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A Second Council

A dark room, a large table, and three figures sat around it. The first a blonde haired and white robed woman, the High Priestess Elena Holywell. The second a humanoid figure in silver armor, covered in scales and with a head akin to a lizard, High Arbiter Tlexik. The third, a short and stout looking man with curly hair wearing simple leather armor, Head Guard Tanto. It had been a month since the Council of Providence had last met, and thus there was a lot to discuss.

The woman, Elena, sat with her face buried in her hands. A silence hung over the table for a few moments, before the lizardfolk spoke, “Elena, I believe you may have gotten overzealous in the heat of the moment.” With a groan, she sat up looking at the other two with a resigned look, “Yes, it was. Yes, I’m aware this time it is my fault. However, like with any other mistake any of us has made let us move on.” She spoke quietly, watching as the other two gave a silent nod to the idea of not laboring on the past.

Elena cleared her throat before speaking in a louder and more authoritative tone, “We can no longer count on gaining the support of the Immortal Gravekeeper to tip the scales in our favor. We can still count on him not helping the cults pretending to be this so called ‘Free State’ however. So, I propose we think of other approaches.” She said, looking to the other two with an expectant look.

The halfling, Tanto, spoke up,  “I will once again suggest that I can and will send the guard of the city to root them out. I’m sure if we expose to the common people that they’re devil worshipers…” He was sudden;y cut off by an irritated tapping of claws on the table, as Tlexik spoke over him, “Tanto, we went over this a month ago in a way that got through even my thick skull. To do that is to disturb the order of the city, and a defiance of the agreement we came to with them for peace months ago. I am warrior so my only idea is to charge head first, but Lady Elena I assume you have some sort of new scheme to thwart whatever advances they’ve been making.”

Elena sighed and shook her head, “Please, refrain from using the word ‘scheme’ for future plans of mine. But yes, there is a plan I have. A few whispers I’ve heard around are indicating one of their heads is making negotiations to create a foothold for the worshipers of the Great Sloth. Now if we can expose this, their dealings with the dead may allow us to make amends with the Immortal Gravekeeper. We may even be able to gain temporary support from the Naturalists faction so long as the three religions of the Free State remain.”

Tanto spoke almost immediately after she finished, “I’ll have the followers of Teren look into this, as that challenges the peace of the city before we even talk about political plans.” He said, beginning to stand up from his seat to exit the room. He stopped to listen when Tlexik spoke however.

“Lady Elena, if you know things like this and have already made plans why do you even ask us for suggestions?” The lizardman spoke, staring across at the priestess who had also began to stand. “Because High Arbiter,” she said pushing her chair in as she spoke, “people can always surprise you. We’ll meet back here after a few hours of preparing for the investigations.” With that, the three figures left their hidden meeting room once again.

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Watching for the End

The man watched out to the east, staring at the badlands west of the nation. He was a fort guard, dressed in heavy plates of armor with a flintlock rifle hanging on his back. His nation was in turmoil, their king killed and a young girl inheriting it. That didn’t matter to him though, he wasn’t supposed to worry about that. Even if the empire to the north or the rebels to the south took them over he would remain untouched. Because he had the important job of watching the badlands to the west.

To the west of Elkland was the massive and terrifying Kurkron Empire. This nation, born in the mountains of the badlands, had taken over the entire area around them and expanded to become the biggest and most powerful military of the entire continent. He, along with the other guards of the fort, were meant to be the first line of defense if they decided Elkland was next.

He sat and wondered what would happen if they actually did come. If they defeated those birdlike creatures to their east and turned their attention to this small kingdom. He knew for a fact this fort couldn’t hold, that was a fact. They were small and mostly just conscripts and noble’s slacking sons on a quiet front. The real soldiers were all at war with their northern neighbor, or suspiciously eyeing the rebels who split from them in the south. The enemies had veteran and seasoned soldiers of tons of races, including giants.

What would his nation do if they came over and demanded surrender and submission. They couldn’t win, but he knew this nation proud and unyielding. Would he be expected to simply die pointlessly in a war they couldn’t win? They likely couldn’t even win with their actual soldiers the war they were currently in. He figured he could run, but then he’d be a dishonorable deserter and hated by most nations. As he sat at his post after these thoughts, he prayed that no giant form and marching army would appear on the horizon. And he continued to do that until his shift ended, and he left and his replacement did the same.

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The Desert Empress

He had come into the desert to seek out the elusive kingdom located deep within it. It had always remained distant, only known through occasional tribute it had sent in the past. Back when the Dynasty was fully in charge of the western half of the continent, it had sent heaps of gold to be left alone. But now that the dynasty and the mage kingdom to the east had been destroyed, it seemed to have vanished completely.

He pulled the cloth covering his mouth down, pieces of his medium-length black hair falling below his shoulder. His kingdom, remembering the wealth of the desert, sent him to demand tribute from the desert again. But this… was not what he expected. Before him were two human skeletons, upright and holding weapons. They walked toward him, slowly as he gripped the holy symbol of Teren below his clothes.

From behind the skeletons emerged a black clothed man. He was bald with a short brown beard and tanned skin. The skeletons stopped as he walked past. He walked over to the diplomat “Greetings, welcome to Zevra visitor may I ask you the purpose of your visit?” He said holding out a hand to shake

Tentatively the diplomat shook his head before saying “I am here as a diplomat from the empire right outside the desert. I would like to speak to your king.” He said straightening up and pulling out some official looking scrolls and handing it to the other man “My assurance and note from our top general certifying my claims.”

The black robed man nodded and motioned for the diplomat to follow him. “Very well, I will take you.” He said before walking. The diplomat followed him, though clearly off put by the skeletons flanking him. Hidden behind what seemed like thin air, which shimmered as he stepped through, was a bustling oasis city. Throughout it multitudes of diverse peoples walked and went about their business, all while the risen dead seemingly meandered through the town doing menial tasks.

Led up to a large temple-looking structure which was surrounded by increasingly more powerful looking of these abominations as he approached, the black robed man put a hand up for him to stop. “One moment please.” He said, walking inside. A moment later, he emerged again motioning for the diplomat to follow. As he entered he saw on a large sandstone throne draped with cloths a purple-skinned woman. She had two small horns pressed closely to the top of her head, purplish hair with a single yellow streak, and a small and thin demonic tail that curled around to rest on her lap. On her head was a lavishly beautiful golden crown, and amongst what looked like a simple silk blue robe was large amounts of ornate jewelry. The black-robed man bowed “I present to you, God-Empress Eveerian Quiv.”

The man gulped down a moment before speaking aloud to her “I am here on behalf of the Vasanid Empire to make an ultimatum. We, like the Dynasty of the past, are a powerful nation right outside the desert. They sent me here to ask for tributes as the dynasty of the past received in exchange for respect of your isolation.”

The air suddenly turned tense, though no facial expressions changed as she spoke “Your lack of knowledge of how that deal took place in the past, and your impudence in bringing up my biggest failing, disqualify you from making demands. Leave my presence before you sour my mood further, I have actually important business to deal with.” She waved her hands as two aberrations of flesh started waddling towards him to guide him out.

The man grabbed his symbol underneath his clothes and let out a small prayer. The abominations recoiled as parts of them seemed to fall off from some invisible, divine force. He, with anger, shouted out “I am no mere jester to be thrown out! Our empire is vast and powerful, and I suggest you listen to me lest I give them a rather truthful report of your horrific magics and rude nature as a kingdom. Do not make us crush you.”

The demonic looking woman sighed and raised her hand lightly. Purplish chains created from magic shot out from two nearby walls, wrapping around and restraining the man suddenly. His eyes wide with sudden fear as the God-Empress looked back towards the black-robed man “Execute him like the other four they sent. We’ll send this one’s head back, maybe now they’ll get the message they can’t make demands if they don’t possess my phylactery like the last empire.”

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An Outrider’s Duty

A short man stood over a dead beast, panting heavily. He had curly brown hair, metal armor adorned in green cloths, and his weapons a lance and shield. Behind him loomed a dog, a strangely large breed of what looked like German Shepherd. It was also adorned in the same green cloths that were tattered and hanging over the man’s armor.

Below his feet was a beast, a massive one at that. Three heads, one of a lion, one of a goat, and one of a dragon. It’s body was also that of a lion, but with massive wings and a large scorpion stinger on the back. It was dead and his spear was still planted in it. Wiping the sweat off his brow he leaned down and began cutting into the creature, carefully removing first it’s stinger and poison glands, using tools from a pouch on the dog behind him to chop it’s heads off and start removing all the meat from the creature.

He returned to a small town, riding the dog that he had left on, dropping his armor off at the blacksmith for repairs and his tabard at the tailors. He walked into a small farmhouse, and called out “I’m home! Town’s safe again!” before walking into the kitchen. There was a woman, in simple  clothes cooking stew on a stove. He put some of the meat of the large beast down next to her and chuckled “I got ta keep some, let’s find out what manticore tastes like.”

After a happy dinner with his wife, where he recited the battle in detail to her with the manticore, he went to work again. While his wife was giving stew to his faithful dog, and taking care of their children still too young to eat the hard foods the parents had for dinner, the man went to the back to a small workshop with the manticore heads.

There, he spent the next two hours stuffing it from the conjoined point in the neck, and hanging it on a wall in the shop. Up there were his other trophies as well, like the snarling wolf head of a warg, the enraged visage of a wyvern, and other such beasts. But out of his whole collection this was the current crown jewel, all three heads of a manticore on one pedestal.

After spending the rest of the evening and night with his family in their small farmhouse, he got a good night’s sleep. After a hearty breakfast the next morning, he went to the blacksmith and donned his armor. Riding out of town on his dog to fight more creatures that threatened his home, for an outrider’s work is never done.

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A Wizard’s Experiment

Darkness, that was all it could see at first. Odd feelings started to rattle across its flesh, slight tingling and weird tensing. Then, it opened its eyes. What this was looked like a normal human male, but with odd clicking noises underneath his flesh. Over his body a robed man watched and smiled. He clapped his hands and took a deep breath muttering condolences to himself. He looked down and smiled at the prone male, “Welcome to the world, Experiment 5-2Z.”

The man laying down moved himself up, clickings of gears as a mechanical sound going as he looked at his hands. He looked to the other man who was there. He didn’t know how he knew things, like moving or what a human was, but he did. Nor did he know how he knew words or what they meant, but he spoke regardless, “What is… happening?”

The male pulled back his robe’s hood, long white hair falling down below his shoulders and his wrinkles becoming more apparent than the shadowed hood had allowed “You’re alive now, a magical marvel. You were originally just a clockwork automaton i ordered from the nation to the north, Teesen, but I have given you a soul.” The man could barely contain his excitement, sitting in a nearby chair and covering his mouth with his hands for a moment before speaking again. “So now, you live. You will not understand, but I must present you to several groups of people soon. Other than that I will let you be free, and let you be the very first of your kind.”

The machine looked around the room with a whirring noise, noticing a large stack of others like him. There was a massive number of them, likely nearing a hundred. He pointed, “Who are they?” The other man looked over and shook his head “They, are no one. I attempted many times before to do this, it’s been my project for forty years now. You are the first one to succeed. Now, we must get going soon so I will give you one important choice before we leave. The options are likely already inside you from the soul I plucked from its passing, so I must ask you what you choose to name yourself.”

The man slowly and mechanically turned his head back towards his creator, the clockwork gears making a loud clicking noise as he stopped and a small stream of steam coming from the back of his neck as it stopped “I see… Orin of Steel will be my name.”

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The Worldburner’s Sentence

A small chamber, lit by the light of day and blown heavily by winds, is where five men met. This was the top of the Archmage’s Spire, and these were the five archmages who made decisions for their empire of magical might. Or, so they would if they still had the power to do so. One man, of an elderly look, wore red robes. Another with the visage of a young man wore blue robes. A man with no visible features wore a black robe, and a middle-aged looking man with two small tusks protruding from his lower lip wore a green. And the final man was another elderly man, wearing no robes with his hands manacled together.

The man in the red robe frowned and shook his head “So, after hiding so long, now you come to us? Have you anything to say for what you did to our nation?” His face bore visible disdain. The look of a man who had everything taken from him in a flash, and knew nothing but rage.

The shackled man narrowed his eyes and glared “May I remind you, that spell was approved by the rest of you? You are as much as fault as me, even if I created it. I told you what it would do very simply.” He looked at the other with indignance, lifting his nose up in contempt at the others sitting around.

The black robed figure leaned forwards, two skeletal hands reaching out and having the end of their fingers touch. “You said the spell would destroy our ancient enemy, which granted it did. However you neglected to mention it would also scorch the middle of our continent, wipe away our armies, and cause us this situation. Or are you going to dispute that part of the truth as well?”

The blue robed younger man leaned forward, a look of seriousness on his face “Yes, so how about we skip this whole process and just execute him already? We need to move on from this dilemma so we can get back to trying to stop our borders from shrinking rather rapidly to the northerners don’t we?”

The green robed man shook his head at the young man, sighing with clear discontent as he spoke “We’d be throwing out one of our most powerful spellcasters if we did so. So we’ve decided, from now on you will serve your eternal debt by helping us remove the problem to the north. A commandment spell will be placed on you that will prevent you from doing we didn’t approve, like nearly destroying Holy Zarant again for an example.”

The shackled man growled but hung his head “Fine, use me as a scapegoat for your failings after the spell. We’ll see how nothing fixes itself still, and you come back to blame me again so you can look better.” With a sudden turn, he walked away into a portal opened by the red wizard, the others in the room slowly following after him.

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A Princess’s Grief

She walked through the halls of her castle, the center of her nation, alone and deep in thought. The young girl’s black hair barely fell past her shoulders, and did nothing to cover her slightly pointed ears. The war tattoos of the Yakti people adorned her face despite her young age, as she was to be coronated regardless of it the next day. Leaning on the railing of a balcony that looked over her vast gardens she thought back to the last time she saw her father

She gripped his arm tightly shaking her head violently “Dad, no! You can’t go meet with the Empire to our north, everyone agrees this reeks of trouble. Even Tara can tell this is a bad idea, and she thinks of naught but fighting and tactics! You can’t simply just believe they truly wish to talk about an alliance…”

Her father, and average human in his late forties with gray hair from stress, leaned down, “Seneria, I know it is risky. But if we decline that will be seen as enough disrespect to start a war with them. And if there is any chance, even the slightest, that they will ally with us you know how badly we need it. Elkland is small and our neighbors eye us hungrily. Come, General Feleint is even coming with me even and will keep me safe from any attacks.” He said before patting the teen girl on the head twice and walking off towards a distant black haired woman who had a platoon of soldiers with her.

She opened her eyes again with a sigh. That had been a month ago, and she had been right. They killed her father there along with everyone but one rookie soldier who managed to escape to warn his nation. Now they were at war, and she was to be queen as what many would still consider to be a child. She didn’t feel ready, not at all.

A warm hand suddenly was put on her shoulder. Seneria saw next to her Tara Feleint, the daughter of the former general and now the current one. The other woman donned in her full armor leaned on the balcony railing with her. “It’ll be fine Seneria. Your father would never have taken a risk like that if he didn’t think you were ready.”

She hung her head as she looked over the balcony, watching the gardeners at work, and occasionally waving to one or two who had noticed her. She’d not make eye contact with her general as she sighed “Regardless of what he thought, I’ve never been ready. I’ll likely lead us to ruin within a few years at the hands of our empire, or sell us out to the Providence in Zarant just to save our people from them.”

Tara sighed and put an arm around the princess’s shoulders “I think most of the nation would rather go down supporting their new famously clever queen than sell out our traditions to serve Mer and Vereth’s political interests in their own service. The high clerics of those priests simply would see us as a tool to gain dominance over the holy city, so please take faith in the army to protect you.”

Seneria shook her head “Tara, I know you and your folk are capable but not enough. They thousands of trained troops in each squadron. We simply don’t even have the numbers. And the other nations will think we’re weak once they find most of our noble lineage commanders died in the ambush. There’s no way to hide they’re gone, and it’ll be folly as well for me to go around granting titles to every commander. Either way we’re doomed.”

The general stood up and leaned back on the railing, staring at the archways back to the interior of the castle. She chuckled as she looked to her right again, back at the queen to be. “You’re far too good at putting a depressing spin on everything. You’re about to become queen, we should be celebrating to wallowing. Sure, our soldiers may need to take down three for every one of us but I can make that happen. You need to move on from these doubts, for yourself and the nation.”

The princess sighed and pushed her hair over her slightly elfin ears. She wished her father had heeded everyone’s advice, or that her mother hadn’t left back north years ago. She wished she had an older sibling, one who could bear this burden for her. But there was not, and now she bore Elkland’s future on her shoulders. She nodded to Tara solemnly and did her best to put on a less depressed face, for truly what her people would need now is a strong and confident queen.

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The Council

The room was dark, obscuring the true size of the enormous chamber. Sitting around a large, candlelit round table were three figures. One, a woman with golden blonde hair and a pure white robe, her skin lightly glowing with some holy radiance. She sat with many papers in front of her, poring over them. Another, a scaled and muscly humanoid form, with a head of the lizard on the top of his human-like scaled body. He wore heavy armor, and tapping his armored finger on the table impatiently. The third was a small man, only two feet or so, with brown curly hair and simpler clothes. He sat there with a bored look staring at the other two.

Suddenly, the lizardheaded man spoke “Enough of this Elena, who cares what those devil worshipers are moving like? We should just crush them under our boot.” He said looking at the woman with angry eyes, his hand resting on the longsword at his side. The woman looked up up for her papers and sighed “We’ve been over this Tlexik, that’s what they -want- us to do. We’re supposed to a city of united religions, it would behoove us not to break these rules.” She said staring at him intensely until he sat back in his chair grumbling

Elena crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair now with a sigh “So, now to the actual meeting, the so called ‘Free State’ are moving again. They preach freedom from the yolk of, and i quote, ‘The Providence’s so called good and justice’. This is probably just a cover for something else, they haven’t succeeded at just speeches in the past.” The woman sighed and grabbed a brown staff to her side, tipped with a cut piece of topaz, and laid it to her side. She looked down and pored over notes again

Tlexik slammed his scaled fist on the stone table “And these sneaky maneuvers are why I say we go after them, we’ll never win a game of social maneuvering if we intend to uphold our holy vows and stay honest. The creatures of the hells below require no such pacts and they spread their silver tongued lies! Just give me the order and I’ll get the paladins of Vereth to take the Free State down in the righteous way.”

The halfling leaned forward with a raised eyebrow before speaking “Yes, let us wash our community’s streets with blood and attack indiscriminately a force we can not directly pin down who is a part of.” His voice dripped with barbed sarcasm. “A frontal assault as you suggest every meeting will do nothing Tlexik, however the town guard is based in the temple of Teren. With a single order I can have them start rooting out these cultists slowly over time and help return our community to peace.”

Elena put her face in her hands for a moment before picking her head back up and just lightly massaging her temples “We can’t do that either Tanto, we will not be the first to break the sacred rules of this city. Attacking is not the only way to deal with these cultists.” With a snort Tlexik asked “So what do you suggest? Are you going to walk outside and passionately tell the populace about the beauty of good and law until they go back to a neutral state again? We’ll just end right back in this room again in another week.” As he spoke, Tanto nodded his approval to the crusader’s statement.

She shook her head “Not this time, this time I have a plan. As much as we disagree, I propose we look to those few who have not joined on this conflict yet.” Standing up with an indignant look suddenly, Tanto looked to her “If you mean to side with those nature-lovers who wish to break every civilization down and run communities, I believe I’ll escort myself out.”

Elena held up her hand “Please, Tanto, do not take me for a fool to attempt to side with the ones that won’t both us and the Free State to lose. I meant those who have not taken a side. I believe the Immortal Gravekeeper could be swayed to join us, as I’ve talked to him oft of it lately. With him on our side the other two will be forced to scramble to match our new large following, that is when we’ll strike. Not with swords, but with words.”

With a grumble and a sigh the two other figures in the room nodded to her, and the three left the hall empty, with naught but a single lit candle on a large stone table.

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The Journal of Esera of the Burned Branch - Day Two

Today has been rather eventful to say the least. I finished my trance before it was time to move again, so I decided to take some time to tinker a bit. Of course, it’s a bit hard to do much of inventing without a workshop. I’m severely lacking in tools for my main project. However, I was able to use the pieces I managed to acquire before leaving to unbend a long pole made of metal. I’m planning on turning it into some sort of rod to catch fish with, using some twine and a sharp piece of metal. It’s crude and rudimentary, but it will work until I get to the main city.

At least, that was the intended purpose of the rod. It has served a slightly different role than expected. Earlier in the day I had been walking through the forest, around the time I crossed the border. Two men tried to block my way, one of them using a knife and the other something I’ve heard many call a pistol. They figured, foolishly, that they could ransom me back to the Elven Kingdom. Apparently some rumor that the reason no elves leave the forest is some bonds or whatever, I didn’t care to listen. I don’t know what compelled me to do so, but I smashed the wrist of pistol wielder with the metal rod while they talked. I don’t think they understood that elves are just leaner than normal, because he seemed shocked that I wasn’t weak. The man with the knife stabbed it into my side after that, so I bashed his skull with the rod before his friend too. I tied them up and dragged them with me after that for when they woke up, but they still haven’t. I think they may be dead. I guess I have a pistol and a knife now.

I had the supplies to bandage my wounds, but I do not have any ways to speed up my recovery, so I’m likely stuck with this. My supplies to clean it were almost completely used for this, I wasn’t expecting to get more than a few cuts from traveling. So I am a bit worried if I take any big injuries besides this.

Before I was going to trance, I examined a bit of how the gun works. I’ve figured out the basics of how to use it, and I deconstructed and reconstructed a few times. I’ve figured out how to build it now, and I’ll continue my investigation of its uses in the morning.

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The Journal of Esera of the Burned Branch - Day One

This marks the day I leave Linath’letenium, and thus the start of my adventures outside of this droll place. I will be keeping this journal as a way to document my experiences, and then publish it once I am famous. Or, whoever finds my dead body can release it, not that I’ll be killed in the first place.

The story was supposed to start a few days before now, but the last journal was destroyed in a fire. Not my fault. You’d think the rest of the city would’ve taken a bit of preparations for a grease fire but apparently no one knew how. Maybe if they picked up a book instead of shooting sticks at animals they’d know how to. And apparently, after I tried to explain how to do so all they could say was, “You nearly burned down the forest, how dare you disturb the sanctity of nature”.

After the council meeting, I’ve been branded as ‘Of the burning branch’ and permanently exiled from Linath’letenium by the elders. But that’s not enough to keep this woman down! I’m heading to somewhere where my tinkering can be appreciated. The capital of the humans and the other races, Carshaw, is where I’ll be heading next. I’d hope I’d packed enough, but judging by the fact that now, as I rest and write this page, I am not as sure about that. I’m still in the forest and I swore I should’ve been able to get out by now, it didn’t seem this far on the map so I think the scale was wrong.

In terms of supplies, I have six days worth of travel rations left now. I had expected this to only take five days, but luckily I packed extra just in case. As well, I have my spyglass, my tools which I managed to salvage, and the blueprints of my ‘secret’ project. I will not write it down quite yet, in case this book is stolen, but it will surely make my name known when I’m done with it. Regardless, today has been much less eventful than yesterday. So I believe that’s all I have to write so I’m going to meditate until rested and continue in the morning afterwards.