[center][h2][color=7bcdc8]Dzallitsunya VII[/color][/h2] [img]https://i.imgur.com/RkarpJF.png[/img] [/center] "Tell me the one where you tamed the untamable chaos wolf again then!" Begged Dzillikiri, having already seen that asking about the battle would never wield good results, the daughter of the goddess had moved her focus to the other stories from her mother's adventures. [color=7bcdc8]"Oh? Does your memory fail you?"[/color] the goddess teased, pressing her finger in the bridge of her nose, the girl's eyes of a color black like obsidian looking silly as she tried to focus on it. [color=7bcdc8]"Why don't you instead tell me stories of your own adventures? I have keen information that you are quite the troublemaker."[/color] "Oh but I know already about what I have done, I want to know more about your stories!" the girl pouted, before someone patted her on the head. It was Llohar, who despite being twin to Dzillikiri, had already started to grow taller, and somehow his very aura seemed a bit more mature. "Hush now Dzi, can't you see mother is tired? She will tell you about the battles when she has the time." he said. The goddess smiled. [color=7bcdc8]"It is no issue, I am happy to have some time to spend with you both."[/color] "How long are you gonna stay?" Dzi asked, over-eager again, before adding a "I...if I may ask" in an attempt to be polite like her brother. [color=7bcdc8]"For a long while, I think. There will come quests, but I will not allow myself to be as absent as before."[/color] the goddess said, eyes closed, before opening a single one, pouncing at her little girl with a tight hug. [color=7bcdc8]"So when you get up to trouble again, know that a god is watching~"[/color] the dusk goddess teased. Llohar smiled, with a hint of perhaps envy at all the love his sister was getting, the hint, although subtle, was quickly caught by the goddess, who pulled him in as well, making the reserved boy gasp before he allowed himself to chuckle. [hr] Tsoravah continued to grow, in size, in complexity, in quality. The goddess had feared that one day it would have fetid slums like a certain west-ward city, but the alchemists had worked on sanitation, the clan system had held and kept people protected from extreme poverty and the simple constant flow of new lands created, conquered or converted eased the excess of the cities. That is not to say, however, that it was as pristine as it was when it first rose from the swamps. For a start, the smell of burning Umbrium now existed, with even a small forge being so noticeable, then there was the buzzing noise of flowing pure electricity. Eunomia had long managed to tame the flowing lava to power its nation, but for the Dusklnaders those methods seemed excessive, instead, they had sought energy in its purest, discovering the telluric currents deep in the earth and the celestial energy that charged the atmosphere, using similar techniques to Eunomia, but with the fine equipment given my alchemists, both started to be harvest, now, every hour was marked by the two of bells and the discharge of a new wave of power all throughout the region, going from the central celestial towers and telluric wells and spreading across many pylons to feed the needs of every city and public electric device. [img]https://i.imgur.com/3VI1MSD.png[/img] It was a sight to see, even the goddess had been impressed when she first saw it. But the buzzing and the eventual lightning was problematic, and it kept all birds and animals away from the city centres, she wished there was a way to change that, but until then, it was merely the price paid for progress. Seeing the changes in the city had made the goddess realise just how much had changed since she had left, and how long she had been away. She did visit her family from time to time, but the city proper had not been visited in so long... The Tsorovah she knew seemed to be gone in spirit too, no longer did the dusklanders come and rush to her to talk casually as if she was equal to them, the new generation had never travelled with her and the older one had grown distant as the battles and government mandates grew. Now the streets opened to her, as everyone froze and looked, bowing with respect, but depriving the goddess of a chance to see the lively city as it usually was. The loneliness of her city stroll was only broken when she felt a small tug on her cape, a young girl with keen eyes looked up at the goddess and then offered her a flower bouquet, clearly nervous but also shining with courage. With a smile, Dzalli knelt and accepted the gift. Although this wasn't the ideal relationship she wanted with her people, it wasn't bad either, she could adapt. [hr] [b][color=7bcdc8]The city of Veils and Sails[/color][/b] The birth of the true Kiti Tzur as the metropolis it was meant to be was marked by a first breath, as the pylons connected the city to the Dusklander power grind, and with all structures finished, the city could finally come to life. A great fortress overlooked the walled city's eastern flank, shaped like a star and equipped with silver cannons, it stood on the eternal watch against the threats of Anak'Thas, with walls thick enough to defy a god. The western flank was not without threats either, with the craddle and node 18 being nearby, and on that side of the city stood a great tower, taller than all else, acting like both a lighthouse for the sea-vessels and a watch tower to scout upon the scorched lands and the repugnant god beyond them. While many projects aimed at draining swamps to make way for cities, Kiri Tzur had been made to increase the one that already existed. Taking over all of the original delta of the Shepherd's River, the dusklander engineers had built canals and dams all around the city, turning once flat land and well-defined beaches into mangrove forests and swamp terrain. With the dusklanders being the masters of swamp-dwelling, this zone formed another layer of natural protection for the city, while also providing grounds for fish farmers and herbalists to settle. This was all but the clamshell that protected the pearl, the city proper of Kiri Tzur. Built on a hill, the city's families were in their majority working on two fronts: One were the smiths who worked on fixing and preparing the weapons to feed the war, especially the crossbow bolts and cannons, though some work on the exotic dusklander steel and orichalk was also done, the large majority of the converted verdant landers, the eclipse cultists, had also taken to the city and living along the dusklander smiths in their majority. The other, more than obvious, was the maritime industry, from the carvers to the weavers to the sailors themselves. The weavers were also tasked with the monumental task of keeping the large dusklander population protected from the harmful sunlight both at the land of the 13th node (and beyond) as well as in the sea. It was them who would give the nickname most would know Kiri Tzur for, the city of veils and sails. The port of Kiri-Tzur was unmatched, especially the area covered in the thick smoke of burning umbrium and coal, the dry-docks. In there, massive ships were made with industrial zeal, although wooden in the core, these ships were treated in an acidic cooper substance and bathed in tamed lightning, giving them an outer cooper platted shell. Combined with the black sails, the often oxidised green plates mimicked the turquoise and black of the dusklander uniform. The first ship had left the dry docks on the same day the city was truly 'born'. Many more would follow, swarming the inner sea, and expanding the dusklander reach over the verdant realms as soon any military port of the legion would find itself facing the bombardment of ship-mounted cannons. [hr] [b][color=7bcdc8]The Crow's nest[/color][/b] The war in the south turned into a series of skirmishes that never went anywhere. Neither Anak'Thas' legions or the Dusklander's banners could break the other side, the material advantage of the dusklanders was rendered to nothing when facing the mages and numbers of the legion, yet those factors were put at great risk when trying to break past dusklander lines. This gave Dzallitsunya a long peace to enjoy with her family, enjoying her well-earned rest. When a magistrate rushed into her home she expected the worst, a call to war, but the news she got was quite different. "My lady. I think we may have had a breakthrough in our quest to explore the island in the central sea." Dusklander ships had swarmed the sea and faced little opposition from chaos or the legion, what did cause trouble, however, had been the puzzling mist of the lost island belonging to a dead god. Dusklanders ships had been lost there, and not even the seismic sensors or alchemical lenses could peer past the mist and find a reliable path into the island. [color=7bcdc8]"Have we found a way in? Have we landed on it? What has happened?"[/color] the goddess stood up, impressing her family with the first commanding tone she had ever used in months. "Well. Hmm... Its a bit hard to explain but." the magistrate looked at the window, the massive glass block window of the goddess' palace, as a massive bird pecked on it, trying to open it up as if it was a simple shuttered design. "He calls himself the rok, and he comes to bargain." said the magistrate, the goddess raising an eyebrow in confusion. [hr] "I NEED A GOD" the bird had said. "I LOST A FRIEND AND I NEED YOU TO SAVE IT. PEOPLE IN THE METAL SHIPS SAID YOU WERE THE MOST HELPFUL GODDESS SO I CAME." the panicked monstrous bird had begged. "PLEASE. YOU NEED TO SAVE THEM" And so, the goddess had set forth on an adventure, her first time sailing the copper-plated ships into the ocean, and since she was already out, it was her plan to make a full journey to the desert lands she had created earlier. She had wondered, how bad things had to be on the island for a creature of this size to be this panicked, and how dear that friend must have been for it to be this worried, worried enough to break the vow to their god and lead foreigners right into the heart of the late god's realm. As promised, the Roc guided them to the island, the ship was too large to make use of the small harbor the islanders had, so the dusklanders had to leave on canoes, all clad in the new orichalk, one with a natural red shine to it, with lances and crossbows in it, expecting the worst in the island of a dead god. So when then landed, it was quite a surprise to find a calm village, it seemed to have once been made like a fort, but given the years of anarchy that had broken down, serving as a community centre for the villagers who lived mostly on reed cottages. Nobody seemed sick, nobody seemed to be starving and when seeing the dusklanders, they reacted with curiosity and hospitality, offering them to share their pig roast (which the dusklanders accepted) and boiled Rokling eggs (which they did not accept) Thinking over the situation, the goddess made a decision. [color=7bcdc8]"The soldiers can take shelter in the ships, the scouts should overlook the island and the villages, keep yourself masked to not bring any sickness to these people."[/color] she looked at the giant bird. [color=7bcdc8]"I will go and help this friend of his."[/color] Dzallitsunya would alone follow the Roc to the north of the island, where it nested, she wondered if it was not too late to save this friend of his, should they have perished already. From what she understood, as the bird spoke, the friend had been seriously wounded and needed surgery, something the locals clearly could not provide, given their technological progress. When further pressed, the bird started to tell the tale of how he met this friend, a lone girl who had come to him despite the villager's fear of the Roc. It reminded the goddess of her own loneliness and the lone girl who had approached her on that stroll through Tsorovah, and she understood why he was in such a panic. Tension grew in her as she climbed up the sharp confusing cliffs of the bird's mountain home, this was no place for a child, no wonder she had been harmed, even the goddess found herself taking the wrong path at certain times. Nevertheless, she approached the nest, and the Roc rushed to bring the ill friend to her. The sight left the goddess with a loss of words. The girl... wasn't there. Instead, the Roc had offered her a half-ripped, clearly aged, weasel doll. [color=7bcdc8]"Huh?"[/color] "IT HAD STAYED WITH ME FOR A WHILE, I DO NOT REMEMBER HOW LONG. EDRA HAD NEVER ASKED IT OF ME FOR A LONG WHILE, BUT SHE SUDDENLY ASKED ME ABOUT IT. I WENT TO CHECK ON IBSIE AND FOUND HIM ALL TORN UP! AS IF IT WAS PECKED BY SOME HORRIBLE CREATURE! WHO COULD HAVE DONE IT." The goddess blinked, then nodded and picked up the toy. With gentle hands, and a summoned needle, she started to reform it to a proper shape, having done it oh so many times with Dzilli's own dolls. A bit of godly magic later, and Ibsie the friendly weasel was as good as new. [hr] Later, at the nearby village, Dzalli met the girl of the Roc's tales, though she was older than she was led to believe, a grown woman with a babe of her own in her arms. She looked with confusion at Dzalli's appearance but quickly giggled away any worries as the goddess told the full story, a nervous Roc hiding behind her. "Oh, so that is why this bird was so nervous, I thought for a moment it had stopped being my friend." Edra said, looking at the toy and picking it up. "Hey Ibsie, has been a bit no? You are looking fine~ I wanted to introduce you to someone." she presented the toy to her baby, who clung to it immediately, starting to softly bite at the poor plush weasel." "Ibsie is my clever little friend, and this big bird here, his name is Roc, and he is my best friend, though not the cleverest." she teased, nesting her head to the side of the bird. It seemed all had ended well there, though now that she was already here, Dzallitsunya had to decide the fate of the island as the first foreigner to make her path to it. [hr] The first thing she did was capture to the node, taking over the vacuum left behind by the perished crow god. A path had been opened with the Roc's route to the lost island, but it was hazardous still nevertheless, ultimately, she decided the island could stay isolated, in fact, it would be best to keep it protected from harm, but it would still be under the protection of the dusklands, with magistrates and a proper base of operations being set up there with the intent of further exploring the island, recruiting citizens and delivering goods like medicine. This took the shape of a small lighthouse, which would act to also guide any incoming dusklander ship to the right location. [hider=Might Summary] Node 19 is claimed by Dzallitsunya -3 Create multiple buildings: The Port city of Kiri Tzur -1 Create a lighthouse in the port of Node 19 1 might remain [/hider]