[center][h1][b][u]Carnelian[/u][/b][/h1][/center] [hr] Carnelian had set out from Thyma with a force of twenty. Now, he returned with nearly sixty. As they entered the village, they were looked upon with a mixture of surprise, relief, and confusion. Many had assumed he would not return, either because he had been killed in battle or because he was actually abandoning them. Instead, he and his men had returned in high spirits, with reinforcements. But surely he hadn’t scored a victory? And yet, he did. “The Ketrefans have been beaten!” he announced in the village square. The crowd - mostly consisting of the warriors he had brought back - cheered in response. Lothat stepped out of the temple and smiled. Once the cheers died down, Carnelian continued speaking. “For every man we lost, we killed twenty in return! Cadien was watching over us. But do not rest easy. The war is still not won, and it will not end until Ketrefa falls. In the meantime, we must gather our strength, and grow our numbers. Next time we face them, they will still be recovering, while we will be stronger than ever!” “Cadien’s Chosen has spoken!” Lothar declared. “Keep training. Keep working. Everyone must contribute, if we are to win our freedom!” [hr] “Alright…” Carnelian breathed, standing in the chieftain’s longhouse. Lothar, Ingrid, and Yarwick were present, as was Titania, who was neatly laid out on a table. “What next?” Yarwick frowned. “You won a great victory, at small cost. Whatever you did, do it again, until all of them are dead.” Carnelian sighed. “It’s not that simple. I only won because Cadien gave us a blessing, and that was only temporary. We don’t know if he’ll give it again.” “You are his champion, are you not?” Ingrid questioned rhetorically. “Pray to him, and ask.” Lothar shook his head. “The God of Perfection watches us always, but he answers us rarely. He has given us his aid, but he will not win every battle for us. He does not wish for us to become dependent. I dare say, he may now expect us to win our next battle without his intervention.” “Besides,” Carnelian shrugged. “I already tried praying, and there was no response.” “If Cadien does not offer us his guidance, it is because we do not need it,” Lothar said simply. “As Yarwick said, you have won a great victory. By now, every village surrounding Ketrefa will have heard of it. A great host was murdering and pillaging it way through the countryside, and you slew it. The news will rouse the faithful, and all we must do is seek them out… if they don’t seek us out first. Come spring we will have a mighty host, larger than any that has ever been raised.” Yarwick frowned. “If Cadien does not aid us… we’ve all heard the stories. Dagmar the Defiant. Helga the Butcher. Lesnar Leonheart. Each one tried to fight Ketrefa in the past. Each one thought they had the mightiest army ever raised. And each one was all defeated.” “They were not Cadien’s Champions,” Lothar countered. “And you forget the boons that have been bestowed upon us already. Even if Cadien does not directly intervene, we still have what he has already given us.” He nodded toward the sword sheathed at Carnelian’s belt. [colour=deepskyblue]”You shall have all the aid you need.”[/colour] Titania’s voice was as firm as the steel in her plates. [colour=deepskyblue]”You are the protectors of the innocent who have been molested at the hands of this foe Ketrefa. This earns you the favour of me - Titania!”[/colour] Her impossible grin was palpable. “What sort of aid can you provide?” Carnelian asked her. The armour flexed metaphorically. [colour=deepskyblue]”Whatever you need in terms of armour - by Gibbou, you shall have it! Nothing shall stop the saviours of the innocents from their mission to defend those that cannot defend themselves!”[/colour] There came a pause. [colour=deepskyblue]”For that’s what you’re doing, right?”[/colour] “Aye, that’s what we’re doing,” Yarwick nodded. “Those bastards will rue every raid they’ve ever sent,” Ingrid vowed. Carnelian, meanwhile, had only nodded slightly. [colour=deepskyblue]”Then all is as it should be. The Ketrefan despots will be dethroned, and their reign of terror shall come to an end! Wearer, put me on! We march at first light!”[/colour] Carnelian blinked in surprise. “Now is not the time to march,” he said. “It’s nearly winter. We’ll have to wait until spring.” “We won’t be standing idle, though,” Lothar said. “While our forces ready themselves here, we must travel the land, spread the word of our victory, and seek out new allies.” The armour stared blankly. [colour=deepskyblue]”Noted. Then we shall march at first light - to the surrounding villages to garner support! All part of the great quest to free the Highland’s people from the wicked grasp of Ketrefa!”[/colour] She sounded a triumphant ‘hoo-hah!’ “Indeed,” Carn said wearily. He looked out the window, where warriors and villagers alike celebrated the victory. “First light, then.” [hr] [hider=Post Summary] Carn returns to Thyma and announces his victory. Everyone is thrilled. Later, he meets with Lothar, Titania, Yarwick, and Ingrid, to plan their next move. Lothar reveals that Cadien is unlikely to help them any time soon, after all the aid he has already provided, but Titania promises to offer whatever they need. Anyway, winter is coming up, so despite their victory they can’t actually march anywhere. Of course, this applies to the enemy too, so they agree to use the winter to gather more support. [/hider] [hider=Prestige Summary] [u]Carn[/u] [b]Beginning:[/b] 19 +3 [b]Ending:[/b] 22 [/hider]