Little Empires 2

[chimericWilder]

At the burning fort, the battle continues. Those carrying spears are focusing more closely on burning down the walls, more specifically by burning whatever holds them together and leaving the rest to just fall apart. If succesful, they and the priests will extinguish the flames around where the wall has been breached, and then they will charge in, attempting to neutralize their foes. The archers, ofcourse, continue to fire upon the defenders, hoping to paralyze them. The priests will still contain the fire from spreading, whereever necessary, though whenever it is not, they try to spread the fire to other parts of the wall, especially the southern one, to prevent any attempts at escape.

Assuming that the yarlians approach to carry away the wounded, two hunters turn from the battle to follow. They understand the principle of first aid, ofcourse, so they do not interfere, instead following to ascertain the wounded's treatment.

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Elsewhere, Jared has finally learned of the arrival of the yarlians out on the river, and he is not amused for reasons of his own, which he will keep to himself for now. Unlike him though, the tribesmen are merely curious about what the floating thing on the water is. For now though, that curiosity is overridden by their concern for those who have gone into battle on such short notice.

[Raziel]

The miners stand there for a moment, staring at this new face to poke through the mine's wall. They draw atlatl's and aim them, but do not shoot any arrows. One of them is sent up to get Tavi and Anara, who seem to be the diplomats of the tribe. Tavi walks up a bit closer to the person, and motions for everyone else to lower their weapons, and to leave.
"Greetings. My name is Tavi, and this is Anara. We are the Aeri-sen. Do you understand us?"

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Yuri goes to Viry with her vision from Cirus. He thinks about it a moment, and comes up with somthing. He starts smelting the metal to make some braces, to hold the whole thing up, and tells the miners to begin making gaint stone slabs. Yuri then goes back up to the mesa, and waits for moon rise..

[Bramzter]

The Yarlain medics were focused on their task, Carrying the wounded away from the battle and treating their wounds before the shrapnel from the cannon blast might get them infected, It was a boon that these native were so much like them, It made fixing their wounds a lot more easier.. What made it hard however was the fact that their blood was BOILING HOT... After a medic scalded his hand on it the procedure were much more careful and precise...Luckily the wounded were few. This being a simple raid instead of a full out war.

They did not mind the guard, They did not expect them to trust them for the beginning after all, Trust had to be earned and that is what they hoped to accomplish with this act of assistance

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With the Arachnae's intent being peaceful, The other scouts came out of their hiding places, Their weapons lowered. The Scout Captain looked at the Spiderling, Their word seemed sincere and they looked pretty battered from the journey to here.. It was uncommon to encounter such a large group outside the regions of the ashlands.

It seems the legends of the deathlands are true then ...If your intents are a peaceful as you claim we welcome you into this territory and allow you to settle in this lands, even if it is close to our city. But those matters will not be spoken with me for we have another duty... We must go to the north, To the edges of the deathlands, Our allies might be in danger. I only ask if you could inform my remaining kinsmen about what dwells in these lands since we do not have time to delay.

With that he gathered the rest of the Salanzhe Infantry and moved towards the Wend Border. Towards the cursed deathlands. The only ones that remained at the Arachnae Encampment were three civilians that had stayed hidden until now. One of them was a messenger of the
vizier himself, the other was one of Yarlian architects and joining them was one initiate of the scholars. The messenger send forward a bird to the wend village informing them of the troops arrival then he stepped forward to the Oracle.

"Like my kinsman mentioned earlier you are welcome in this land, Before we open negotiations and other talk i would like to ask if you could invite the leaders of both your builders as well as the leader of your soldiers to join this conversation, There are many things we have to discuss and much work to be done.'



The Wariors that had been dispatched to the Wend continued marching, Ignoring the human camp that had deployed in the woods, They had friends and allies to protect and a mission that needed doing, The deathlands are a danger to anything living in the cauldron. They would have to be isolated of the greater good..but to do that they first need to make a foothold in the land.




Map:

[SandTheKing]

The miners stand there for a moment, staring at this new face to poke through the mine's wall. They draw atlatl's and aim them, but do not shoot any arrows. One of them is sent up to get Tavi and Anara, who seem to be the diplomats of the tribe. Tavi walks up a bit closer to the person, and motions for everyone else to lower their weapons, and to leave.
"Greetings. My name is Tavi, and this is Anara. We are the Aeri-sen. Do you understand us?"

Tellidard was startled to say the least, although some things didn't make much sense, they seemed to speak the same language as the gods.How is it you speak like the winds? Only the mystics speak this tongue.

[Raziel]

"Our language came to us one day from our god Cirus, the god of winds. Is he who you speak of?"

[SandTheKing]

"Our language came to us one day from our god Cirus, the god of winds. Is he who you speak of?"

My god is Vrachos, but this speech is from the cave winds, perhaps Cirus gave both our people language? Has your god abandoned you as well?

[Raziel]

"Why, not at all, we commune often with him, and he provides help often, in form of new knowledge, or even abilities."

[SandTheKing]

"Why, not at all, we commune often with him, and he provides help often, in form of new knowledge, or even abilities."

Then perhaps our god has not abandoned us either, I must journey to the Heart of Vrachos, would you be willing to aid me? The journey is perilous, but vital.

[Raziel]

"The Heart of Vrachos? Where would this be?"

[SandTheKing]

"The Heart of Vrachos? Where would this be?"

Far to the north and deep underground, it is a place of great heat and danger. But it is sacred to us.

[Raziel]

"Very well, but in exchange for my companionship, you must tell me of your people, and your god, Vrachos."

[Cetus Amicus]

Turn Forty Six

The winds pick up speed, some fear a storm may be forming.

[BATTLE] Chitinous Ghouls VERSUS Archanae Heretics - (Rolling: [96]v[68])

The march on the western settlement reversed, instead reinforcing the forces attacking the heretics. The ash army to the east of Blackheim retreated to the north.

The warriors fought fiercely, taking many ghouls down, but more simply took their place and consumed their broken remains. It was not long before the Archanae were overwhelmed and the monsters tore them apart and armed themselves with their chitin. The creatures stepped forward, ready to take vengeance on the six.



[BOMBARDMENT] Waykaria ATTACK ON Living Statues - (Rolling: 32)

Sensing the destruction of the bridge, the fiends topple a nearby tree and make their own.

The Aniroif bombarded the advancing stone army with shells, smoke and debris obscured the ground below as barrage after barrage was unleashed. The Nostros, however, did not fire, seemingly preoccupied with something...

[BATTLE] Living Statues VERSUS Waykaria - (Rolling: [99]v[23])

The first line opens fire before they can see through the debris cloud, the second following closely... They wait for the smoke to clear...

Then they see them. The monsters charge the lines, howling a cacophony not of this world. The soldiers panic, their planned retreat breaks into a disorganized rout, the demons leap upon from behind and rip the army to shreds. The cavalry charge the flanks as soon as they hear the screaming, but their steeds are met with the long sharp spines of hideous sculptures, their weapons are seized, and the monstrosities crowd around them, bringing them down and picking them off.

Spectators watch from above, their hearts sinking at the sight of the carnage below them. A few stragglers make it away in time but the outcome was apparent. Evil had won.



[BATTLE] Tamarath VERSUS Waykaria - (Rolling: [62]v[51])

As the walls burn down and the priests put out the flames, only to see that there is no-one there, the wretches must have seen them and ran away. Lieutenant Enopa stops after running away a fair distance, then aims for nearest snakeman he sees. A shot rings out in the air, the serpent falls, his aim was true. Satisfied with his kill, he turns to continue running, when suddenly an explosion goes off. Then another one.



The cursed village was being quickly reduced to a ruin and its reavers elevated to stone.

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(I was not expecting those rolls.)

[MasterBlade]

The Plague Queen comes face to face with the village’s agressors as they breach her chamber; living statues that had once passed them over now seek her for the gods’ vengeance. Before she is assimilated into their monstrous hoarde, she downs the contents of several Obsidian Vials; a forest’s worth of the Blightcap Mushroom. She does not know what affect it will have on her spirit, bit she knows it will make her mortal vessel a poison to the creatures, perhaps sparing a similar fate from happening to her people’s allies to the south. The Plague Queen is Grand Elder for only a day before she is killed.

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The remaining members of the six quickly realize their brethren’s downfall to the west and retreat to Blackheim. If this Ash Hoarde wanted to destroy their temple, they would need to pry it from their corpses! Once inside, the heretics overload the forges, causing much of the lower halls to be dressed in the summit’s lava. Warriors position themselves in carefu positions across the few holes in their trap’s barrier, intent on knocking whatever omes their way into a molten death. The Dread Sentinel guards the chambers of the captive elderlings; not for their protection, but to make sure they do not use the battle as a means to escape the halls.

All fight with the fury of the fires. The ash hoarde stands in the House of War. If they want a battle, they will get only death.

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The western settlement sends doctors to treat the sick immediately when their caravan arrives. All are brought into Fort Connors where they are fed and treated for their overexposure to the blightcap. For its troubles, the caravan and its men are allowed to return home with the gems of their fallen home without a word from the people. To the north, a checkpoint is built into the entrance to the former mines. This will serve as a gate to seal away the forces within the tunnels, and allow access for those brave enough to venture inside. Miners seeking quick fortune from the hafts mined by the monsters, or seeking to fight the creatures themselves; all are welcome to stake their life inside. A new mine is planned in the south for the general worker for their safety.


The Guardian clears more trees and starts a fire to cook the kills he has hunted. Apparently its better for the body of his patient than the raw stuff his people usually eat; that was an interesting lesson to learn. Though he is not sure of the girl’s ability to hear him, he speaks to her in the unconscious state. “When we were but children, the group of us that found the tower saw a battle ending across the river. The retreating forces used an old tree to get across to the baren end of the pass, and intended to cross onto ours with another. One of our bravest gave his life to part the boiling waters and destroy the tree to save us all. We all learned a lesson that day; even one person’s actions can influence an entire nation. You must not give up to death so quickly; it is your destiny to change your people forever.”

"Like my kinsman mentioned earlier you are welcome in this land, Before we open negotiations and other talk i would like to ask if you could invite the leaders of both your builders as well as the leader of your soldiers to join this conversation, There are many things we have to discuss and much work to be done.'

"You would wish to speak with The Elder on matters of work and war, and you may speak with me on matters of religious importance. It would be pertinent of you to bring her to your leader if he wants to speak face to face; she will be indisposed as soon as a suitable hive is constructed."

The elder stood forward, addressing the group directly. "As of this moment, our beloved Grand Elder and First Heir have been slain. By the right of eldest rule, our people's current Grand Elder, our queen, is the girl whom had taken shelter in your city until just recently. You will find that she has run in fear from us, and has unintentionally given us order to not pursue. We pray to the spirits to protect her from the harsh desert, as our people cannot afford to lose three Grand Elders in three days."

She goes on to explain the situation of the ashlands; of heretics and ash demons, of conflict, pain and death. Of hope to make amends for their sin to the land. While she does this, the rest of the villagers plant trees across the area where they will make their settlement, a ring of forest in the stead of their mushrooms. It does not feel the same, but it will have to do.

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The Runaway trudges through the sand of the desert, making little leeway in finding these glider men described by the water snakes. She does not yet realize she is completely lost, and will never find her way in the direction she is going. Her people’s conditioning in the ashlands makes her slightly more prepared than the average novice, but her water runs low, and the desert will swallow her eventually if she does not escape its grasp.

[Bramzter]

"You would wish to speak with The Elder on matters of work and war, and you may speak with me on matters of religious importance. It would be pertinent of you to bring her to your leader if he wants to speak face to face; she will be indisposed as soon as a suitable hive is constructed."

The elder stood forward, addressing the group directly. "As of this moment, our beloved Grand Elder and First Heir have been slain. By the right of eldest rule, our people's current Grand Elder, our queen, is the girl whom had taken shelter in your city until just recently. You will find that she has run in fear from us, and has unintentionally given us order to not pursue. We pray to the spirits to protect her from the harsh desert, as our people cannot afford to lose three Grand Elders in three days."

She goes on to explain the situation of the ashlands; of heretics and ash demons, of conflict, pain and death. Of hope to make amends for their sin to the land. While she does this, the rest of the villagers plant trees across the area where they will make their settlement, a ring of forest in the stead of their mushrooms. It does not feel the same, but it will have to do.

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The Runaway trudges through the sand of the desert, making little leeway in finding these glider men described by the water snakes. She does not yet realize she is completely lost, and will never find her way in the direction she is going. Her people’s conditioning in the ashlands makes her slightly more prepared than the average novice, but her water runs low, and the desert will swallow her eventually if she does not escape its grasp.

The Messenger looked up at the elder after she addressed the the group.

'We then shall send word to our allies in the east, They have the ability to cover large distances using the sky, They will be more capable then our out runners. We also suspect these people were her original destination. We will send them out to look for her.' If she is found she will be informed of your plight. This however is the only way we can assist in that matter.

The group comes forward, Facing the rest of the Archanae elder and oracle before they spoke.

"Our engineers will assist with the construction of you new home, Our builders are skilled and can make suitable homes out of everything. Our people will protect your people should you be attacked and we will continue to assist you for as long you make this land your shelter.

In return we ask you your knowledge, Your knowledge of the ashlands things like what those plants are you rode upon, We have heard rumors that they bring death, How you build there and the weakness of these ash people. We also ask you to train some of our scholars into understanding about these gods and spirits others seem to be affected by, We all have seen that the evil in the Deathlands isn't natural. Those more we know about these mystic powers, the sooner we can find out what exactly this evil is..and why it is here"

The group looked around the landing zone wearily

That is if you accept our help. if not we will just leave you in peace.

[Palamedes]

Ugh. Well there goes like a third of my population, plus probably the majority of it.

Whatever, everyone who survived goes to the fort and waits to die. No map because there's no point in it unless I can think of some miracle plan. We'll see what I can come up with later.

(Also how are monsters made entirely of stone that fast?)

[chimericWilder]

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They are powered by MAJYYKS i assume. But i guess that when something rolls 90+, everything dies.

Damn these evil ash things are dangerous.

[MasterBlade]

Ugh. Well there goes like a third of my population, plus probably the majority of it.

Whatever, everyone who survived goes to the fort and waits to die. No map because there's no point in it unless I can think of some miracle plan. We'll see what I can come up with later.

(Also how are monsters made entirely of stone that fast?)

(You have explosives, and you have 2/3rds more men. FIGHT WITH GUNFIAH!)

(Also I may be stealing your airship if I ever get the chance. )

[Palamedes]

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Yeah but I had a small army there, probably around 100 guys just died, many of whom should have been able to outrun them given the early rout (going by the logic that carapace are supposedly slow, I have to assume the stone guys are even slower). Doesn't matter though, since I don't want to start a debate over it so I'll just go with what happened and do what I can.

Also Blade, that is a great way to foster agreement and trust among our people

Obviously, everyone runs away. Most make it to the fort or newly walled city and prepare for a last-ditch defence. Thick logs are hauled up to the top of the walls, ready to be dropped down on the creatures as they approach, hopefully crushing them. The airships continue to fire on the hordes. A group of dragoons that survived (seen as the two dots north of the horde) continue to fire on the monsters and make noise to try and get them to head north and ignore the colony, and ride north as soon as they are chased by the demons, staying close enough to keep their attention but not so much as to get caught.

Enopa and his soldiers run east, seeing the carnage before them, and prepare the small settlement there in case they are attacked.

New plans are drafted and sent to the Aniroif from the Nostros, detailing how incursions from ash beings should be handled - by guarding entrances into the ships, as well as vital operations and locations and by keeping people together and armed when a ship is believed boarded.

[Raziel]

(Bramz, I'm gonna wait to respond until your runner gets here I think, so you should go ahead and send him out now, so I can go look for the elder. I've been waitin to meet her for a while, lol.)

[Bramzter]

((You will get a message in the next update where i actually do stuff :P ))

((Which i am making now and use masterblade's map for))

[Raziel]

(Kk, cool, thanks)

[Cetus Amicus]

(Also how are monsters made entirely of stone that fast?)

(The same way a boulder rolls down a hill by using momentum to propel itself forward.)

I guess that when something rolls 90+, everything dies.

(It might've ended differently if the defenders hadn't rolled a piddling 25-.)

[SPOILER](going by the logic that carapace are supposedly slow, I have to assume the stone guys are even slower)

(They were slow because they weren't used to having bodies made of anything other than dust, looks like the statues got plenty of time to train in the burrows.)

((Which i am making now and use masterblade's map for))

(I believe you should be using Palamedes' map. >:I)

[Raziel]

Ooh, very good call Cetus, I didn't even catch that.

[Palamedes]

Yeah, that all makes sense Cetus

I am just panicking because of all of that death

[MasterBlade]

Yeah, that all makes sense Cetus

I am just panicking because of all of that death

(I just lost most of my cities playing with fire. Also the ash;ands are nigh-imhabitable even for me now. And when I try to move south to settle, your twenty settlements cockblock me out of my planned destination. There is an unsuprising lack of feels for you bro)