TheDuncanMorgan

Formaroth Part 2: Throne of Lies

Castaway

Kiseo bundled the worn coat to her furred figure. Though she could handle the cold, she felt presenting a normal front would help. Her paws crunched through the pure white snow and left impressions behind her. Yellow feline yellows glanced about the fish market as she walked up to the nearest stall.

The young mao examined the fresh fish. She tapped it gently with a claw and inhaled deeply, a faint mixture of salt and age. Already it had started to break down. Kiseo sighed. She missed the Imperial cities some days.

She attempted to barter with the seller. He waved off her first and lowest offer, explaining the fish's capture this morning. She didn't believe him, but held her tongue. A few days of age didn't spoil it enough to stop another offer. This time, the man didn't push his luck. He greedily took the coin then slid the fish into her hand basket. Kiseo thanked him as she turned away.

About to head back to her small hut, her peripheral vision caught a commotion near the docks. Several fishing men were hauling up a furred creature. Her curiosity got the better of her causing Kiseo to move closer.

As Ao tried to open his eyes he found the rays of sunlight that penetrated his eyes forcing them to close again. Salt water stung his eyes as he tried to make out the voices around him, though it was to no avail. They spoke Formarotian, a language that he didn’t know, nor did his master see value in having him learn it. Eventually he was able to open his eyes and started to take in his surroundings. It appeared he had arrived in a human fishing village, though he still had no idea where exactly he was.

Nearest to Ao, a fisherman jumped at the stir of movement. His figure fought to remain crouched down as he briefly stared. Obviously he had never seen a creature like this up close. A few moments passed before he pushed his long curls from his eyes and looked to the collecting crowd.

"Hey, it's alive! Does anyone know where that cat girl is?"

Kiseo's lips pressed tighter, but she resisted speaking her pain out loud. Instead, she stepped forward and past the parting group. As she neared the other Mao, the man stood up then walked back. Relief seemed to pull on his expression as he continued to watch with curiosity.

The female Mao placed her groceries to the side and met Ao's green eyes. A striking difference from her golden yellow ones. Her eyes brushed along his orange body with splotches of white on his lips, chin, center torso, and legs. Darker stripes were easily noted on his limbs and back. She admired the appeal of his coat a bit too long before she broke the silence.

With a gentle voice, she spoke to him in Imperial common, "Are you hurt?"

Ao was taken by surprise as his eyes lay upon a sight, he had never thought to see in Formaroth; another of his kind. He hesitated in his response as he still came to terms with what he was seeing, unsure if this was real or a salt water induced hallucination. “Who are you” he eventually stammered.

Kiseo smiled. She attempted to look less threatening as she adjusted her posture. Her legs folded underneath and knees pressed into the hardwood, with her tail in easy view. It barely flicked, so he knew she didn't want to pounce on him. Kits often did that during play which some times carried into adulthood. Most slaves were trained out of such antics through harsh means.

She exhaled to release her memories then focused on the Mao before her. "Kiseo, and you are?"

Ao paused a while as he composed himself “Ao, I belong to master Felcen, a merchant of the imperium”.

Kiseo's stomach churned a bit as she watched Ao. His posture retrained a meek and submissive behavior, indicating slavery. His words confirmed what she suspected causing her eyes to soften more.

"Are you hurt, Ao?" With introductions out of the way, she hoped he would be more open toward her.

“I...do not think so” Ao said as he tried to stand. However his legs were weaker then he thought as he stumbled and fell forward.

Kiseo watched him carefully. She didn't rise too far upward before spotting him tumble. Her right arm shot out and wrapped about his shoulder, stopping him from plowing into the dock. With a bit of struggle, she managed to help him stand and adjust his balance.

"Keep a hold of my shoulders and I'll lead you back to the hut. I have a bed, drink, and food. You need to rest and recover." She told him then slowly leaned down to collect her basket before moving toward her home. The crowd naturally parted allowing the two Mao to safely walk through and toward the edge of town.

“Where am I?” Ao said as he leaned against Kiseo, trying his best to keep balance against her. “How is it you are in Formaroth? My master told me I was the only Mao on this side of the ocean”?

Kiseo ensured she kept a steady, but slow pace. Her eyes shifted to her tail, mindful of where it bounced. It kept low to the ground and out of the way. She hooked her arm through the basket's handle before she replied.
" You are in a village in Formaroth called Fishgrove." Kiseo's tone held a hint of pride in the village's name as they approached the mangrove fields. Some workers were already pulling out newly ready plants, potting, and storing them.

Two men looked up after spotting, her hand held up. They stared another moment and returned to their work.

"I came with Híril Dyril Elian, of the Elian House. She has been trying to trade in Formaroth for some time now. Right now, she's away on business and left me in charge of the house." She pulled open the door then gestured for him to enter.

“Thank you, Kiseo” Ao said as he steadied himself and walked inside, greatly appreciating the feeling of warm air against his fur.

“You say your mistresses left you in charge?" Ao asked, confused as to why an elf would ever give their slave any position of authority.

“Yes. My mistress had to leave Fishgrove and visit the Summer Isles,” Kiseo pointed to a modest cot she had been using for a bed. The dwelling was unusually humid compared to the outside. Numerous plants had been potted, growing at a faster than normal rate as she set her basket near one.

Her figure moved over to fire and stoked it once, stirring the embers again. She grabbed a bowl nearby then ladled some rich broth into it. Chunks of salted meat floated in the murky liquid as she served him some.

"Hungry?"

It was only after the offer of food that Aoe realized he was starving. He took the bowl uttering a quick “Thank you” before ravenously devouring the broth without hesitation. The food itself wasn’t anything special, but his current state of starvation made him feel as if it was the best meal he ever had.

"Slow down, you'll choke." Kiseo stated as she served herself, scooping more into another bowl.

She gradually sipped her, savoring the broth and taste. It was basic, but satisfying. Her teeth sank into the meager meat as she chewed. The salt still very strong due to the preservation. Her thoughts turned to the fish she had purchased for her next meal, considering getting more. She had another mouth to feed after all.

"What happened? How did you wash up onto shore?" Kiseo asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. Her eyes studied him intently through the hazy interior lite by the fire.

"My master's ship was attacked on our return from the summer Isles. There was a fleet of pirates that destroyed both our ship and our escorts. Their flagship cut our ship in two. Its front was made of some sort of metal. I've never seen a ship like that back home. Are metal ships common in Formaroth?”
Kiseo paled. It showed heavily in her body language and expression. Horror showed on her face and her eyes narrowed on him. Her first thoughts trailed to her mistress.

"From what I've seen in Fishgrove... no. I've never seen one. This is very worrisome. I hope they stay away from here. I do not think Fishgrove could handle another attack."

“You needn’t worry. It wasn’t fishgrove they were heading for, it was the circle”

Formaroth Part 2: Throne of Lies

Calm before the storm

Inigo awoke to the sound of Helen, his younger servant, throwing up into a wooden bucket that she had kept by the side of her bed. This was her first time aboard a ship. Until recently it had been her first time she had been outside of Cawaport. Inigo had originally questioned Hathorn, her uncle and his other retainer, as to whether it was wise to bring her with them. However Hathorn had told him of Helen’s wish to travel the world and had requested that she be allowed to join. Hathorn had been with Inigo for years and had never asked for anything in return, he felt it was only fair he granted him this one request. Right now Hathorn remained asleep in the hammock above Helen, seemingly undisturbed by the unpleasant noises his niece was currently making. Inigo however decided that he would get no more sleep this morning and arose, dressing himself in his long coat and climbing the stairs to the deck. Many of the crewmen were already up and ignored Inigo as they went about their tasks. Inigo himself was careful not to disturb them and quietly went to the bow of the ship to watch the sun rise as he often did back in Cawaport.

Kanna watched Inigo quietly as he emerged from the belly of her vessel and made his way towards the forward most area of the ship. She was sitting at a small table that was placed for her on the quarterdeck and was dressed comfortably in black hakama with her hair tied back in a ponytail. Since having received orders to join her brother at the front lines, Kanna forgoed any formal wear and dressed in a way so that she can don her armour in a hurry should a situation deem necessary. Strapped to her left hip was her katana and kodachi, two blades that she would carry at all times moving forward unless social etiquette dictated otherwise. Most of her people ignored the foreigner as he moved among them, though he seemed careful not to be a nuisance to their duties. She wondered what brought the foreign commander to her deck so early in the morning as she carefully sipped her morning tea.

Inigo watched as the sun started to rise over the horizon, feeling the warmth slowly warm his face. It was a comforting feeling and reminded him of home, when he used to watch the sun rise from his balcony with his wife sleeping behind him. He felt eyes on him and as he turned he caught the eyes of princess Kanna. Out of respect he gave her a short bow.

From her seated position, the young akaiban noblewoman returned the foreign commander’s bow, as is required by her culture’s rules of etiquette. While most of her countrymen had an indifferent or negative view of the westerner, she found that the man to be pleasant enough and thus far had enjoyed his company. She was surprised to discover that he had come out for the same reason as she did, to enjoy the sunrise, as there would most likely be few opportunities to do so once they reached the front lines. She took another slow sip of her tea, savoring it’s warmth as it traveled through her body.

Just as the sun finished stretching over the horizon, Toshiro appeared to the young woman’s left to tell her that they were approaching the shores of Noiba signaling the end of her morning tea. She sighed softly as she placed her cup on the table's surface and stood.

"Let us prepare to meet my brother then."

Home at Last

Goto Kenji stood silently on the long stone quay, killing swords tucked into his sash at the perfect angle, long blood-red kimono moving ever so slightly as the north wind buffeted him with a gentle caress. A bow was slung across his back in its protective leather case, the string removed, and a bag of arrows hung beside it. Like all samurai he was prepared to fight at a moments notice and would kill without question. That was the samurai way.

Out in the bay, the late afternoon sun bathing two tall beige sails trimmed with Akaiban red and filled with a wind that smelled strongly of the distant mountains. The vessel was being forced to tack back and forth across the bay and Kenji found himself enjoying the sight immensely. There was beauty to be found in all moments, in the shift of the sails, the gentle wake thrown up by the sharp prow, in the way she turned with a perfection that made his heart ache.

On the mainmast, flapping fitfully with the wind, was Kanna-Samas sigil. It was almost identical to her fathers, save for two extra circles in the bottom left corner. A coiled dragon, gold on red, made up the rest of the shogunate seal. None but a member of the shoguns family would fly such a flag. Every vessel she passed, and there were hundreds in that anchorage, dipped their own standard in salute.

He waited as the ship drew closer, unmoving, his eyes fixed on the woman he had come to escort to Daichi. At his back fifty other samurai were drawn up in ranks to welcome the Princess and the barbarian general. It was all that could be spared at the moment. A single Runelord was present but the man seemed somewhat distracted, constantly looking around and staring at the hills that ringed the harbour.

A single pier, one of a dozen, had been quickly cleared, swept, and cleaned for the arrival of the Princess. Everything had been made perfect, even the freshly woven tatami mats that would serve as a path from the ship to the waiting horses. Small flowers had been scattered about the stone, Kannas favourite; a suggestion of her brothers. Three maids waited as well, their heads bowed, hands holding freshly steaming tea and cha; should the Princess and her guests wish it. Yes, everything was perfect.

Kanna herself was not surprised by the welcome she was receiving as she stood by the handrail on the starboard side of the vessel. She wore finely crafted black armour atop similarly colored hakama, her swords strapped tightly to her left side and her fox mask strapped to her right. Steady lungs took in deep, even breaths as she focused her mind on those around her and on shore. She was working on memorizing the life forces of those on land as she was already familiar with the ones around her having spent so much time with them on her travels.

As the boat slowed, seasoned hands tossed ropes to anchor the ship and position the gang plank so that they could disembark the Reaver. Kanna collected herself and left the railing to join Toshiro who had been waiting for her to be ready to descend onto land along with the rest of her party. She paused to speak with Inigo whom she was now confident enough to converse with in his native tongue after spending many long hours with Meredith's teachings during their travels.

"Inigo-san, I have instructed Meredith to be by your side from here on out until you are confident in your understanding of our culture and language.” She spoke carefully and with a light accent. “If you do not have any pressing questions, then I will lead us off the ship.”

“Thank you, my lady” Inigo said with a bow before signalling to his retainers to gather his belongings as he followed Kanna down the plank.

Kenji, the maids, and assembled samurai, all bowed as one the moment Kannas feet touched the stone quay. He stepped forward and bowed again.

“Kanna-sama,” His stoic face broke into a grin. “Welcome home.”

He caught sight of the barbarian general who came behind and bowed, though much more stiffly, to the man. Despite himself he was impressed with how the newcomer carried himself, a confidence that Kenji was not sure he would feel if the roles were reversed.

“Inigo-san, welcome,” He said in stilted Formarothian. “The Crown Prince told me you would be present. I welcome you to this land.” While he understood the words, they were difficult to say, and he found them graceless and without flow when compared to Akaiban; a language whose vowels had a liquid beauty all their own.

The maids, not needing a cue, quickly stepped forward and bowed, offering both Cha and tea to Kanna and her guest. “A refreshment, Kanna-sama?”

Kanna lifted a hand to politely refuse the refreshments , "No thank you, but perhaps Inigo-san would like to try our tea?" From the corner of her eye she could see Meredith explaining things to Inigo as she had once done for her. Turning her focus from her guest, Kanna returned Kenji's smile with one of her own.

"Kenji-san, what a delightful surprise to see you here! How is your family?"

“They are well, thank you.” He beamed, honoured that she had remembered to ask. “They were evacuated west along with all the other soldiers from here, by orders of the Daichi-sama.”

The maids had stepped forward to offer tea to Ingio during the exchange and Kenji wondered idly how the foreigner would react, watching the exchange out of the corner of his eye.

As Inigo walked down the plank he was impressed by the welcome party that awaited them considering how close they were to the Iba front lines. Then again he was travelling with Iba royalty and had it been one of the De Reimer siblings landing on the shores of Formaroth a similar reception would likely be received. Though he did not know his rank of authority here in Seikatsu, he returned a bow to the samurai so as not to risk offence and took the tea that was offered to him, feeling it’s warmth against his hands. As he was about to take a sip from the cup something caught his eye up on the hills in the distance, a flash of white light. As he looked up the flash of white light disappeared and was instead replaced with a red one. In a matter of seconds Inigo saw that this red light was a great ball of fire flying towards them getting bigger as it did. Out of instinct he pushed Kanna with all his strength towards Kenji in a desperate attempt to save her from the fire that would soon engulf them.

Kanna wasn’t prepared for the force Inigo used to push her forward and she went flying into Kenji. Confusion was soon replaced with anger as she tried to regain her composure, her speech reverting back to her native tongue. “Who has lost their mind?!”

“Elves!” The Runelord screamed just as the fireball slammed into them all. He was gesturing toward the distant hilltop. In an instant, the samurai drawn up to receive Kanna exploded into motion as officers bellowed orders. Men leapt to their horses and thundered away toward the distant killtop even as Kenji, off balance from the unexpected body slam, toppled into the water with a curse.

The explosion of the spell sent Kanna into the water as well, which helped to save her back from being horribly burned as she splashed into the salty shallows. She was lucky she wore the armour of her people as she would have never been able to kick herself back up to the surface under the weight of armour from other countries. As the young noblewoman breached, coughing out some of the water she took into her lungs, Kanna began to register the sounds of painful screams that came from those who survived the impact. Using her legs, she kicked herself back to the dock and hauled herself up using the footholds that were bored into the stone blocks.

Kanna was taken back by the scene that met her when she clambered back onto the docks. Where she had once stood at the edge of the dock was a blackened corpse burnt beyond all recognition. The plank that once connected the Reaver to shore was simply gone and a large charred hole took it’s place on the ship. Shiphands laid strewn about the deck, moaning in agony from splinters and burns. Those who remained on the dock that were neither thrown into the ocean or took to pursue their attackers laid on the charred stone. Flecks of fire swirled around the scene as the local winds appeared to have picked up the remains of flower petals and tatami mats.

Pulling herself together, she looked for any recognizable face among those strewn about her and found that she couldn’t find any of them. Kanna wondered if they were thrown into the water as she had been and ran to look into the waters around her.

Kenjis enraged face greeted her a moment later as he scrambled onto the stone quay to join her. His robes were a mess, his armour twisted, his short sword missing. He wasted no time as he looked her over quickly, and then ran for his horse at the head of the quay.

“Protect the Crown Princess.” He snarled at the dozen samurai who had remained before leaping into his saddle and kicking his mount after the swarm of horsemen who were making for the distant hill. The remaining samurai swiftly closed in on Kanna, surrounding her with their bulk and hurrying her toward the remaining horses.

Kanna knew her duty, but couldn’t help feeling torn between leaving and staying behind to help save those who were injured, a by product of her training as a restorative mage. She placed her left foot in the stirrup of an available horse, a beautiful painted mare, and hauled herself into the saddle. “Keep up.” she instructed simply to the men around her before nudging her horse into a full gallop after Kenji.

@TheDuncanMorgan, @The Wyrm & @Saix

Formaroth Part 2: Throne of Lies

A princess returns

Kanna stood patiently at the gang-plank connecting her ship to the docks of Nyhem, the incoming winds of the ocean tugged at the fabric of her clothes and long black hair that she had tied back in a ponytail. The black haori she wore was the same one she had on when she made landfall the week before and underneath she wore a simple black hakama over a white kimono. She dressed for travel, her sense of practicality overriding any societal pressure to dress formally, and was prepared to address the issue should anyone question her judgement. To her left stood the captain of her guard, Toshiro, and to her right was Meredith, her translator. The rest of her guard were on the Storm Reaver, preparing the vessel for their long voyage back home. The trio were awaiting the arrival of a military commander whom they were told would accompany them back to Seikatsu and lead the empire’s armies against the elven invasion. The Iban woman was given a name, Inigo Orbino, and a basic description of his physical appearance once she was given the details of the finalized alliance. The rest was a mystery.

“Lady Kanna”? I question came from the crowded docks. Through them approached Inigo Orbino, a tall well-built man dressed in simple yet clean clothes adorned in the De Reimer colours. He was clean shaven with short well groomed hair and approached the boat with purposeful strides “I am Inigo Orbino, a pleasure to make your acquaintance” he said with a slight bow.

At the sound of her name, Kanna turned her attention to the tall Formarothian man that approached them. As Meredith translated, Kanna returned his bow, “Likewise Orbino-san. I hope we weren’t too hard to find as it seems these docks are quite popular. Do you have all your belongings in order? I don’t mean to rush you, but I very much would like to disembark and we can become acquainted on the Storm Reaver as easily as we can here. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

“Of course lady Kanna, I have brought all necessary provisions with me” He said as he walked up the gang-plank followed by two servants. One was an older man with wispy white hair and sunken eyes. Despite his age he was incredibly strong carrying most of Orbino’s luggage. Following behind him was a young girl of 13 years, with long messy black hair and sharp facial features. She was carrying half that of the older man though she was still somewhat struggling under the weight. Orbino noticed this once he stepped on board and as she passed him he took one of the bags she was carrying, lightening her load.

“Take my belongings below deck” he said to the elderly man who gave a nod and made his way below, followed closely by the black haired girl. “I am ready to leave when you are” He said as he turned to face Kanna, though he knew she didn’t understand what he was saying he spoke to her as he would any other noble. “The empire’s armies march to Telmarion and will depart from there. They should land three weeks after we arrive, they will be fully equipped and ready to repel the elven invaders”.

Kanna had followed Orbino’s group up the plank with a stoic expression. She wouldn’t take a high ranking military commander to have a young girl in his entourage, but was pleasantly surprised none the less and hoped he treated her fairly. As they walked up, one of the crew members pulled up the wooden board that connected their vessel to dry land and rushed over to speak with her guard captain.

Toshiro in turn came to whisper in her ear, “He says the tides and winds are with us, we can leave now if you desire.”

“I do. Have them set sail immediately.” She instructed back to him. Their exchange happened as Orbino addressed his own people to bring his belongings below deck. Turning her attention back to her guest, Kanna appreciated that he spoke directly to her. She noticed that many found it difficult not to address Meredith in their exchanges with her and had made a mental note to have Meredith start teaching her their language while they sailed back to Seikatsu.

“We are leaving port now. I hope to be home before the fighting starts, but in the event that we don’t, I am positive my people can hold until they arrive.” Kanna braced herself as the boat started into motion, free from the ropes that had bound it to the docks. “I hope you don’t mind if I watch the city pass by before we go below deck? The cathedral was quite eye-catching and I hope to see it again.” She motioned a slender pale hand towards the railing that ran along the port side of the vessel.

"It truly is a sight to behold my lady. No doubt I will find equal intrigue in your homeland. I am very much looking forward to seeing your nation's capital" Inigo replied with genuine excitement but still maintaining his professionalism.

"There is much beauty to be held in Shinkyo.” Kanna stated simply as she walked towards the railing. “Though spring is my favorite time of the year…” The sun was setting behind them, so the coastline was illuminated in the soft fiery glow that reflected beautifully from the white walled city as they sailed by. It would be only a few more moments until the cathedral was in view. She wondered how the stained glass windows would reflect the rays of the setting sun.

“A shame I visit Seikatsu under such dire circumstances” Inigo replied “It pains me to hear how the imperium has ravaged your homeland. I dread to think what they might do to Formaroth if we fail to defeat them, rest assured we Formarotians are just as eager to drive the elves from your shores as you”.

"I hope you do not take offense Orbino-san, but I doubt you have the same drive as I do. While I am sure you are eager, until you are in my position it will not be the same." Her expression darkened slightly as she gazed at the foreign shore. Her mind drifting to the impending battle ahead and the wrath she would inflict upon the invading soldiers once she joined the fray. It was then that the cathedral came into view, it's stained glass windows reflecting a symphony of colors as the last rays of the day's sun hit them. It was a sight beautiful enough to calm her emotions, at least for a time, softening her expression once more. "Regardless, I am thankful to be bringing back with me the help of able bodied soldiers and your military experience."

“Of course Lady Kanna. If there is nothing else your wish of me I will head below deck to join my retainers”? Inigo said, it had been a long day getting everything ready for journey to Seikatsu and he wished to rest.

She turned to face Inigo, giving the Formarothian the full weight of her gaze. “My apologies for keeping you Orbino-san, I’m sure you are in need of some rest. Would you be taking your meal in your quarters as well? I can instruct the chef to have dinner brought to you and your subordinates.”

"That would be appreciated, thank you" he said with a bow, before heading below deck.

Kanna returned his bow before turning to her captain, relaying instructions to have their guest's meal brought to their quarters. Releasing Meredith from her duties, the young noblewoman left the ship's railing herself to return to her own rooms and gather her thoughts. The journey ahead of her will be a long one with the high possibility to be filled with the loss of everything she holds dear.

***

The last puffs of evening wind showed a distant sail standing out from the Akaiban mainland. The massive might of Sadatake Castle could be seen glowing in the final light of the day but Inigo and his men were destined to never see the Forbidden City. The little junk, bore down quickly upon them and a single Samurai could be seen standing amidships, swaying easily on the deck as the crew bustled about without disturbing him. A square banner displaying the cipher of the Shogun snapped in the wind above its lonely mast and the Storm Reaver quickly came up into the wind. Only a messenger of Ayeka himself would fly such a flag and, in these waters, his word was law.

The samurai sprang to the side of the Storm Reaver as the smaller vessel came along side; hurrying up the side with all the skill of one used to long service at sea. He bowed first to the ship's Captain, and then to far more deeply to Kanna. For the Formarothian he spared a small glance and short nod.

“Kana-sama. Your father sends his regards and orders you to proceed immediately to Noiba. Daichi-sama has won a great victory, but it will serve only to slow the barbarians, not halt them.”

Kanna returned the samurai's bow and spoke quickly, "We shall change course immediately, but first I have something that must be brought to the castle. Are you to accompany us to the battlefield or will you be returning to my father?"

“I will be returning immediately, Kanna-sama. I have no orders to join you.” The samurai glanced about him for item she had mentioned. “I have no orders to return with any item.”

"I had sent word ahead of me of what I carry, but I guess it can't be helped given the circumstances..." Taking note of his questioning glance about the deck, her voice took a more stern note, "You will not find it here as it is below deck. If we are not to make landfall here then you now have orders to return to my father with an item of most importance. Have you men with you?" Kanna turned away from the man and headed towards the passageway that lead into the hull of the ship, leading the warrior to the cargo hold where a large plain wooden box awaited them amongst the supply crates. She had walked with purpose, never questioning whether or not she would be followed and placed a gentle hand upon the sanded lid. She had hoped to be able to accompany the armor herself back to the castle, but it seemed her father had other plans for her and she would dare not risk it's return.

She turned to give the samurai the full weight of her gaze before speaking. "As you can see, this is no simple parcel and I doubt you could carry this by yourself."

The samurai bowed at once and shouted toward the upper deck. Several other samurai immediately sprang from the small vessel and joined the two. They asked no questions as the box was carefully lifted and carried above deck. A block and tackle was quickly rigged and the box slung over the side where it filled the majority of the small vessels open deck.

While it was secured the samurai turned to Kanna and spoke quietly. “The box will be delivered to your father as you command. Do you have any other messages?”

Kanna thought for a moment of what else she wanted to say to the shogun, raising pale fingers to soft lips as she racked her brain. She could ask for him to wait to open the box as a family, but war was upon them and any one of them may not live to see the end of it. He might as well lay eyes on something valuable while he can. She decided on something a little more sentimental, but not overly so.

“Tell my father I am sorry that I couldn’t find a stone for his garden.” she replied softly as a small smile spread across her lips, remembering the last conversation she had with him so long ago.

“It will be done, Kanna-sama.” The samurai bowed deeply and then swung expertly down into the small boat that bobbed dangerously low in the water. It cast off immediately and swung toward land with and the small sail shot up as it gathered way and raced across the waves until it vanished amid the swarm of shipping that filled the harbour.

After she had returned the vassal’s bow, Kanna realised that she needed to bring her guest up to speed. She assumed he had some questions about their exchange and since they are needed at Noiba, they will also have to prepare appropriately. Kanna made her way over to where Inigo and Meredith stood, mindfully out of the way of the commotion that had just occurred and offered him a slight bow, “Orbino-san, I apologize for the commotion that just occurred. I have been given orders to change course to Noiba, so we will not be making landfall in the city.”

Though he didn’t show it, Inigo was disappointed. He had read much on the impressive cities Iba and Draivim with Shinkyo being the crowning jewel. According to explorers it was nearly three times the size of Nyhem and it’s architecture made even the great city of Vine pale in comparison. Though Inigo knew he such disappointment was selfish; he was here to do his duty and drive back the elven invaders, not to sightsee. “I understand lady Kanna. In which case a message will need to be sent to the troops back in Formaroth before they board so that they know of the change of plan. Do you have the means to achieve this”? What Inigo really meant was whether they had a shapeshifter who could fly far enough to reach the Formaroth from Seikatsu. Only a handful of shapeshifters in Formaroth would be able to maintain their form for such a distance and Inigo hoped that at least a few such people might also live in Akaiba.

Kanna paused for a moment, understanding fully well what the foreign commander was asking for and knowing it was a resource that had to be used if they were to guarantee additional support. After nodding her head in confirmation to Inigo, Kanna turned to her guard captain. "Bring me Akihiro-san", she said softly before returning her attention to Inigo while Toshiro disappeared below deck to bring the samurai she asked for.

"I hope you have a means to help your troops identify an ally quickly, as I would hate to lose Akihiro-san during our time of need."

“So long as his form is of a bird native to Seikatsu I am sure my subordinates will identify him as a friend” Inigo replied.

"I will have to take your word for it then. They should be returning shortly, do you have your written message?" Kanna asked.

“Allow me to write it for you know” He said as he signalled to his elderly retainer who in a matter of seconds found a quill, paper and ink amongst the mountain of supplies behind him, carefully bringing them over the Inigo. During this time his younger retainer dragged over a chair for inigo, trying her best not to scrap it along the floor. Once the chair had been brought over Inigo sat down and started to write his letter on a nearby crate. The splintered wood made it difficult for Inigo to write, though despite his difficulties his handwriting was as neat as it could be. Once he had finished he handed his letter over to Kanna. “Apologies for the wait. This is addressed to my subordinate and my second in command, captain Pedro Atres” Inigo said with a smile “A headstrong and passionate man but one with a good mind for battle”. Inigo's face turn stern "Though I must warn you, it would be best to keep him away from the Blackwell forces when their own forces land, it may lead to conflict".

Kanna accepted the letter and rolled it up gently with slender fingers. When the men returned, it would be placed into a secure vial that would be tied to Akihiro as he traveled. She was still apprehensive about sending him away as there were only a handful of shapeshifting madoushi in Seikatsu, but Kanna had to put her feelings aside for the best of her people. “I shall keep that in mind, thank you, though I am sure you can keep him out of trouble better than I can. These Blackwells are the ones that have caused much strife in your country, correct?”

Inigio fell silent as he considered his answer “While it was Andris Mandarass and his supporters that started the war, the Blackwells have done little to help maintain the peace in Formaroth. As of now the empire has an uneasy alliance with them, though in truth I do not see it lasting. My nephew, Pedro, has more of a personal grudge against them” Inigo replied.

“I see…” Kanna replied, “I apologize if I spoke out of turn as I am still learning about your history and culture. Your country is as much of a mystery to me as mine is to you.” As she offered Inigo a slight bow to accompany her apology, Toshiro had returned to the deck with Akihiro, who was dressed plainly in a black kimono and hakama. Toshiro offered her an empty glass vial and she in turn slid the written note into the container. As her guard captain sealed the letter inside the vial, Kanna approached Akihiro.

“You will need to travel back to Formaroth and deliver this message to Captain Pedro Atres. It is very important that they learn the change in our plans and meet us in Noiba.”

“Yes, Kanna-sama” he replied, offering her a deep bow.

“Orbino-san, will your army be docked at the same port we left from? Or does Akihiro-san need to travel elsewhere?” she asked.

“They will likely board at Port Marrion, a port town located off the coast of Telmarion. You will find captain Pedro there”. He replied.

Akihiro bowed deeply to Kanna before taking her note and tucking it into a small pouch on his waist, then offered bow barely in keeping with proper manners to Oribino. “I hear and obey, Kanna-sama.”

He stepped to the railing and several runes glowed brightly across his body before, after a few seconds, he had changed into a beautiful red tailed falcon. A minute followed as the Falcon flapped its wings, opened and closed it claws from the rail before at last launching itself into the air without a sound. In a moment it was high above the ship, riding the warm thermal winds blowing from Seikatsu. It circled once, twice, and then shot away westward toward Formaroth.

By
@TheDuncanMorgan, @Saix, @The Wyrm

Formaroth Part 2: Throne of Lies

The Necromancer returns

Dravala watched as the waves below her crashed upon the hard stone cliffs. She was perched atop the branch of an oak tree that stood atop the peak of the cliff, it’s roots desperately clinging to the side of the cliff least it collapse into the sea below. Even from up here Dravala could feel the water spray against her feathers. After her feelings for Lanaya were rejected Dravala made no hesitation in heading to Akki to join the infamous Ashfall cult. All her life Dravala had heard stories of Mother Ashwood and her dark cult of mages. Alenius was full of tall tales and legends of the immortal necromancer and the dark rituals she performed. It wasn’t until she trained at the circle that she learnt that the stories might have had more truth to them than she first thought. Every now and then she would hear stories of rogue mages who travelled to Akki to find this cult. Normally they would be caught before they even lay foot on Akki soil. But sometimes they would go missing without any trace, with the magisters concluding that they must have indeed found the cult and potentially become members, or sacrifices.

Dravala had spent months flying around Akki, stopping at the backwater towns and villages that scattered the kingdom in search of any rumours that led her to the mysterious cult. In the end it was the cult who found her. One night when she was camping outside of a town called Rumshore and group of cultists had tried to sneak up on her when they should she was sleeping. She had immediately transformed into a bear and almost clawed out the heart of the first cultist who approached her. Once she realized who they were she transformed back much to the relief of the terrified cultists. It turns out that her months of searching and questioning had caught the eyes of the cultist members who had proceeded to seek her out. After presenting her skill in shapeshifting to mother Ashwood she was immediately inducted into the cult without hesitation. The fact she was a member of house Blackwell had seemingly also improved Ashwoods attitude towards her.

During her search she had to be careful that she transformed out of sight though; now that her family ruled Akki she didn’t want word getting to Eli that a shapeshifter was travelling around Akki searching for the Ashfall cult. Though part of her wondered if he would even bother sending people after her. Did he care about her anymore, did anyone in her family? Regardless she had failed to protect Naomi, failed to save Beatrice, it was now her duty to ensure she could defend those of house Blackwell who remained. That was why she was here in the first place, to learn new ways to keep her family alive and repair whatever damage her enemies might do to them. She had already learnt so much.

Just then the silhouette of a bird against the sun caught her attention. Upon closer inspection the shape of the bird confused her. Though her confusion soon changed to horror at it drew closer. The bird itself was massive, with a wingspan of around 15 meters. Only the great eagles of Deliverance were said to reach this size and they had been extinct for centuries. Upon the eagle’s back rode a man, hooded in a black cloak who flew the eagle straight towards the cliff. The entrance to the cult’s sanctum was built into the side of the cliff face beneath a waterfall. A narrow ridge, marked by the oak tree, was the only passageway in or out of the cliff, unless like Drevala one could fly of course. Unless one knew of the entrance it would be near impossible for one to find it. Yet this traveller flew directly through the waterfall into the sanctum. Whoever this was they had been here before. Drevala decided her time for reflecting on the past was over, it was time for her to investigate who this mysterious stranger and whether he was a threat.

***

The body on the table opened its eyes. Its face twitching as the eyes roamed around the room. They met Matai’s, and for half a second, he could see confusion in them. Then the light faded and its face went slack. It sat up stiffly, the false life in it attempting to overtake the rigor mortis that had started to set in. With a sigh, Matai waved his hand, the body on his table fell back. It made no sense. He had been aware for far longer than that, and Matai had been years younger and less experienced.

Matai paced around the room, his hand covering his mouth as he thought. His experiments have turned up nothing. The imitation of life that Necromancy creates is inefficient. They could follow simple commands, but self-awareness was just out of grasp. There was something there. If only-

The sound of hurried footsteps down the hall outside his room snapped him out of his thoughts. Matai stopped pacing and opened the door. Two guards were making their way in the direction of the entrance. He caught whispers of someone finding their way into the sanctum without having been led there by one of the cult members.

“Well, this is interesting.” Matai looked back to the man in a suit of armor sitting on a chair in his lab. “What do you think, Erick, should we take a look?” The helmeted man uncrossed his arms and stood up without speaking. “My thoughts exactly,” Matai said under his breath as he opened the door and followed the men. Erick following behind silently.

***

Zilak entered through the waterfall, barely noticing the cold water against his rotting skin. Even after all these decades the cave looked the same, with barely any changes from when he last left. A fact that disappointed him. Numerous cultists emerged from the stone passageways that led to the entrance, all on guard with weapons or undead warriors. Zilak almost scoffed at the shameful display. One man emerged from the crowd; unlike the others he was tall and muscular, summoning at least ten undead. An impressive feat, for an average necromancer that was. His name was Janusz and was Ashwood’s second in command.

“Who are you” He spoke firmly “How did you find the entrance to our cave. Speak! Or I will have our undead warriors tear you apart”. Zialk was not intimidated.

“My name is Zilak, or you might know me as Father Cio, I have business with Mother Ashwood, take me to her”. While Janusz remain unfazed, the cultists around him all started to murmur. They had all heard of Father Cio; the Necromancer who had first started the cult over a century ago and taught Mother Ashwood everything she knew. For years Ashwood had foretold of his reappearance. Though no one believed her. Even more impressive was that this man was riding an undead eagle, one that was bigger than a horse. To summon such a creature, was a tremendous sign of his skill.

***
Matai had to stand on his tiptoes to try and get a look at the man who had entered, but the heads of the crowd in front of him blocked his sight. For a moment, he thought about pushing his way to the front but decided against it. Soon, whispers rippled through the crowd. Supposedly, the man causing this commotion was the Father Cio. Now that was worth the break from his experiments.

Mother Ashwood was paranoid about everything, but Matai never thought that the Necromancer that taught Mother Ashwood coming back to the cult was real when all she was was a set-piece.

“Things are getting interesting,” he whispered to Erick, who as usual, made no response.

“You claim to be father Cio, but give us no reason to believe you” Janusz replied sternly. To this Zilak just sighed,

“If you prefer I could just kill all of you and be on my way. But I would prefer not to waste such ‘gifted’ necromancers. Or you could just take me to mother Ashwood and she can prove who I am”.

Janusz did not believe for a second that Zilak was capable of killing them all, despite the stories Mother Ashwood had told. However if this man was father Cio and they killed him, Ashwood would not be happy. Even if he wasn’t Cio Ashwood would not be happy that they potentially could have killed the man who’s return she had been waiting for over a century. “Very well, follow me. It should be fun to watch Ashwood rip your flesh from your bones”. Zilak dismounted his undead bird and followed Janusz into the caves, with numerous cultists following behind. Unbeknown to him a raven had flown through the waterfall and into the cave. Drevela quickly transformed and landed next to Matai.

“So who’s this?'' she said playfully, hoping her sudden transformation might scare him.

Matai shot a glance at Drevela. If this hadn’t been the fifth or sixth time Drevela had seemingly targeted him for a scare he would’ve jumped more than a flinch and reacted to her post-transformation lack of clothes with more than the tips of his ears turned red. It didn’t bug him much, though. In fact, It was refreshing to have an upbeat personality in the macabre cult of Necromancers. He had managed to get her back for her first scare, though. Perhaps that was why she tried to scare him every possible chance.

“That man claims to be Father Cio.” He jerked his head towards another passageway. “I know a shortcut so we can get a better view of what’s going to happen. Janusz will probably lead him the long way to her so she can be alerted to his presence here.”

Drevela followed Matai through the passway, transforming herself into a wolf so that she would have an easier time travelling through the low ceiling of the passageway. After making their way through several branching passageways they reached an opening overlooking the hideouts core chamber. The floor was made of cold stone and the walls of earth and roots, with four crumbling pillars at each corner. Pits lay at the sides of the room filled with skeletal remains to the point of overflowing. On the far end sat the crippled Mother Ashwood atop a throne weaved from tree roots. From what Drevela had been told she had not moved from that throne in over a decade and the roots that made the throne had started to weave around her and even into her skin. As always her rotting face was hidden by a moldy cowl with only her decomposing hands showing, with many of her fingers having long fallen off. Next to her stood a gaunt, pale woman known as Elm. She was an unpleasant woman who had been in the cult longer than anyone else, with the exception of Ashwood herself. She was always found at Ashwoods side and the only person other than Janusz that she trusted. Though Janusz, Zilak and the others had yet to arrive it was clear Janusz had sent a runner to inform Ashwood of her former masters arrival. She had already summoned thirty skeletal undead, powerful display of her necromancer’s power, though Drevala knew that this was only half the undead she could summon. No doubt Ashwood was the most powerful necromancer currently alive in Formaroth. The door to the room opened slowly, creaking as the aging doors struggled to open. The first to enter the room was Janusz followed by Zilak. Behind them the other cultists sheepishly walked in; many of them still unnerved to be in the presence of Ashwood.

Janusz walked forward and knelt before Ashwood "My mistress, this traveler claims to be -" he was soon cut off by Zilak who rather then wait behind Janusz had continued to keep walking

“It has been a long time my dear Ashwood” He said almost mockingly, only stopping to walk once Ashwood’s skeleton warriors pointed their chipped spears towards his neck. Janusz was visibly annoyed by what had just happened but knew better than to make a scene in front of Ashwood, instead choosing to stand up and keep alert to any plans that this Zilak might be planning. Ashwood leaned over to Elm and began to whisper in her ear. At this point Ashwood was barely able to speak and required Elm to listen closely to her muffled words and relay them to the rest of the cult. Soon Elm replied in her typicalically high and piecing voice

“Mistress Ashwood demands to know why you have returned to her sanctuary” She said looking at Zilak with venomous intent.

“Your sanctuary”? Zilak laughed “My dear Ashwood, if I remember correctly, I told you that I always intended to return. The fact you have made such a fuss over my arrival must mean you knew it to be true” he said with a smile. Elm’s look turned venomous.

“Speak more softly if you value your life” she hissed. Though the warning did not perturb Zilak

“I am happy to see that you have looked after my little cult. But I have now come to take back what is mine. I am sure you have no objections” He said with a sly smile, murmurs coming from the cultists behind him. Janusz gave a cold laugh, it would seem he would get his wish and watch this arrogant man be slowly torn apart. Once again mother Ashwood leaned over to Elm, whispering in her ear.

“Ashwood rightly states that you have long since abandoned this cult, this sanctuary is rightfully hers and you are nothing more than a unwelcomed guest”. Elm replied smugly

“This has always been my sanctuary, and you nothing more than a caretaker”. At this fury flooded Elm’s and Janusz faces.

“HOW DARE YOU” Elm exploded, not noticing Ashwood’s feeble attempt to calm her

“Mind your tongue outsider” Janusz said sternly. Despite the ferocity of their words Zilak ignored them, he had not come all this way to deal with Ashwood pathetic servants

“Look at you, you truly believe yourself to be my successor? You are a husk of a once great woman, who like this cult you have allowed to wither and stagnate”.

“SILENT” Elm yelled. Zilak continued, growing increasingly annoyed by Elm’s interruptions

“I had such plans for you, I had once hoped you would stand by my side once I took the throne of Formaroth and name myself the undead king. But look at you a cripple who hides from the world, quivering at the return of her old”.

“I SAID SILENCE” Elm continued to yell now hysterical. Zilak had had enough of this woman. In the blink of an eye Zilak used his magic to lift a broken shade of bone from one of the pits and sent it flying through the air towards Elm. The shade impaled her straight through the eye killing her instantly, at the same time he let loose a shock wave that instantly immobilized all thirty of Ashwoods Skeletal warriors, scattering their bone’s and weapons across the room. After he processed what had just happened Janusz immediately prepared to attack, casting fire from his hands towards Zilak. With barely even a flick of his fingers Zilak transformed the fire into lightning, redirecting it back at Janusz and instantly incinerating him and five other cultists who had run forward to help him. The rest of the cult stood dumbfounded at the power they had just witnessed. Both Janusz and Elm were considered to be as powerful as circle magister’s and this man had killed them as if they were nothing.

Matai’s eyebrows shot up at the display of power from the newcomer. “Well, I guess that leads credence to him being Father Cio,” he whispered with a glance to Drevala. “They either underestimated him, or overestimated their own power. Perhaps both.” A thought struck him, and he scratched his chin idly. “I had been wanting to try my experiment with a strong-willed corpse. Perhaps one of them would suffice.”

He turned to Drevala “My money is on this cult getting a new leader.”
Drevala gave a low growl at Matai. While he was seemingly more concerned with his experiments, Drevala was shaken. She had trained at the circle and was certain that not even the high magisters could achieve what this Zilak had done with such ease. Such power shouldn’t have been humanly possible. She watched as Zilak walked towards Ashwood,

“As you can see I have grown far stronger over the past decades. You were right to fear my return” He said with sheer glee in his voice. It was then Ashwood finally started to move, her face seemed to be uncaring of what had just happened, though it was difficult to read considering it looked more natural on a corpse. Then something happened which surprised Drevala even more than Zilak’s display of power; Ashwood spoke.

“I am not surprised that you have grown in strength, my old mentor” She said, her voice was almost a groan and barely audible, as if every word she spoke caused her great pain. But behind her old ancient voice could be heard a mocking tone. “However I did not fear your return, I was hoping for it”. She replied with a toothless smile as she raised her deteriorating hands. A stream of blue light shot towards Zilak who tried to counter it with a magical barrier, only for it to pierce straight through and hit him in the heart. He fell to the ground with a groan, the steady blue stream of light now flowing back towards Ashwood. “I have been preparing for you ever since you left and now you return to me with even more power than I could ever have hoped for” Soon Zilak’s already rotting body started to deteriorate further and the once disabled and withered Ashwood stood up with her wounds and rotting flesh healing. “I have waited so long for this, finally I will have the power you hoarded for yourself all these years” Her apparent joy was soon cut off by a cruel laugh from Zilak, who after initially collapsing to the floor had stood up now unaffected by Ashwood’s spell.

“I am impressed you were able to discover the secrets to such magic, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, you were once my student. Unfortunate for you then, that I mastered such magic decades ago”. It was only then to Ashwood's horror that she realised that the stream of light had been reserved and her body was once again decomposing. She tried to disengage the spell but it was of no use, Zilak was in control now. “WAIT PLEASE” she managed to cry out as her body deteriorated to a state worse then before and continued to worsen. Eventually her limbs began to crumble and Ashwood opened her mouth to scream, but there was no sound, only dust. The dust that was once comprised Ashwood’s body scattered, the magical light faded and where the once decrepit and rotten Zilak stood, now stood a youthful and healthy man.

“Now that was a neat trick, must be great for the skin.” Matai muttered under his breath before he chuckled, shaking his head. He turned to Drevala. “ I want to make sure that Elm doesn’t get taken away before I can run my experiment. Are you coming along?” Matai didn’t even wait for a response before dropping down from their hiding spot. He made his way to the crowd, pushing his way through the horror-struck and fearful cultists to the front of the crowd.

“It seems that Mother Ashwood’s paranoia wasn’t unfounded.” Matai bowed his head as he spoke to Zilak. “This place is yours now, right? So I would assume that you would be who I would ask to make use of Elm?” He asked as he pointed towards the corpse of Mother Ashwood’s advisor.

Zilak initially ignored Matai’s question, taken aback by his reborn body. If he remembered how good it felt to be young, he would have left Deliverance years ago if only to drain the life of another. He turned to Matai. He was different compared to the other cultists, not fearful like those in the crowd and yet not as zealous as the cultists he had just incinerated. Perhaps he could make a useful pawn.

“Finally, I receive some respect. What is it you desire to do with her body”?

“I’m trying to recreate an event that happened, what was it, twelve years ago. I was attacked and my guard died protecting me. We were found by the cult. I was nearly unconscious and my guard spoke to them before he died, again.” Matai started to pace as he talked.

“I would have chalked it up to my imagination, but I was very familiar with death even before I ended up joining the cult. There was one more bandit left, gravely injured but he had enough strength and anger to make his way over to us. Terror had me grasping for something, anything to…” Matai stopped pacing. He looked at the spot where Mother Ashwood had turned to dust, then to Zilak.

Until this day, Matai hadn’t even given thought that what happened between Zilak and Mother Ashwood was possible. “You-” Matai began, but stopped with a cough, his mouth had gone dry. “You looked like you recovered three or four decades from Mother Ashwood. Can...can I take six months from you.” Matai had made his way to Elm’s side. He knelt beside her and held one hand over her body. The other he held out in Zilak’s direction in a clawed position. “I’m pretty sure you can stop a mid-level Necromancer from taking too much.”

Zilak considered Matai’s proposal. Giving Matai six months worth of magical energy wasn’t a problem, he could give him a decade and it still wouldn’t matter. Zilak could easily extract the life force from any wandering peasant if he needed to. Besides he had perfected the art of necromancy and his body was now unfettered by the decay of time. However he didn’t know if he could trust this man or his intentions. Though what he said was right; his power wasn’t even a quarter of Ashwoods, if he tried anything Zilak would be able to stop him. Furthermore, giving him what he wanted now could be a good step to obtaining a loyal servant.

“Very well, I shall give you the magical power you need. Let us hope it doesn’t mutate you” he said with a laugh. As Matai readied himself Zilak raised his arms and cast the same spell that Ashwood had cast on him on Matai; not even waiting to ask if he was ready. Power flowed through Matai as he focused all his energy on the deceased body of Elm. First her hands started to twitch then her head, then her whole body. Eventually the eye that hadn’t been impaled shot open, full of sheer terror.

“WHAT HAPPENED” she shrieked, unable to comprehend what had happened “WHERE….MOTHER ASHWOOD HELP ME” She said in one finial yell of fear before the life drained from her in an instant causing her to slump back down.

The silence in the chamber lasted for several seconds before a chuckle forced its way out of Matai’s mouth. Twelve years. Twelve years he had been trying to recreate his rescue. It hadn’t been his guard at all that killed the last bandit, it had been him. The chuckles continued, gaining strength before they turned into cackles.

His body was almost on fire with the energy he had been given. He had spent most of it on Elm, just using his body as a conduit for the power, but some had still absorbed into his body. It was intoxicating. A fraction of what he was given and he felt so powerful.

It was too much. The rational side of his mind broke through the haze and his laughter stopped. He held his hand out to Elm, forcing his power into her again, but this time just as he was trained to. Listlessly, she rose from her position on the ground. That had taken most of the extra power, but not enough. He reached his hand out to one of the many skeletons that rested around the room and slowly they started gathering together to form a body.

Halfway through the forming, he had used most of the power, so he released his hold on the skeleton and Elm. Bones scattered to the floor and Elm crumpled to the ground. By the time everything had settled down, Matai was panting heavily.

“My...experiment is complete.” He managed to say between his ragged breaths. “My... hypothesis that the dead... can retain their consciousness for at least a little while has been proven true.” He swayed from side to side for a second before deciding to sit down. “My next step will be to determine the exchange rate from life taken to how long the consciousness lasts.” His vision started creep towards the center of his vision. “This could be a great step towards reducing the stigma around Necromancy and be a way to offer our services in a way to bring closure to families of lost ones. I’ll be sure to draft up the-” Matai’s eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness, falling backwards onto the cold ground next Elm.

Zilak was impressed with what Matai had done, though had little interest in his apparent motives. Still he was a skilled necromancer and would serve him well.

“Take him away and see to it that he recovers” Zilak said as he waved his hand at the other cultists, none of whom moved still fearful of their new leader. Zilak snapped his head around “Now” he commanded as a few cultists snapped out of their fear and ran forward to carry Matai away to the healing chamber. As they did Zilak walked toward the crowd behind him who quickly parted to let him through. “The rest of you prepare to leave by tomorrow evening we have a lot of distance to cover and not much time. Mummers erupted amongst the cultists

“What do you mean, where are we going?” One cultist asked, immediately shrinking back as Zilak looked at her.

“To Alenius, I will discuss my plan as we travel, but for now you do as I command. Pack everything that is essential. It is time my cult left this sad little sanctuary” he said as he left the room.

Upon the mention of Alenius Drevala’s ears pricked up and her heart filled with dread. She didn’t know what this man’s intentions for her homeland were but she was certain that they were not good. She needed to leave the sanctuary and warn her family and she needed to leave now; it wouldn’t be long before one of the cultists plucked up the courage to tell Zilak that the daughter of Giles Blackwell was here. Besides, she had already achieved her purpose of coming here.

By @TheDuncanMorgan and @Konan375

Formaroth Part 2: Throne of Lies

Trusting a traitor

Alasdair was pacing back and forth across his chambers. He had just received news that Isabel’s condition was worsening and that the mages had done all they could. Now all he could do was wait and hope the gods would be merciful. Though if they were they wouldn’t have put his sister in this situation in the first place, Alasdair thought bitterly. The alchemists had left her in a comatose state, stating that if she were woken the pain would be excruciating for her, with the stress caused likely to worsen her condition. Alasdair was exhausted yet he was too worried about his sister to rest. He had asked one of the alchemists to give him something to help with his insomnia though it had done little to help his sleepless nights. Alasdair felt helpless but there was nothing he could do. He had brought in the greatest restoration mages, surgeons and alchemist from Hartland, Cawanor and Telmarion and they had all said the same.

It was then a thought occurred to him; their were restoration mages in the circle who had far greater skill then could be found anywhere else in Formaroth. By their own rules the circle did not involve itself in Formarothian politics anymore than it was absolutely needed to, hence why he hadn’t asked them before. Even as emperor the circle would turn down his request without hesitation. However with Lanaya’s help he might be able to convince them to help him, maybe even to send magisters to heal his sister. Ever since his last conversation with Lanaya, Alasdair had been avoiding her. He had constantly been questioning if he had been right in allowing her to live, let alone still work for the empire. But now he had no choice, his sister’s life was on the line. If she were to die, knowing that he hadn’t done everything he could to save her, Alasdair might as well through himself from the keep ramparts.

Lanaya was pacing back and forth in her quarters atop the keeps tallest tower. The mages tower, once Aurelia’s home, was now the gilded prison she confined herself to in the name of salvaging her political career. Every day had been a struggle in this place. The balcony was not locked, she was free to step outside, and from there, she was sure she would be able to shape shift and fly away before the guards could catch her. Every day she considered doing just that. She yearned to be free, to feel the wind in her wings, prance through the forest, ride the waves and sing to the sea. Yet it seemed that was not to be her fate. She would not make an outcast of herself for such petty desires.

And so, she paced. Paced, and plotted. Her options were few, but she could not help it. She had to keep her mind busy, and this was the best way she knew to do so.

As Alasdair approached the door to the mages tower the two steel fist guards who had been assigned to shadow Lanaya stood at attention.

“Inform the lady Lanaya that I wish to talk with her” Alasdair commanded. In response the corpsman on the right sharply knocked on the door before announcing “Emperor Alasdair wishes to speak with you, make presentable”.

The moment she heard the guard declare that the Emperor had arrived, one thought went through Lanaya’s head. Finally. She found herself suddenly quite excited - at long last, the playing pieces would move, the board would change, and maybe, just maybe, she may be able to act. She swiftly and carefully wove a spell over herself, and in a moment the light, plain dress she wore was covered in swirling patterns and color. Then, she called out in a pleasant voice.

“Enter.”

As Alasdair entered the room he made his face and posture as prentable as possible, despite his current sickly appearance.

“Lady Lanaya I was hoping to have a word with you regarding the circle” Alasdair said, trying to seem as affable as he could. Despite still being wary around Lanaya after her betrayal he had to ensure he didn’t insult her, not now that he needed something so desperately from her.

“Of course, your grace.” Lana replied, keeping her voice level, free of the mixture of excitement and frustration she felt so strongly right now. “I have kept in touch with them via correspondence, despite my current… predicament.” She was careful not to let any resent in her voice, she did not wish to come across as blaming Alasdair for her present restrictions.

“As you are aware my beloved sister is...her condition is not improving” Alasdair said trying not to dwell on Isabel’s current state. “While I have ordered every restoration mage worth their title from central Formaroth, I can’t help but wonder if the circle might be better suited to help her cure her aliment”? Alasdair continued trying to keep desperation from his voice, “I have heard that their are magisters there who specialize in restoration who have been able to cure conditions previously thought to be untreatable”?

“There are indeed restoration mages of superlative skill at the circle. I cannot promise that they would be able to treat Isabel’s ailment…” Lana said tentatively.

“Surely there is someone”? Alasdair asked unable to keep the desperation in his voice anymore “If the cost or travel time are an issue for them I can promise they will be well compensated”?

“I’m sure the gesture would be appreciated.” Lana began, in a conciliatory tone. “I know this is important to you your majesty. I will write them as soon as possible. If it is a request from a Magister, they will be more inclined to respond quickly.” She turned away towards her desk, but then paused for a moment. Turning back, she looked directly at Alasdair, and spoke, her voice genuine. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I cannot be of more help. I know how much your family means to you.”

Alasdair was happy to hear that Lanaya would write to the circle, though in his heart he knew there was realistically little she could do. While he did not have much knowledge on the inner politics of the circle Alasdair knew that Lanaya was not popular among their hierarchy, particularly after the incident with the collective.

“Thankyou Lady Lanaya, it is kind of you to say. Tell me, have you ever had the misfortune of a loved one suffer grave illness”?

“Illness… No.” Lana began, trying to sound sympathetic. “Much of my life was spent on the Summer Isles in the Circle. Illness is rare there… And I am rather lacking in family members. I’ve lost many friends to war…” She thought better of mentioning murder, not wishing to remind Alasdair of Aurelia. “But I cannot say I know what you are going through.”

“There is no feeling worse, not only to have one that you love suffer but to be utterly helpless in alleviating their pain” Alasdair paused for a moment wondering if he should speak so casually in front of Lanaya. Though he decided that after her confession any sign of emotional weakness on his part would pale in comparison to what she had already shown him. Besides Alasdair was desperate for someone he could confide in and as of now Lanaya was his best choice. “I know realistically there is little that can now be done for my sister” He said hating the words that came from his mouth but knowing them to be true all the same “but even if it is futile, I must do everything in my power to save her”.

“I know how important family is to you.” Lana began, here tone sincere. “I… won't pretend I know how you feel… But I will do all I can to help. You saved me. Perhaps I can repay that kindness by saving Isabel. You cannot give up hope so long as she yet lives.” She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, in the hopes that her touch might prove reassuring.

Alasdair had not been expecting a show of such affection from Lanaya, let alone a physical one as small as it was. Though his first instinct was to pull away or brush it off, he found it strangely comforting. It had been the first time since his sister had fallen ill that anyone had shown some degree of compassion. Even if it was from a traitor Alasdair welcomed it. “Thankyou Lady Lanaya, I would be grateful. In repayment I will now permit you to be able to travel freely throughout Nyhem again.” Alasdair paused for a minute as he realised he was being too generous, for all he knew Lanaya’s affection could have been nothing more than a farce. He didn’t think it was; Alasdair was good at reading people and could easily tell the difference between the noble sycophants who feigned concern and the surprisingly real concern Lanaya showed. Though he had been wrong before. “In the company of the imperial guard that is” He added.

Lana smiled when she heard Alasdair’s statement, barely able to contain her excitement at the prospect of flying again. Though, it quickly dimmed to only mild joy when he added the caveat… No guard would be able to accompany her through the air or the sea when she shape shifted. Still, it was a significant improvement from being confined to the castle.

“Thank you.” She began, her voice clearly joyful. “Thank you very much.”

“Continue to prove that you are indeed loyal to me and I will further extend your privileges” Alasdair continued, once again allowing a more formal attitude to surface “Do not delay in sending your message, I am unsure how much longer my sister has”.

For a moment, Lana considered pointing out that the fastest way to deliver the message would be to fly herself, but quickly thought better of it. It would likely be pushing her luck just a little too much.

“Of course your grace. I will see to it that the message travels by air as soon as it is written.”

"See that you do" Alasdair replied before heading towards the door and opening it. He took one step towards leaving before stopping, looking back at Lanaya and said a simple but genuine "Thankyou" before turning back and leaving the room.

By @TheDuncanMorgan and @Sundered Echo

Before the last petal falls; Samurai vs Elves

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Before the last petal falls; Samurai vs Elves

Seikatsu: Before the last petal falls

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Art by giannacroft.deviantart.com

(Note most OOC conversations happen via discord so I would advise getting a discord account if you wish to join)

This roleplay will be focused around the fantasy continent of Seikatsu and it's people's attempt to repel an invasion of the overwhelmingly powerful 'Elven Imperium'. The technology of Seikatsu is similar to that of feudal Asia, with its many numerous kingdoms representing cultures and social cultures similar to real life countries. You can choose to play either as the ruling family of one of the pre existing nations or as a solo individual character.

To note, this is linked to another ongoing RP that I am currently running called 'Formaroth', a neighbouring continent that is based largely around medieval Europe and Africa. While the events of both RPs share the same world and are both considered canon, the stories themselves differ greatly and do not require to know what is going on in the other. (People are still free to join Formaroth part 2 if they are interested).

Something to Consider Before Joining

This is an Advanced Roleplay, meaning we expect from you to put forth effort, and care into each of your posts. We expect no less than 3 paragraphs from you in each post, we prefer quality over quantity. As this is an Advanced roleplay, we strongly encourage collaborations between you, and fellow players to help minimize dialogue taking up smaller posts. If you need to talk to another person’s character, put it in a collab, it flows smoother, and is easier to be read by other players.

Posting standards won’t be rigid, but we do ask that you try to show up on discord and be an active participant that way to show you’re still interested. If we do not hear from a player in a three-week time period, they will be considered dropped out of the game. We understand life can be busy; all we ask is to be given notification if you’ll be away for a bit. We do ask that you do try to get an in-character post up within a two-week period, although we will keep the plot moving if we’re being held up by a small number of players just to keep things moving along. I’m sure each and every one of you have experiences of games grinding to a halt because one player is holding up the plot, we’re going to try to not let that happen.

If you’re the kind of player who joins a game but has a habit of dropping it on a whim, please move along. The colossal graveyard of failed roleplays exist because of players like you and GMs that refuse to enforce standards and I’m not putting up with that. That said, if you have to drop because you just aren’t enjoying it or something came up, I totally get it. All I ask is you give it a solid effort and talk to me if you have concerns, ideas, or would like to suggest how to make the game more enjoyable. Honestly, we don’t bite! We want this to be something fun that people can feel like it’s a fun, low-pressure roleplay that doesn’t require a huge commitment to enjoy.

Being in advanced, obviously acceptable spelling and grammar and punctuation are expected, but don’t feel like you have to be an English major being graded or anything. We all make mistakes, and a lot of people roleplay to improve their writing skills, so welcome aboard! Just please proofread your stuff before posting and make an effort and everything will be fine. All that’s expected for length is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2-3 paragraphs, and collaborations are more than welcome – there will be links to a couple of google docs for anyone to use.

*Note based on my experience of part 1 and 2 of Formaroth, this will likely be a slow moving RP in comparison to others, with part 1 lasting two years (and part two probably going to be longer). So if you are interested in joining you, you will need a certain level of commitment and patience.

The Scary Part of our RP: The Rules

1. NO GOD MODDING. You have been warned. This includes being untouchable in combat, reading people’s thoughts, knowing and reacting to events that your character can’t possibly have known about, any far-fetched ideas on magic, creatures, or any laws of the world you think of breaking, of any sort, and so on. Basically, common sense. We’re telling a story, not hacking a video game.

2. Mary and Gary Sues will be ejected into the deep frigid waters of Irman Sea to contemplate how awful they are. This includes characters who are irritatingly perfect, loved by everyone, always have the answers to all the problems, have no flaws, and painfully generic back stories that is like sandpaper for the eyes.

3. Approved races only. This means no made up species. The only approved races are:
-Humans (Recommended)
(Other species are available but you should bear in mind that your role and character will be more restricted)
-Elves
-Avem
-Mao
-Vogani
-Sa Yuta

4. Technology is limited to medieval Europe and middle east, with a touch of fantasy. So no guns, assault rifles, or enchanted weapons, etc. If you have questions about weapons and armor, ask away!

5. Original characters only. Obvious rip offs of established characters will also not be tolerated. Failing to do this will force your character to be removed from the list of potential candidates.

6. If you want to make up an organization or company or whatever for your back story, that’s allowed as long as it doesn't mess around with existing canon or contradict the timeline.

7. Character deaths are a possibility, but unlikely. It will be context sensitive and likely will not happen unless a character drops out, plans it out with the GM, or generally puts themselves in an impossible situation to escape from. Expect injuries and wounds to happen, though. If your character is caught in a heavy battle without the upper hand, please treat it realistically. I don’t want to see somebody take on 20 mercs and walk out like nothing happened.

9. Pre-made characters are permitted, provided you update them to fit this RP and take the time to make them fit. Please no copy/paste jobs without taking into consideration CS formats and the rules.

10. If you’re going to go away or feel like dropping out, please let us know if possible. It’s a courtesy thing and annoying as hell when people vanish without saying anything. It has this nasty habit of hanging up RPs while they wait for somebody to return. That said, real life comes first so if things come up, your character will be treated as an NPC until you return. Don’t feel pressured to post if you have real life stuff to worry about! That said, I hope if you’re joining this you’ll be able to spend a decent amount of time with it.

11. Romances are allowed in the RP, but it will not be the focus of this RP. If you feel the need to be a smut monster, please take it to PMs. Likewise, if you’re making a character with the sole intention of scoring, they will also be ejected in the deep waters of the Ocean to be eaten by our lovely Kraken.

In regards to the Character Sheet, please review the following sheets below for Family, or for Individual. We expect your character, or Characters to be fully fleshed, not a novel, but we need to know the details on your characters. Background information is important, and must consist of at least 5 paragraphs minimum, the more the merrier as they say. We want to know where they grew up, were their parents involved, were they rich or poor, who influenced them, what did they like to do as children, etc. As for your character's Appearance, a WRITTEN description is mandatory, especially if you have an Individual Character. We want to know how tall they are, how much they weigh, what does their hair look like, their eye colour, skin tone, body build, what does their voice sound like when they speak? We want to know as much detail as you can possibly provide. Please refrain from Anime type pictures, and use realistic ones if you wish to use a picture. We can’t take your character seriously if they have blue/pink/purple hair, etc.

Please take a look at the Reference Sheet, there is much information within that can answer any questions you may have, from practiced religion, NPCs, Kingdom Information, various Maps, Historical Information, other species, and other useful bits you may find necessary when writing your CS.

By submitting a Character Sheet, be it Individual or a Nation, you hereby adhere to all of RPG Rules, as well as our own. Meaning if we ask you to do something, and you don't, that is grounds for us to remove you from the roleplay.

Link to RP
Reference Sheet

Seikatsu: Fate of a Nation

Commander Inigo Orbino

Name: Inigo Orbino
Age: 46
Gender: Male
Sexual Orientation: Hetrosexual
Position: Military commander
Personality:
Inigo Orbino is described by most to be a very serious and stoic man who has little time for anything that is not related to his duty. He holds all of those under his command to a high standard and has very little tolerance for insubordination, incompetence or laziness. Through upbringing he is a military man who sees the world through a martial lens.
Despite this stern attitude he maintains, many view Inigo to be a honourable man who serves the De Reimer family faithfully since their ascension. Inigo maintains a respectfule and formal manner towards those who he deals with, even towards his enemies.

Weaknesses:
Prideful: Inigo takes great pride being the high commander of Cawanor’s armies, almost to the point of arrogance.

Inflexible: Inigo lives to follow the rules, he does not question the orders of his superiors and will do everything by the book.

Bound to chivalry: Inigo is bound to his codes of chivalry and would rather die then betray them.

Appearance: Inigo is a tall, well-built muscular man with broad shoulders and sharp facial features. He is clean shaven and has short blond hair that he keeps well groomed. When armoured he wears full steel plate adorned with the crest and colours of house De Reimer. When off duty he opts for more practical grab over what is considered fashionable, though it is important to note that it is still of a quality suitable for one of nobility.

Background:Inigo has served house De Reimer since before they ruled over Cawanor. When house Hieze tried to purge the De Reimer nobility Inigo was one of the first to declare himself for house De Reimer and assisted Patrick De Reimer in his rebellion and subsequent victory against house Hieze. Since House De Reimer took control of Cawanor Inigo was chosen to maintain, oversee and lead the forces of house De Reimer, a position and he holds in extremely high regards. Often, he will find himself directly collaborate with the De Reimer family and despite being a noble from a minor house, holds a great deal of influence over their opinions. Alasdair De Reimer hand selected him to lead the empires forces in Seikatsu against the imperium.

Skills: Master tactician, Expert strategist, Expert leader, Expert swordsman, Can ride, Can read and write

Seikatsu: Fate of a nation

Bump

Seikatsu: Fate of a nation

Seikatsu: Fate of a nation

---

Art by giannacroft.deviantart.com

(Note most OOC conversations happen via discord so I would advise getting a discord account if you wish to join)

This roleplay will be focused around the fantasy continent of Seikatsu and it's people's attempt to repel an invasion of the overwhelmingly powerful 'Elven Imperium'. The technology of Seikatsu is similar to that of feudal Asia, with its many numerous kingdoms representing cultures and social cultures similar to real life countries. You can choose to play either as the ruling family of one of the pre existing nations or as a solo individual character.

To note, this is linked to another ongoing RP that I am currently running called 'Formaroth', a neighbouring continent that is based largely around medieval Europe and Africa. While the events of both RPs share the same world and are both considered canon, the stories themselves differ greatly and do not require to know what is going on in the other. (People are still free to join Formaroth part 2 if they are interested).

Something to Consider Before Joining

This is an Advanced Roleplay, meaning we expect from you to put forth effort, and care into each of your posts. We expect no less than 3 paragraphs from you in each post, we prefer quality over quantity. As this is an Advanced roleplay, we strongly encourage collaborations between you, and fellow players to help minimize dialogue taking up smaller posts. If you need to talk to another person’s character, put it in a collab, it flows smoother, and is easier to be read by other players.

Posting standards won’t be rigid, but we do ask that you try to show up on discord and be an active participant that way to show you’re still interested. If we do not hear from a player in a three-week time period, they will be considered dropped out of the game. We understand life can be busy; all we ask is to be given notification if you’ll be away for a bit. We do ask that you do try to get an in-character post up within a two-week period, although we will keep the plot moving if we’re being held up by a small number of players just to keep things moving along. I’m sure each and every one of you have experiences of games grinding to a halt because one player is holding up the plot, we’re going to try to not let that happen.

If you’re the kind of player who joins a game but has a habit of dropping it on a whim, please move along. The colossal graveyard of failed roleplays exist because of players like you and GMs that refuse to enforce standards and I’m not putting up with that. That said, if you have to drop because you just aren’t enjoying it or something came up, I totally get it. All I ask is you give it a solid effort and talk to me if you have concerns, ideas, or would like to suggest how to make the game more enjoyable. Honestly, we don’t bite! We want this to be something fun that people can feel like it’s a fun, low-pressure roleplay that doesn’t require a huge commitment to enjoy.

Being in advanced, obviously acceptable spelling and grammar and punctuation are expected, but don’t feel like you have to be an English major being graded or anything. We all make mistakes, and a lot of people roleplay to improve their writing skills, so welcome aboard! Just please proofread your stuff before posting and make an effort and everything will be fine. All that’s expected for length is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 2-3 paragraphs, and collaborations are more than welcome – there will be links to a couple of google docs for anyone to use.

*Note based on my experience of part 1 and 2 of Formaroth, this will likely be a slow moving RP in comparison to others, with part 1 lasting two years (and part two probably going to be longer). So if you are interested in joining you, you will need a certain level of commitment and patience.

The Scary Part of our RP: The Rules

1. NO GOD MODDING. You have been warned. This includes being untouchable in combat, reading people’s thoughts, knowing and reacting to events that your character can’t possibly have known about, any far-fetched ideas on magic, creatures, or any laws of the world you think of breaking, of any sort, and so on. Basically, common sense. We’re telling a story, not hacking a video game.

2. Mary and Gary Sues will be ejected into the deep frigid waters of Irman Sea to contemplate how awful they are. This includes characters who are irritatingly perfect, loved by everyone, always have the answers to all the problems, have no flaws, and painfully generic back stories that is like sandpaper for the eyes.

3. Approved races only. This means no made up species. The only approved races are:
-Humans (Recommended)
(Other species are available but you should bear in mind that your role and character will be more restricted)
-Elves
-Avem
-Mao
-Vogani
-Sa Yuta

4. Technology is limited to medieval Europe and middle east, with a touch of fantasy. So no guns, assault rifles, or enchanted weapons, etc. If you have questions about weapons and armor, ask away!

5. Original characters only. Obvious rip offs of established characters will also not be tolerated. Failing to do this will force your character to be removed from the list of potential candidates.

6. If you want to make up an organization or company or whatever for your back story, that’s allowed as long as it doesn't mess around with existing canon or contradict the timeline.

7. Character deaths are a possibility, but unlikely. It will be context sensitive and likely will not happen unless a character drops out, plans it out with the GM, or generally puts themselves in an impossible situation to escape from. Expect injuries and wounds to happen, though. If your character is caught in a heavy battle without the upper hand, please treat it realistically. I don’t want to see somebody take on 20 mercs and walk out like nothing happened.

9. Pre-made characters are permitted, provided you update them to fit this RP and take the time to make them fit. Please no copy/paste jobs without taking into consideration CS formats and the rules.

10. If you’re going to go away or feel like dropping out, please let us know if possible. It’s a courtesy thing and annoying as hell when people vanish without saying anything. It has this nasty habit of hanging up RPs while they wait for somebody to return. That said, real life comes first so if things come up, your character will be treated as an NPC until you return. Don’t feel pressured to post if you have real life stuff to worry about! That said, I hope if you’re joining this you’ll be able to spend a decent amount of time with it.

11. Romances are allowed in the RP, but it will not be the focus of this RP. If you feel the need to be a smut monster, please take it to PMs. Likewise, if you’re making a character with the sole intention of scoring, they will also be ejected in the deep waters of the Ocean to be eaten by our lovely Kraken.

In regards to the Character Sheet, please review the following sheets below for Family, or for Individual. We expect your character, or Characters to be fully fleshed, not a novel, but we need to know the details on your characters. Background information is important, and must consist of at least 5 paragraphs minimum, the more the merrier as they say. We want to know where they grew up, were their parents involved, were they rich or poor, who influenced them, what did they like to do as children, etc. As for your character's Appearance, a WRITTEN description is mandatory, especially if you have an Individual Character. We want to know how tall they are, how much they weigh, what does their hair look like, their eye colour, skin tone, body build, what does their voice sound like when they speak? We want to know as much detail as you can possibly provide. Please refrain from Anime type pictures, and use realistic ones if you wish to use a picture. We can’t take your character seriously if they have blue/pink/purple hair, etc.

Please take a look at the Reference Sheet, there is much information within that can answer any questions you may have, from practiced religion, NPCs, Kingdom Information, various Maps, Historical Information, other species, and other useful bits you may find necessary when writing your CS.

By submitting a Character Sheet, be it Individual or a Nation, you hereby adhere to all of RPG Rules, as well as our own. Meaning if we ask you to do something, and you don't, that is grounds for us to remove you from the roleplay.

Link to RP
Reference Sheet