of their journeys and wars on the steppes, those with good memories and a poetic flair crafted epics of combat and struggle against both the Auri and the Hayrines, and verses from these often became pan-Andosen cultural phenomena that were understood from the highlands to the shores.  Many of these blended the mythical with the real, but to most these were not separate domains '" were they not under attack by demons from the edge of the world?  Fantastic times demanded fantastic tales, told fantastically.

Nargaq was but a minor footnote in all this.  Travelers there found few Auri and just as few Nargaq.  Those that remained eked out a living in the shadow of destruction; the old crafts and methods seemed lost.  All knew of the Auri habit of enslaving craftsmen and artisans to add to the greater glory of their strongholds and palaces in the east.  By the time the great road was completed, Auri presence in the west grew to the point where the Andosen could no longer easily search the lands for survivors of value, and the enterprise ended in the face of far more important matters.

The Andosen have learned a new technology from the Sorghedai (CAr).

Player: amikaligula
Government: Matriarchal Timocracy
Popularity: 6 [+1]
Dread: 3
State Religion: Cult of Svyorn
Popular Religion: 36% Cult of Svyorn, 15% Other Cults, 49% Animism
Fervor: 6 [+1]
Population: 11,500 [+1000]
Cities: Grycham (C), Stavram, Krynam
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 1
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 3
Espionage: 3
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, CAr, Sli, ASp, Boa, OCa, Gal
Forces: 4 (4) [+1]
Army: 2 ASp, 1 CAr
Navy: 1 OCa[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Kashtu]
The military-ecclesiastical alliance proved to be only a partial solution to Kashtu's political woes.  Perhaps understandably, the Peshuek and the traditional clan leaders were less than enthusiastic about an alliance that excluded them.  For the time being, however, Malik possessed the army and the support of the Tarkad pastoralists, and this was enough to discourage any direct challenge to his rule.

Overall, this was a time of peace in the Atur.  War between Kuregn and Celend did re-erupt for a few years, but in general the Despotissa and her successors were too involved with the Invernessi war and later rebellions to launch a grand offensive against the Archons.  Understandably, the rulers of Kuregn had no desire to make new enemies, and save for a few bloodless border squabbles the long, ill-defined frontier remained inviolate.  The Atur were too exhausted by war to bother with any internecine conflicts of their own, and relations between them and Malik '" whom they distrusted for his peace with Kuregn '" were smoothed somewhat by his generosity towards them.

Relations with the distant 'Lands of Dusk' were established during this time, largely due to the efforts of the Kashtu priests living in Zur'a as part of the Kashtu mission.  One of them, Alwan (a Tarkad Atur given a religious education in Kashtu), devoted his life to the production of twenty-two papyrus scrolls that largely deciphered the Zur'a language.  The Alwan Scrolls never made it back to the great temple, however '" the priests were attacked by unknown Atur bandits on their return journey, and Alwan was killed.  The scrolls vanished for several years, until they were 'rediscovered' and purchased by the Warden Grihmud.

The Peshuek in general had long been interested in extending their influence from local agriculture to long-distance trade, and the possessor of the Alwan Scrolls to enjoy unprecedented access and communication with the west.  It was through these scrolls that a counter-alliance began to form between the Peshuek and the clan Wardens that had been displaced by Malik.  The first true coffee trade [Carp's note: enough with this 'black seed' stuff, it's coffee :) ] began, and caravans also brought fine textiles from the west.  The capstone acquisition was made in 244, when the Peshuek Barzan astounded the populace of Kashtu with a Zur'a 'flying tapestry,' a large oddly-shaped bag of tightly-woven textile that floated in the air when filled with hot smoke, carrying a pair of men aloft for several minutes.  The idea for a road through the Ma'a to facilitate this trade proved to be a non-starter; the terrain made both labor and construction nearly impossible, and shifting sands in the deepest reaches of the Ma'a proved to be totally unsuited to any kind of construction being built over them.

The last few years saw a new development of the struggle between the 'Old Alliance' and Malik's leadership.  Their access to the Zur'a gave the Peshuek and Wardens access to something else '" Zur'shuk warriors, who were eager to serve in the 'Land of Fire.'  The Peshuek insisted that these mercenaries were merely for guarding their trade routes outside of Kashtu territory, but by the year 250 they constituted a modest but formidable all-foreigner private army with absolutely no loyalty to Malik.  Though Malik could prevent them from being garrisoned inside Kashtu territory, tensions grew to a fever pitch as Malik responded by expanding Kashtu's army.  These developments did not escape the Archons or Talor, who cautiously fortified their borders with the Ma'a lest a Kashtu civil war threaten to spill into their own territory.

Perhaps the real losers in all this were the people of Kashtu themselves.  In the year 240, a census for the purpose of drafting corvee labor revealed that Kashtu was the most populous city in the known world.  Unlike the cities of Kuregn or Celend, which were relatively small (though important) market centers surrounded by vast reaches of populated land, the harsh climate of Kashtu's environs meant that a huge proportion of Kashtu's people were urban dwellers.  With a government more focused on military development than the welfare of the populous, quarters of the city became crowded with the urban poor '" porters, laborers, peddlers, and thieves.  No fewer than three plagues broke out in the city in the year 248, but Kashtu's elites were not particularly concerned '" they built their city manors on the city's higher regions, separating themselves from the morass of the rest of the city.

Player: snakefing
Government: Religious Monarchy
Popularity: 4 [+1]
Dread: 2
State Religion: Kashtu Polytheism
Popular Religion: 83% Kashtu Polytheism, 16% Animism, 1% Celenite Polytheism
Fervor: 7
Population: 16,500 [+2000]
Cities: Kashtu (C)
Prosperity: 3 [-1]
Trade: 2
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 3
Espionage: 3 [+1]
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Cam, Boa
Forces: 4 (4)
Army: 2 Cam, 1 Arc, 1 Spr
Navy: None[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Artash]
In the shadow of the Ma'turi, a new state came to some prominence.  These people of the south, under their absolute ruler, farmed the lowlands fed by the western mountain streams.  Interactions between Artash and the outside world were not great; no major rivers or coastlines connected them with their closest neighbors, the Ma'turi states.  Some limited trade existed between them and Kashtu; all were interested in gold, though the mining technology of Artash was no better than anybody else's and gold remained rather scarce.  Scribes from Celend noted the new state as a place where great cats fought and hunted, and the warriors wore masks.

More important than gold, masks, or cats, however, was copper, which Artash had and Kashtu wanted.  The trade was valuable, but dangerous, as local bandits found ample opportunities for theft and mayhem.  Unlike in the Ma'a, where centuries-long traditions established given trade routes and etiquette pertaining to them, trade was foreign to these thinly settled lands and routes were not well charted.  The foreign mercenaries of the Peshuek might in theory have been able to help, but the Old Alliance was not interested in protecting Malik's source of new weapons.  Such banditry did not shut down the routes entirely, but did prove to be a major annoyance for both sides of the route.

Player: Atlantis
Government: Hereditary Monarchy
Popularity: 5
Dread: 2
State Religion: Star Worship
Popular Religion: 72% Star Worship, 28% Animism
Population: 9,500
Cities: Artash (C)
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 1
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 0
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Cam, Boa
Forces: 3 (3)
Army: 1 Arc, 1 Spr, 1 Bld
Navy: None[/spoiler]

[spoiler=The League]
The League underwent a strange shift in these years '" in some sense a confederation in decline, but in another sense a rising power.  The Captains formally became a 'protectorate' of Kuregn, a rather odd arrangement similar to a tributary but without any apparent tribute.  Their betrayal of Celend had cost them Celend's trade, and they found themselves unwelcome in Beitar as well, whose Prince-Regent barred them from his land until they provided him with a fleet of his own.  In the north, Maducreon was lost to them (though many League traders remained), and the Captains were driven from Norpost by Invernessi soldiers-cum-bandits.  Much of the Middle Sea became closed to trade, either by the violence of the Hayrines or the Invernessi war.  Even with Inveran '" a noted competitor '" gone, opportunities seemed limited.  The Auri were skeptical of the League at best, as the Captains had opposed their Invernessi tributary, and were furthermore a mercantile 'people of the sea,' a concept which the Auri found difficult to understand.

Though the Captains' influence in the Middle Sea declined drastically, their contacts with the east gave them an exclusive position as the middleman between Cyrenehan (and the nations beyond) and the sprawling Taloran Empire.  This position was not exactly one of power, but it was one of wealth.  The upper classes of Kuregn's stratocracy had spoils of war to spend, and rewarded themselves and their families with foreign goods.  Coffee from Zur'a became fashionable in Roshhan, and the League served as broker.

This was a precarious position to be in, however, subject to the vagaries of fickle foreign leaders '" for though the League needed Kuregn and Cyrenehan, these empires did not necessarily need the League, and the League was quite vulnerable to political instabilities.  Sarar Udai's death plunged Cyrenehan into civil war '" despite his notorious love of wealth and lack of scruples, Udai had been unswervingly loyal to the Princes he served under and assiduously promoted the royal interests.  His successors did not respect the monarchy like he did, and the general collapse of authority was, in a nutshell, very bad for the League.  Captains could not agree on which side was most beneficial to them, and in any case it was very difficult to gain access to Murrhat during the struggle.  Murrhat itself was busily waging a war against Dekkah that ultimately collapsed the latter state.

One consolation to the League was the resurgence of the papyrus trade.  Beitar's change of hands had placed their supply outside the Whale Sea trade routes, and the League's close relations with Vandire made them the primary brokers of the plant fibers.  The spread of writing in Avardera and Ar-Auriban created a new demand that the League was happy to fill '" this constituted their only major route in the Middle Sea during these years.

These sea changes in the League began to change the power structure as well.  Captains with inroads in the east gained wealth and influence, while those operating out of Maducreon and Norpost found themselves without much of either.  Other captains on the Whale Isle found that agriculture could be a more reliable source of income; many easterners and some Invernessi had settled on the island, growing orchards and planting fields, and some Captains settled into the role of local landlords.  The early League was very egalitarian; the new League seemed to be moving towards a more oligarchic plutocracy.  The would-be oligarchs adopted many traditions and philosophies of Cyrenahan, where much of their business was conducted, including eastern clothing styles, Darhist cleansing rituals, and a predilection for watching the Roshhani 'Sport of Princes,' chariot racing.  'Sirrati,' or one who speaks Sirrat, became a synonym of this new League upper class.

Through trade with the east, the League has gained a new technology (Cha).

Player: AllWillFall2Me
Government: Confederated Republic
Popularity: 6 [+1]
Dread: 2 [-1]
State Religion: Mother Earth/ Father Sea
Popular Religion: 75% Mother Earth/ Father Sea, 4% Mandrian Polytheism, 21% Darhism
Fervor: 4 [+1]
Population: 17,000 [-500]
Cities: Hartport (C)
Prosperity: 5 [+1]
Trade: 7
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 4
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Cha, Boa, Gal
Forces: 4 (4)
Army: None
Navy: 4 Gal[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Vandire]
Vandire dealt with its first major foreign crisis in these years.  Wary of the power of Tescha, the chiefs had long built up their own army, adopting Teschan bows and war masks.  The Teschans seemed more interested in wars in the north, however, and the chiefs put their soldiers to use enforcing justice and expanding Vand territory into the northern plains.

When Vandire was attacked in the year 240, it was not from Tescha.  The breakup of the Triple Alliance to the east had caused a great deal of unrest on the steppes, and the Prince of Hadamut (once a component of the Alliance) decided to seek new lands in the west, where Vandire lay.  The Vands had never fought such an enemy, and their own forces were far to the northwest.  Many villages were lost to the invaders, and all their territories east of the Teschan River fell into Hadamut hands.

The push into Vand territory was stalled by the marshy terrain and an outbreak of 'marsh fever' among the invaders, who were unused to both those things.  It gave the Vands precious time to recall their troops and begin to muster a defense.  The Vands suffered a humiliating defeat in the year 241 '" faced with chariots, their army fled the field within minutes, and their chief was captured and killed by the Hadamut horde.  A new chief presided over a string of defeats through the next two years; in the summer of 243, only the city of Vand was unoccupied by the invaders, secluded as it was by trackless marshlands.  For a time, the Vands accepted vassalship, seeing it as their only way to survive.

[spoiler=The Battle of the Reeds]
Vand Forces:
1 Spearmen
1 Composite Archers
3 Irregulars

Hadamut Forces:
1 Chariot
1 Composite Archers
2 Bladesmen
1 Irregulars

A new offensive against the invaders erupted in 245.  The chief at the time, Manudre, was again defeated by the Hadamut and retreated into the marsh.  His retreat was a ruse, however; the Vands rallied.  The Hadamut attempted to draw them out with a feint by their skirmishers, but this failed.  The Hadamut chariots became bogged down in the wet terrain, and the Vands used reed boats and abandoned irrigation channels to sneak behind the Hadamut.  The Vand archers, with their powerful horn-bows, massacred the helpless chariotry and crushingly defeated the well-equipped invaders.  So complete was the defeat that Manudre regained all Vandire's territory and more.  Fully half the Hadamut noble class had been captured or killed, including their Prince, who was mortally wounded in battle.  His successor, a prisoner, sued for peace and gave the Vands a prince's ransom in ivory, copper, and horses in exchange for his freedom.[/spoiler]

The war with Hadamut surprised many; it was a surprising upset, with a small, supposedly primitive marsh people defeating a major chariot-riding power.  In all the battles the Vands had fought, however, the vast majority of individual engagements had been defeats.  The Vands learned a valuable lesson and refortified their eastern villages, building them on impressive stone-sided earthen mounds with concentric ditches around them.

Hippopotami in the service of men remained rather rare; it seemed the only way to raise a hippo to tolerate humans was to take it as a baby, and given the lethal aggression of mother hippos this was an extraordinarily difficult task.  Hippo hunters were trained for this job, but they tended not to last long, and so the Vands began to use hippo hunting as a punishment for serious crimes.

Vandire has acquired horses.

Player: Locknpop4life
Government: Theocracy
Popularity: 6
Dread: 2 [+1]
State Religion: Vand Polytheism
Popular Religion: 94% Vand Polytheism, 3% Mother Earth/ Father Sea, 3% Darhism
Fervor: 4
Population: 8,000 [+1500]
Cities: Vandire (C)
Prosperity: 4
Trade: 2 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 2
Espionage: 0
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, CAr, Boa
Forces: 2 (2)
Army: 1 Spr, 1 Arc
Navy: None[/spoiler]

[ooc]No map yet, It'll come soon.  Sorry Stargate, you're out - but you can sign up as somebody else.  I finished this really late at night so it's a certainty I cocked something up.  As usual, just let me know.[/ooc]

[spoiler=The Map]

[/spoiler]

[ic=Dragonlord Gregor II to Ilneress]
Greetings to you, brother Dragon,

It is indeed brother dragon that I name you, for we are but the last bastions of the great Inveran people. Our once great nation, of which we both were a part, has fallen to the Machta; the mighty dragon has been slain. Fortunately for us, they did not finish the job, and from the death of this great dragon two wyrmlings have hatched, to grow and become twice the power that their ancestor was.

I propose a close aliiance between our two peoples. We have access to the East, you have access to the west. Together, we may yet be a significant trading force in the world.

Your brother Dragon,
Gregor II
[/ic]

[ic=Dragonlord Gregor II to Auriban, Atamn, Balan, Xukhia, and Tescha]
Greetings my neighbors,

As you no doubt know by now, once mighty Inveran has fallen to the blades of her enemies. This small outpost is what remains of our once-great trading nation. But know this, our trading will not cease, for trade is in our blood, and the desire to please those who rely on us is forever in our hearts. To this end I wish to open our port and our city to your traders, with the hope that our city, being, as it is, centrally located to advantage of trade, become a nexus of commerce between your peoples, both with each other and with the nations that we still know to the west. We desire nothing but to see all our neighbors flourish, for what is better than happy neighbors, full bellies, and rich merchants, we have yet to find.

To further this goal, we also wish to establish ambassadors with those of you who do not have one, to facilitate communication and understanding between us.

Dragonlord Gregor II
[/ic]

[ic=Dragonlord Gregor II to Celend]
Greetings,

The humble people of Numenas, heirs to the nation of Inveran, remember our once-friendship.

In the interests of renewing this friendship, we humbly request that our merchants be allowed in your ports, to trade with the great peoples to your east and north. Such an agreement will bring only prosperity to us both, and shall hope to rekindle the close bonds of friendship that our peoples once shared.

Dragonlord Gregor II
[/ic]
[ic=Dragonlord Gregor II to the Machta-In]
to the warrior-prince, greetings,

Congratulations on the defeat of our opressor, for opressor Inveran truly was to our people, so far removed from their actual lands. Since you may still hold us as part anf parcel of that empire, we officially sue for peace between our peoples, your great nation, and that of our brothers in the Ilneress. We hope that from the ashes of this war, commerce may flourish and bring prosperity to us all.

In that interest, we see that you have captured a significant number of Inveran people. These people, of which we are descendant, were always a stubborn people and, no doubt, are already planning insurrection against your esteemed person. We propose that you allow us to take those of them who wish it to our far city, where they will hence have no power to array against you. Such an agreement would be best for us all, as you would loose a potential enemy from within your borders, our brothers will be happy to reside once again in an invernessi-speaking land, and we shall be more than happy to accept our borthers into our arms.

In friendship,
Dragonlord Gregor II
[/ic]
 
[ic=Dragonlord Gregor II to Jalulai]
Greetinga to you, friend of Numenas,

We humbly and most vehemently thank you for your loyalty and friendship to Inveran, even in its death throes. Know that your work has produced fruit, for from the wreck of Inveran comes two new dragons. Numenas, the first dragon, you know already. Some of our brothers to the west have also averted destruction, and so the dragon lives on in the homeland as well.

But this dragon, so newly hatched, is young and small among predators waiting to devour it. We turn to you to cement our friendship and, we must admit, have selfish reasons for doing so. We fear the other nations and what they may do to us, and wish to shelter under the protective wing of Jalulai. In short, we wish to become your tributary. You shall shelter us, and in return, we will bring you wealth from afar and from near that shall make you rich and prosperous. We shall also, if you wish it, share with you our knowledge and expertise in fields which you may lack.

to our future friendship,
Dragonlord Gregor II
[/ic]

[ooc]Sorry Stargate. Guess it was me or you, eh?[/ooc]

[ic=Tslor, Despot of Kuregn, Mschta of the Southmen, Ruler of Inveran and all the Inverness, to Dragonlord Gregor]Though I am suspicious of any who calls himself 'dragonlord', I need no more rebellions than I can deal with. You may take every second willing able-bodied man to your 'homeland', which I will officially reccgnise as a state provided, of course, you provide us with a special reduced tariff rate on trade goods.[/ic]

[ic=The Missionaries]Charismatic, powerful men of all the religions of the new Empire are spread evenly throughout, to attempt to create something similar to a united faith (or at least the basics of one).[/ic]

[ic=The Arranged Marriages]Although the Machta-In had long abandoned such old-fashioned concepts as declaring yourself as 'Yani Han'Shua' (Yani, tribe of Han), the old traditions never fully died out and the extended family were still an important concept. This, coupled with the Southman (and to some extent Kuregnite) tradition of arranged marriages led to the Emperor trying to lead the Kuregnite and Invernessi upper classes to mix. Although language barriers were at first a problem, trading captains and other semi-respectable bilinguals were dressed up for the occasion, given baths and food, and placed into the role of translator. The effects of this are yet to be seen, but this seems to be strong encouragement toward mixing the two bloods.[/ic]

Quote from: Wensleydale[ooc]Sorry Stargate. Guess it was me or you, eh?[/ooc]

[ooc]
Yep. You just chose the correct ally early in the game, and got lucky.

And now to rebuild from the ashes... [/ooc]

[ic=Dragonlord Gregor II to Tslor, etc.]
I am unfamiliar with this concept of 'second willing.' Do you mean that only one half of the able-bodied willing men will be allowed to leave? If so, I fear that may spark more tensions, tearing brother from brother and father from son. We would also willingly take the old and infirm, to care for our people in the sunset of their lives.

You misspeak, but it is unsurprising. You occupy our homeland. We are but the remnant. We will, of course, provide this reduced tariff, but we humbly request that you allow the Worship of our saints to continue in your lands, or allow us to strip and relocate the holy relics in the temple, so our worship may continue.[/ic]

[ic=In Stravam]Strava Hyslyade walked slowly through a courtyard in the Ryvalnya's stronghold, half listening to the report on the actions of the Grychgayte.  She was on her way to the Strava-Alvyne-Holmevyle, where representatives of the Grychgayte where waiting.  All around her Ryvalnya officers where bustling about, getting their most recent orders relayed to them by scribyas.  Hyslyade was therefore quite unaware that she was being followed until a fairly young Ryvalnya purposefully blocked her path.

'I do not understand the use of my orders in patrolling the amber beaches and I have been informed that they came straight from you.  For that matter, I saw no reason in my previous orders to stay my hand from slaughtering the treacherous Vys-men when I patrolled the north.  And frankly, I see no reason why a decrepit old hag who leans on her spear more then wields it should be Strava.  So I tell you, Hyslyade, step down emmediatly.'

Affronted, the older woman pulls herself up and replies icily, 'You impetuous wench, how dare you challenge me?  I have got us through this war for a decade!  How can you even imagine me stepping down at this critical time?!'

'I dare because it is my right!  The right of all Ryvalnya and Andosens to challenge a leader when their merit is in question.  And I feel it is time to win this war and kill all of the invaders, not to '˜get us through it' for another decade.  If you will not step down, I challenge you to honorable combat!'

Hyslyade scowls.  'I am far too busy for you, go and do as I ordered.'

The younger Ryvalnya will have nothing to do with this though and frees her spear.  As Hyslyade ignores her and tries to move past, she swipes Hyslyade's spear from under her, as Hyslyade had been using it as a walking stick.  Hyslyade then makes the fatal mistake of holding spear in a guard position as she regains her balance.  The young Ryvalnya takes this as her gate to honorable victory and makes an actual attack.  Hyslyade is ancient and her reflexes show it, for in just a single strike, the spear is through her heart and she is no longer Strava.

Quite a crowd has gathered, watching on in solemn silence.  Before the young Ryvalnya can step forward and call forth witnesses to her victory and declare herself Strava, however, another Ryvalnya steps forward.  She eyes the younger up and down coolly and issues a challenge.

The younger has no choice but to accept it, so she puts on a face of steely determination.  She is soon outstripped by the other Ryvalnya's blade skill and as she is struck in the legs and falls to bear herself to her death'¦she lives, to her surprise.  The other Ryvalnya merely clamps her boot over her throat and proclaims, 'I am Seeydar, Spearmistress of the Alytan Wolves, and to show that I will be a merciful Strava as well as strong, I offer my foe the chance to withdraw, for I have no wish to lose any more Andosen blood.  Blink twice for yes, once for death, girl,'  this last addressed to the Ryvalnya under her feet.

The young Ryvalnya stares into Seeydar's eyes for what seems like an eternity, and then blinks twice.  Seeydar lets her get up, holding her spear in the ready, but the younger withdraws.  She goes through the prescribed rituals and declares herself Strava.  She then looks at the Scribya Yaryas and asks, 'And what am I so busy with now, servent?'[/ic]

[ic=In the Strava-Alvyne-Holmevyle]Seeydar sits across from the Grychgayte representatives.  Without any prelude she declares, 'You are to send a ship to Averra with a proclamation of mine to the king-'

The spokeswoman shakes her head in irritation.  'This is not what we came to speak about-'

'˜Nonetheless, this is what we are speaking about.'

'That is not even a viable request!  How can you ask the Grychgayte to risk its ships in waters held by the Demons?'

'I do not ask the Grychgayte, I ask the Andosens before me.  As you are the ones with the best ships, you are the only ones I can ask.  In return, I promise you any ships we capture, which I intend we do, which you may dismantle in order to gain the knowledge of superior shipbuilding.  The message you shall convey to Averra is'¦'[/ic]

[ic=To Avardera from Strava Seeydar]What treachery is this?  It is bad enough that you consort with the Auri, but summoning Demons?!  Have you no honor?  I feel this is far below even you!  I demand to know what possesses you.  I demand to know what happened to your words of peace![/ic]

[ic=Lord Arus of Ilneress to Gregor]I am uncertain what exactly you want of me, but if you want an alliance than I suggest that you find allies to help me fight Talor.  The Auri have turned my representatives away.  I have even considered sending men to the Hayrines.  I will be blunt - what I need are soldiers, not trade agreements.[/ic]
[ic=Grand Archon Oldam to Dragonlord Gregor II]How exactly do you propose for your ships to reach us when our enemies have a stranglehold on the Yaffan Strait?  Your predecessor was a valued vassal, but unfortunately you are useless to us.  Give us a reason to renew our arrangements and we will do so, but until then I see no point to further negotiations.[/ic]
[ic=Tuvan Jalul to Gregor]That arrangement is acceptable to me.  May our relationship last as long as it is mutually beneficial.  Bring us these goods from the west and, as far as I am able, I will see that no harm comes to you.

Our efforts to defend you would be strengthened by a permanent garrison in your city, if you will allow it.[/ic]

[ic=Dragonlord Gregor to Grand Archon Oldam]
Because, esteemed Archon, Numenas has made peace with Kuregn. Our ships are free to travel through the straights. We can give you access to the east once again! Is that not enough?
[/ic]

[ic=Gregor to Tuvan Jalul]
May both our nations thrive. Unfortunately, I must decline your generous offer of a garrison. As it stands, we have precious few places of employment, and your guard will only create fewer by making our guard obsolete.

I suggest an alternative. What Numenas needs is funding, not men. If you will supply the arms and the wages, we can supply the men and the training. Such an agreement, I think, will be best, as this avoids the legal tangle foreign troops will provide and will prevent the longing and homesickness your men would no doubt suffer.
[/ic]

[ic=Speech to the people of Vandire]Cheiftan Manudre:  these have been tumultuous times friends.  we must thank the trinity for out victory and honor the soldiers who fought and died in our string of defeats. It is time we spread both in body and in spirit.  


From our enemies we have gained horses, they are similar to our hippos, but are less prone to kill us and easier to ride.  The unfortunate part of owning horses is they do not run well in the marsh and are only useful to us in the northern plains of our country.  Therefore we must continue our expansion to the north in order to benefit from owning these beasts.  The attacks from the Hadamut took a toll on our people, we must continue to train soldiers especially archers who will be assigned to outposts around our borders so that we are never caught unawares by an attack again.

Rashea and the trinity chose to bless us with great victory recently.  We must thank them by writing their teachings down for all to see and spreading the glory by equipping all traders with those books of the trinity so that all of our friends will see to whom we are truly aligned.  The great warriors who fell during this attack should never be forgotten so a memorial shall be created with the names of all who fell and a statue of the great Trinity at the top looking over their spirits and the spirits of all those who fight for our country     [/ic]

[ic=The Emperor to Gregor]This is acceptable.[/ic]

[ic=The Emperor to Ilneress]Know this, weakling remnant. The Machta-In is not dead, nor sleeping, it is still hungry for war. We, not you, are the true rulers of the Inverness. If you do not submit, a wave of power so great that your people never saw the like even when they were strong will fall upon you and take away your lands, people, and goods. Our might is not to be underestimated. Your cousins are our allies, but they do not attempt to continue residing in the Southmens' lands without Southman permission. You, on the other hand, do. Beware, Ilneress, beware.[/ic]