[b]Province 58[/b] [i]Some students[/i] New Engelica had to thank the Broken Empire for the advancements into the sky. So far, only small constructs could be lifted up into the air with magical gliders. For larger objects, that could carry more ordinance, the glider would become too big. It was only when Linda received a letter from a friend fighting in the Second Mage War that she got an idea. She strapped a balloon over the greater constructs and heated the air inside with magical flames. And indeed, the dirigible lifted off. Quickly the system was refined. The glider on the bigger objects was reduced to mere fins, to steer the dirigible. The hot air could easily lift the required heavy payloads. Thus the idea of a bomber was born. An airborne object that could rain death upon the enemies below. As Linda showed with the prototype that massive amounts of fire could literally be cast down upon the enemy, the massive construction quickly gained the name: Dragon. Dirigible construction didn’t stop there. Silvester still built his smaller, glider version. The problem here was that New Engelica had no idea how to propel projectiles. Instead they had to entirely depend on their magic. It was Silvester who came up with the idea. Shooting jets of fire at the speed of the glider would be very dangerous. Instead he placed special channeling crystals at the end tips of the glider. The crystals could be used to channel cold temperatures, control moisture and suspend ice. The end result was magnificent. The glider itself was pretty small and not incredibly fast. But left and right from it, ice shards were suspended at the tips of the glider. Making it appear as if its wings were far larger and made of ice. Quickly the construction got the name: The Ice Bird. Plans were spread of New Engelica by bird, and across the country large scaffolds were being raised to start the construction of the Dragons and Ice Birds. [hr] [b]Province 58[/b] [i]A certain girl[/i] Once long ago, there was a young mage who wanted to start over in seclusion with his son. In a country where magic itself was shunned and its users abused, he could find but few friends. One of them was a lady, who lived near the ruined castle where the young mage lived. She was a lonely farmer, who preferred the solitude of the nearby fields, forests and the grand lake over the busy city. The mage and the lady became fast friends. She supplied him with food from her farm, and in return he made sure that the rain would fall and the sun would shine when it had to. The man swiftly became an example for other mages, and they flooded towards the ruined castle. With the aid of his peers he rebuilt the place. But he never abandoned his friend. It became an honorable duty to help out on the lady’s farm. And one wizard went more and more. The two fell in love, and had a child. A girl, who’s talent was strong even at her birth. The little girl grew up in the vicinity of the country’s greatest mages, and at the young age of 11 she was already playing with wind and leaves. The water of the lake made her go as fast as she desired. In the forests she could feel the lives of the trees within her heart and at night she danced with fire. That all changed when the First Mage War broke out. The old king, having the audacity, send out his riders to the vulnerable shack near the lake. They seized the girl from the yard and ran off with her. In the city she was put on trial. A girl not even old enough to marry was condemned to death if the mages would not seize their rebellion. Her father marched with Alec Bredain. He succeeded, but the valiant action took his own life. The daughter returned to her mother. But Al’Gruin started to turn into an epicenter of magical knowledge. With a desire to follow in the footsteps of her father, the girl went to the academy. She studied and worked hard. Alec had noticed this, and remembered the words of his friend before his final battle. The man handed Alec a flute with a piece of paper around it and said: Give her this when she deserves it. Alec never truly understood the words, but he felt a strange sliver of power within the flute. A dormant force he couldn’t quite grasp. He did what his friend asked, and handed the flute and the scrap of paper to the girl. She was happy, yet confused. The scrap of paper had some weird symbols on it. After several sleepless nights it became evident that the symbols had to do with the flute. They were music notes. Alone at night the girl often practiced the flute. Trying to master the song, which she did. She also became the main rival of Eléane. The elven girl adopted by Alec. The two girls were almost on par in power. But the girl’s gentle compassion and carefulness was no match for the brunt force of Eléane’s harsh competitiveness. After both graduated as War-Magi, their path split but the friendship remained. The girl returned to her childhood home across the lake while Eléane joined the active military. The girl’s mother had aged a lot with her daughter’s absence. The girl knew that her mother was old, and no amount of divine magic could save her from death. Nor did the old lady want to be spared. She said that she lived long enough to see marvels none of her ancestors could have ever see, but now wanted to be united again with her husband. Thus the girl remained at home, easing the pain of her mother as she worked the fields outside. Trying to prepare herself for the inevitable. And then the fated night arrived. On a surprisingly warm spring evening her mother passed away with a smile on her face. As was tradition, the girl made a pyre for her mother, and watched the orange flames lit up the darkness. Alone she watched as the fired burned bright. For hours she remained, until the fires burned out. A strange sadness gripped her heart. Loneliness and sorrow slowly began to swirl inside her. Eventually the strong bastion that was the girl broke and cried for the first time in her entire life. With nothing to do but wait sleepless till the next dawn, she grabbed her flute and walked up to the pier near the lake. Where she started her lament song. The song her father gave her had a strange combination of sorrow and pain within it. But it soon turned into a song of happy memories and hope. Any other night, and nothing would have happened. Any other song, and nothing would have listened. Any other person, and the sliver within the flute would not have awakened. But all happened at the perfect time, place and with the perfect person. The sliver of force stirred and with it, the dormant beings within the very water of the lake. Awakening from an incredibly long slumber, the rose towards the surface. Invisible beings were gathering all around the pier, where the girl was playing as hot tears streamed from her cheeks into the water. She played and played. With body, soul and heart she played till she was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. She collapsed upon the pier, and thus stopped playing the beautiful song. The beings of the water sensed this, and as a union began to sing the song. They sang the song as if a thousand flutes were playing unison, begging the girl to lead them. With wonder the girl watched as the entire lake seemed to play her song. The pitch dark water began to light up a soft blue hue. Energy streamed out of the spirits of the lake as they sang the song made specifically for them. The girl grabbed her flute and with new energy played her song. She kept playing it till dawn. When the sun rose, the spirits had no desire to go back to their slumber. Instead they swirled and began gather. Till massive soft blue lights swam through the water and flew above it. The mages of Al’Gruin had gathered on the far, other side of the lake at early dawn. Amazed as they heard the final parts of the beautiful song. [center][img]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mmBw3uzPnJI/TTeJmtyoT9I/AAAAAAAB2Q0/PKbr383mDDw/s1600/bioluminescent_lake_05.jpg[/img][/center] [hider=My Actions] [b]Garrison[/b] [i]Province 58[/i] - 5 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Light Cavalry - 5 Units of Magi - 7 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 59[/i] - 3 Units of Light Infantry - 6 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Light Cavalry - 7 Units of Magi - 6 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 60[/i] - 2 Units of Light Infantry - 4 Units of Heavy Infantry - 8 Units of Magi - 5 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 55[/i] - 2 Units of Light Infantry - 6 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Magi - 6 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 53[/i] - 11 Units of Heavy Infantry - 5 Units of Magi - 5 Units of War-Magi [i]Province 52[/i] - 16 Units of Heavy Infantry - 3 Units of Light Cavalry - 6 Units of Magi - 7 Units of War-Magi [b]Troop movement[/b] [i]From 52 to 53[/i] - 20 Units of Magi - 10 Units of War-Magi [b]Production[/b] [i]Ground forces[/i] Province 58: War-Magi Province 59: War-Magi Province 60: War-Magi Province 55: Heavy Infantry Province 53: Heavy Infantry Province 52: Heavy Infantry [i]Airforce[/i] Province 58: Bomber Province 59: Bomber Province 60: Bomber Province 55: Bomber Province 53: Bomber Province 52: Bomber [b]Research[/b] Conjure Familiars [/hider]