Roleplay Kingdoms

Now late in the third century of the reign of King Erisad Silverbrow, Terel'Liren continues to reach out to the Younger Races to establish or re-establish relations that have lapsed during the 1345 year period of isolation Terel'Liren endured during the reigns of the previous three monarchs. The emergence of many previously-unknown nations onto the international stage has prompted the ascendancy of the House Risha and the whole of the Rishael Bloodline in recent decades.

Following is a list of present diplomatic relations, treaties and other interactions between Terel'Liren and the younger kingdoms.

Nations with Treaties/Alliances

Well-Regarded Nations

Ahuachtli
Archaia
Osia - Currently discussing treaties
Vothyl Syl - Currently discussing treaties
Vos Valkear

Nations Without Diplomatic Relations

Ahn'Kahet
Azul X'ul
The Holy Federation Republic - Currently discussing treaties
Nistha
The Pyrates

Nations With Negative Relations

The Abandoned City of the Shadows

Nations With Hostile Relations

Coronet
Orothion

Vothyl Syl

Since the Vothyl Sylian delegation was travelling in from the western side of Terel'Liren they would have first had to pass through the Citadel of the Dying Sun, Der'Morlain, the ancestral home of the Moralinri Bloodline - the warrior bloodline of Terel'Liren. Naturally Der'Morlain was seen as the single greatest bastion of the nation, the impregnable, unassailable fortress that was the heart and soul of their warrior House and because of this the House Morlan that ruled there tended to be more suspicious of outsiders than the other great lords.

The arrival of such a large number of Pale People at the gates of the Western Fortress had caused quite the stir in the Citadel, but once it had been shown that they were a peaceful diplomatic delegation - even bringing with them the wives and children of some of the soldiers - they were allowed passage into Terel'Liren proper. It was a wise move by Vothyl Syl to send children along with the caravan; it made the Terelains hesitant to be aggressive at the sight of a large foreign force on their border and esured there would be no unfortunate misunderstandings at the gates.

Travel through the rest of the Terelain land towards the capital was much easier and the welcomes the Pale People received in the cities and settlements along the route were much warmer than they would have found in Der'Morlain, especially in Amra the ancestral home of the Aunidiel Bloodline and the centre of magical study and research in Terel'Liren. In that city there would be many a magus, even one or two of the Archmagi, who would cast longing looks at the carts carrying the magical artefacts and tomes but even though they were obviously itching to get their hands on a wealth of foreign magical lore the Duke and Duchess of Amra kept their people well in hand and sped the Pale People on their journey.

At ancient and proud Oberoth itself, capital of Terel'Liren and ancestral home of all Terelains but especially the Taemiri Bloodline, the representatives of Vothyl Syl were greeted with all the pomp and ceremony that befitted ambassadors of a foreign state. The caravans were placed under guard and al of the Pale People in the delegation were given suites in the Royal Palace to stay in, or else were given quarters in the most high-end inns in the Inner City all paid for by the Royal Treasury of course.

Once the delegates were made comfortable with all of the hospitality the Royal House could extend to them the head of the expedition would be visited by Alerios Banton, Lord-Chamberlain of the Royal Household. Banton was in charge of the schedule and upkeep of the Royal House and as such appointments and audiences with the monarchs were sent through him. It was not an exaggeration to say that the Lord-Chamberlain was the most powerful and influential man in the entire Kingdom... unofficially of course.

The Lord-Chamberlain himself was an unremarkable-looking Terelain, his fur was light brown and black and his clothing was plain if well-made and royal blue in colour bearing the Crowned Tree and Swords of the Royal House stitched in silver over his heart and he was average in build and height. All in all he did not give the appearance of one who had the power and authority to deny even the greatest of the Terelain Lords access to the King if they were not in his favour.

Banton would first meet with the ambassador of Vothyl Syl to arrange an audience with King Erisad and to explain the protocols involved in meeting such a figure, "His Majesty is very eager to meet with you, Your Excellency, and to begin talks in establishing this... 'Bond' treaty. As such I have ensured that you will be granted an audience with Their Majesties at the earliest convenience. At noon tomorrow you and your aides should make your way to the throne room and present yourselves and your proposal before Their Majesties. You will have the entire morning to freshen up and prepare yourselves for the meeting and of course this night to rest and make ready. I imagine there will be a great number of the Court present during your first audience. There is much curiosity about our people here in Oberoth. The protocol for this meeting will be simple. King Erisad and Queen Emerrielle are to be addressed by title or as Your Highness or our Majesty. Bow when arriving and leaving and do not turn your back upon them, even when leaving. It is a sign of disrespect. Keep these things in mind and you can not go wrong, we understand that our ways are foreign and new to you so if you make a mistake it will likely be forgiven easily, though we would ask that the same courtesy be extended to us. First meetings between very different cultures can be fraught with accidental offence and we would not wish something as inane as a misspoken word or an accidental gesture to ruin negotiations."

Archaia

Marah's arrival had been anticipated for some time, not only because of the letter but because word of her entrance into Terel'Liren had been sent by Der'Moralain. Her arrival would have been met with less suspicion than the Vothyl Sylians since a lone emissary was less likely to be a surprise attack force than a large caravan of diplomats and soldiers. Like Vothyl Syl's people, Marah would have been given every courtesy and warm hospitality by the cities and lords along her route to the capital with word of her journey and demeanour and other such information quietly passed on to the Lord Chamberlain. It was an open secret in Terel'Liren that the Lord Chamberlain operated his own most network of spies and informers to keep tabs on the lords of Terel'Liren, their guests and visiting dignitaries. Most of this information was the kind of thing someone of Banton's position would need to know - temperament, plots, preferred foods, keeping tabs on merchants and emissaries that might also double as spies. That kind of thing. It was nowhere near as extensive or as well-informed as the Shadow-Walkers, the actual non-existent Terelain spy network but it served his needs well enough.

Thus it was that the Palace was well-prepared long before Marah made her big entrance into the City of Kings. Her song and the great feathered dragon creature she rode made quite the impression as she travelled through the city. Terelains of all shapes, sizes, colours and Bloodlines stopped to watch her passage through the wide, clean avenues and streets of the great Terelain capital. Loremasters watched carefully, filing away the tune and words of her song automatically as they listened and already began to plan how they would later recount the sight. The journey through Oberoth took some time, it was after all Terel'Liren's largest and greatest city. It was compose of three concentric rings each separated by great walls sheathed in marble, broken only by the shimmering sapphire serpent of the Immerria River as it cut through the city. Towers, spires and minarets soared into the sky alongside domes of nacre that shone with rainbow-fire as they caught the light, all vying with temples, palaces, markets and homes. There was a reason why the Terelains spoke of Oberoth with pride and glowing praise, why they said that no city in the world could match her in beauty and radiance. Why she was the City of the World's Desire, the Eternal City, the Queen of Cities and the Mother of Civilisation.

(I've always pictured Oberoth as mixing Rome, Constantinople, 'Fire-Domed Matherion' of David Edding's Tamuli which was sheathed entirely in nacre tiles and Elvish or Gondorian architecture from LOTR)

At the great gates of the Royal Palace, Marah was met by the Lord-Chamberlain Alerios Banton and a small retinue of servants and aides. Alerios bowed to Marah in greeting, "Let me be the first to welcome you to Oberoth, honoured emissary. I hope you will enjoy your time in our fair capital. My name is Alerios Banton, Lord-Chamberlain of the Royal Household and Steward of the Heartlands. As the overseer for the Royal Household I am the one who arranges the audiences and schedule of Their Majesties the King and Queen. I have taken the liberty of arranging an audience with their Majesties tomorrow morning, to give you the rest of today to prepare and freshen up after your journey. You will, of course, be granted a suite in the residential wing of the palace for your personal use during your stay in Oberoth and all of the amenities of the Palace are at your disposal, if you have need of anything the servants will be happy to provide it. I will also be on hand to advise you of the protocols involved in an audience with our royalty to ensure there are no misunderstandings or accidental offences. As with most first meetings between peoples, we extend to you the courtesy of forgiving any minor sleights or offences your ignorance of our culture might cause, so long as the same courtesy is granted to us in return. It is a foolish thing to allow ignorance and accidents to damage relations before they have even began I am sure you agree."

The Citadel Guard of the Tower of the Gathering Night stood uneasily atop the battlements of the First Bastion, the great main gate of Rimni's outermost wall. They could feel a source of great power moving towards their city and the sight of the dark rider on the horizon did little to alleviate their discomfort. Not that anyone but a highly trained observer familiar with Terelain body language could tell. The Guard of the Four Citadels were amongst the most highly disciplined and trained forces in all Terel'Liren surpassed only by the Royal Guard or the legendary Jeria Eagles. They were the shield and spear of Terel'Liren, the first line of defence of the Land Within The Mountains. They were strong as the roots of the mountain and unyielding as the warded stones beneath their feet.

But still, the reek of necromantic magics approaching the Gate of Night was strong as Grey approached. The lookouts could easily see he was unarmed and that brought only slight comfort to the southern Citadel Guard. It was well-known amongst them that the enemy that first appeared harmless was the most dangerous of all. Necromancy was not an art unknown in the hallowed halls of the Terelain Magi but it was one that was carefully regulated and controlled, for those that dealt in Death, the Great Wound in the World, were often more susceptible to Corruption than those that dealt in arts less dark and foreboding.

Though he came unarmed, the Citadel Guard were not ones to take chances with the safety of their nation and he was met at the sealed gates by a contingent of Guardsmen dressed in full war-armour, magic shimmering along and between the flexible but strong plates of metal and the high helms on their heads. Sigils and signs of arcane power were finely etched into the plates, barely visible to the naked eye, defining wards against dangers both magic and mundane but especially magic of the darkest and cruellest kinds that would be freely available to the most unscrupulous dark magi. They held their ceremonial spears firmly, magic dancing along the spearheads as well to keep the blades strong and sharp and to pierce armour and wards. At their sides were the almost iconic khopeshes of the Guard, though designed for slashing and cutting and not that useful against armoured opponents these too had been warded and enchanted with the war-magic of Terel'Liren.

Behind the wall of steel a small group of Terelain magi were stood, they wore armour too but it was even less bulky than that of the Guard shielding them, made for ease of movement as much as protection. This armour too was warded and enchanted, designed to amplify the magic of the magi whilst dampening or deflecting the magic of their foes. Each magus had a bladestaff in their hands, some were Amran-style staffs of two fat crescent blades on either end with the points turned backwards to present as much of a cutting surface as possible towards the enemy, others were of differing designs - straight blades, curving blades that had one point forward and one point backward, one particularly fine specimen that seemed like a custom job had a blade running the whole length of the staff in addition to the blades at the end acting as a kind of guard for it.

Atop the battlements and towers above more magi and guards stood waiting. There were a lot of bows strung, though as yet none had arrows nocked. Grey had not yet shown himself to be hostile after all... but the Terelains were a cautious people, especially when powerful necromancers came knocking upon their door. Terel'Liren had not stood for thirteen thousand years through recklessness or in-caution.

One of the guardsmen, indistinguishable from the others except for subtly finer detailing on his helm, broke formation to stand before Grey on his horse, but still well out of reach. The slightly finer detailing marked him as an officer but Terel'Liren did not announce that upon the war-armour as they did with the more ceremonial pieces often worn by the Citadel Guard in peacetime. It would make beheading the chain of command much too easy for the enemy if officers went about in finery like some fop of a courtier. The Terelain watched the Deathlord for a long moment before speaking, "Grey of Ahn'Kahet. You are known to us. What business has the First Deathlord of Ahn'Kahet on the borders of the Second Kingdom? If you have come in peace, then be welcomed. If the lichs and undead lords of Ahn'Kahet send you as an emissary of war, then depart now and shadow our door no longer. The Citadel of Gathering Night stands firm against all who would trespass in the South."

The officer watched Grey carefully, eyes wary beneath his helm, "Hm, I suppose they wouldn't at that, still it is not uncommon for us to receive a declaration of war beforehand. There are some nations at least with manners in such matters. Still, if you come in peace then be welcomed in Rimni, Deathlord. The hospitality of the House Risha is extended to you as it is to any who enter our walls... however whispers of the power of the necromancer of Ahn'Kahet have reached even here. Such arts are not forbidden in these lands but those who practice them are carefully watched. I do not need to tell you how dangerous such magic can be to the living and we have no wish to invite the Great Wound into our very midst. As such, I would ask that you refrain from the use of your necromantic magics for so long as you remain in our borders. Doing so will be considered an act of war."

The officer turned to his men, then, and banged the butt of his spear against the smooth stones of the ancient road leading to the Gate of Night, "Citadel Guard! Return to your posts." As one the Terelain soldiers turned back to the gate which opened to admit them as they marched through in perfect step. On the walls the archers and magi relaxed slightly, though there were still many eyes and not a few bows still trained on Grey, for now. Not all of the Guardsmen seemed inclined to trust the good intentions of such a powerful necromancer at their very door.

Terel'Liren was very distrustful of Death Magic, for an Ageless race to whom death came only through injury or sickness it was a strange and alien force and not one to be taken lightly. In the myths and cults of the Terelain Pantheon death itself was called the Great Wound, the Marring, the Sorrow of the Children of Terel and the Anathema. The Terelains believed that death did not exist in the world before the corruption of their elder gods and the ending of the First Age of the First Era of the world, until Mother Tara herself was slain by the very hand of the Worldshaper. Since that terrible act in the most ancient days the Terelains have sought a way to conquer death itself, not merely to reverse it or utilise it as a tool like necromancers but to obliterate it entirely. There are even some sects in Terel'Liren that believe that once this is done then the Beloved Mother will return to them and her husband, their Father, will be recalled from his endless wanderings in search of her and together they will lead them anew as they did in the first days and the world will be healed and purified and a new paradise shall begin on earth.

To say that Grey, wreathed in Death itself, was viewed with suspicion was something of an understatement. Luckily for Ahn'Kahet, the great lords of the Second Kingdom were pragmatic men and they would not reject those who came to them in peace out of hand nor were they ones to listen to the more zealous priests and devotees when they called for Holy War against all the forces of darkness and Corruption that they saw abroad in the world - or else Terel'Liren would end up embroiled in endless wars against Coronet, Orothion, Ahn'Kahet... and eternal war is not an attractive prospect for the Ageless. After all the ancient oaths and alliances are long since dust and the Great Rebellion is ended. So long as other nations do not openly throw their lot in with the Corruption and fall to the worship of the Old Ones, the banished Elder Gods, then the obligations and oaths sworn in blood and magic and honour in the first days would not compel Terel'Liren to act... or so the lords justify to themselves in the silences of the night.

Once through the great gate, Grey would find himself in a flat, empty expanse that stretched from one side of the pass to the other with the next wall of Rimni ahead, equally as high and thick and warded as the first. A killing field meticulously maintained. Unlike many other fortress-cities that were inhabited for so long, neither Rimni nor its sisters would compromise its defences by allowing the civilian areas to expand out into the killing fields. Foresight and a hint of Crazy-Prepared were advantages for a people who lived for many thousands of years.

Once through the killing field and past the second wall he would find himself in the city of Rimni itself. It was beautiful, in its way, but austere. Windows on the outward-facing sides of buildings tended to be small, the roofs flat for use by archers as they retreated through the city and whilst there were many wide, clean avenues and streets there were just as many places that could be easily sealed off and blockaded and there was no single great thoroughfare leading through the city, even the swiftest route winding past several easily-defended locations.

Towers there were and spires reaching high into the sky, domes of gold and nacre shimmering with fire and great statues and parks filled with trees and plants of every kind. In Rimni, home of the Rishael Bloodline of merchants, emissaries and diplomats there were a great many markets as well, it seemed every square and plaza and nearly every street corner was filled by stalls and merchants hawking their wares, incense, spices and perfumes scented the air whilst the busy sounds of commerce were never far away. Colourful silks and jewellery were on prominent display all over and there seemed to be wares from all over the Expanse flowing through Rimni. Many stopped to stare at Grey or otherwise make note of him, but none approached him, not even the merchants seemed to want to attract the attention of the dark rider in warlike array.

As one might expect, magic was everywhere and in constant casual use. Even the simplest of folk could be seen weaving minor cantrips to repair clothing, light fires or merely entertain children with colourful sparks and the like, though for the most part there was a distinct lack of children and the young in the city, Grey barely crossing paths with anyone who did not seem to be in the prime of life, at least where the Terleains were concerned. Those few children he did manage to spot would be hustled away by mothers, shielding them from the sight of the strange, rather foreboding figure traversing their streets.

Speaking of magic, the closer he came to the Citadel of Gathering Night at the heart of the great fortress-city the more potent the ambient magic seemed to get and even the most mundane and least militaristic buildings were more and more heavily warded and protected. It was impossible to go around the Citadel, one had to travel through it to reach the other side of the city and the lands beyond, as well as the other set of defensive bulwarks and walls. Soaring high above the redoubts, towers and walls of the Citadel was the Tower of Gathering Night itself, the very top of the great tower blazing brightly even in the midday sun like a star had fallen to earth and was now housed at the summit of the great edifice. This was the Beacon Tower of the South, one of the oldest buildings in all Terel'Liren and housing one of the most powerful magical relics in the entire Second Kingdom. The tower seemed to be partly magical itself, the very stones so infused with ancient wards and spells that it was hard to tell where physical mater ended and the magic began. This tower and its siblings represented the lost glories of the First Kingdom and the lofty heights Terelain magecraft had reached long, long ago in dim forgotten days. A symbol of their pride, their power and their fall, for it was painfully obvious even to those who were only passingly familiar with the magical arts that it was the buildings more similar to this tower in their design and build that had possessed the greatest wards and magic, most obvious being the city's walls and the Citadel itself. The younger buildings were like shadows before the sun of this edifice, the magic of the modern Terelains far lesser than that than the Ancients.

Vothyl Syl

The grand throne room of the Royal Palace was filled with many Terelains, lords of Houses both ancient and new, of influence power both great and small. Most of these luminaries were dressed in colourful silks and fine linen and gold and silver and jewels adorned them. Pages and servants in the royal livery were mixed in with the crowd, bearing messages and items between the various lords and ladies of the Royal Court.

The chamber itself was one of grandeur and majesty. The floor was polished marble and the high vaulted ceiling was held up by graceful buttresses and marble columns veined in gold and silver. The hall was long and there were high windows with stained glass letting in bright light from outside in shafts of shifting colour. At the farthest end of the throne room was a raised circular dais four levels high with two thrones upon it and a third smaller, empty throne a step below them. The two thrones were made of gold with traceries and accents of silver. The one on the left upon which King Erisad himself sat was slightly larger than the one for his wife and upon the arms were the stylised faces of felines. The Lion Throne itself.

The two monarchs wee the image of regal serenity, the Terelain ideal for how their rulers were to comport themselves. Both wore simple circlets of orialchum and electrum with small but flawless gems of emerald and sapphire upon them and their clothing was of the finest weave and make - about their shoulders was a full cape of purple-dyed silk the symbol of their royal authority and power. (Shamelessly stolen from the Eastern Roman Emperors)

King Erisad, like all Terelains, did not seem much older than his mid-twenties or early thirties. His fur was dark brown with flecks of grey in it but the grey was especially prominent on his temples and forehead which granted him the epithet Erisad Silverbrow. A smile graced his lips as the Vothyl Sylians approached, "It pleases us to to receive you, honoured ambassador. Too long has the Second Kingdom hidden itself away in ignorance of the world since the days of our father and his father and his father before him. It gives us great pleasure to welcome you to our city and to open up a dialogue with Vothyl Syl. We shall admit, your people were almost entirely unknown to us until recent years, indeed before then we had thought the rumours of cities and masked people in the icy wastes of the West to be little more than myth and superstition."

Emerielle spoke then her voice soft and musical as if every word that passed her lips was sung, her face was fair and fur was golden and her green eyes were warm and kind, "It grieves us to admit, but the first knowledge we had of your people was through a grim and terrible trade. Here in Terel'Liren foreign merchants and traders came nearly a century ago and bore with them fine ivory and beautiful horns, items of great value," she inclined her head towards the broken horn of the ambassador, "We are sure you know the trade of which we speak. In those days we knew not of your people, and indeed the traders lied most convincingly of the source of their goods, saying it came from horned beasts of great size and strength. The trade flourished here, for a time. Until rumours reached our lands of your people. Antlered, pale and wearing masks. Builders of beautiful, hidden cities in the ice and snow of the west. At first we paid no heed, we thought such tales too fantastic to be true... yet a seed of doubt was planted and we sent forth our agents to learn more of this ivory trade and what the source of their goods truly was. If it were merely animals then perhaps our own merchants could wrest the monopoly from the traders and seek advantage for our kingdom... if the rumours were true and the ivory was taken through the blood and suffering of a foreign nation then how could we partake in such a foul and terrible thing?"

Erisad frowned, "Our agents returned swiftly with word of all they had found and the news shocked us to the core, we will admit. It sickened us. The very day the reports of what these traders were doing reached us we seized all of their goods and wealth within our borders and expelled them from Terel'Liren never to return and the trade was outlawed. Any Terelain found to deal in the ivory was examined for their guilt if, as most were, they were truly ignorant of the source then they were exonerated. We could not punish those who dealt in the goods out of ignorance, for even we had not known until then of the truth. But those who wilfully continued in this trade even when the truth was known to them were shunned. The gravest penalties of our laws were enacted upon them; execution or life in exile, stripped of their honour and their place to become The Fallen. They who are no longer counted amongst the Terelain people. It is fortunate that the routes into our nation are so few and so well-guarded. It makes smuggling and dealing in illicit goods more difficult. As far as we know that black trade no longer endures within our borders."

Emerielle bowed her head, "It is a shame unto our people that this trade was even allowed to entered our lands and we fully intend to make reparations for it. Despite this we hope to begin a long and friendly relation between our two people, and hope that such will long endure. We are ever willing to establish trade, pacts of peace and good will and the mutual sharing of magical lore and knowledge. The only treaty we would not sign is one that would bind our nation to another in perpetuity and oblige us to join them in war. The Second Kingdom has no interest in being drawn into the squabbles and conflicts of other nations."

Ahn'Kahet

The officer turned back to Grey as he spoke and gave a shallow bow, "I am Lieutenant Taliesin Mirrhel in service to the House Risha. I am nine hundred and forty-eight years of age, six hundred and twenty-four of which has been spent in service to the Citadel Guard. I have been ordered to accompany you on your way to the Citadel for your meeting with His Grace the Archduke Talian Risha, Third of His Name and Lord-Protector of the South. He will wish to extend his welcome and hospitality to you in person, as well as provide any provisions or information you may need n your journey to the capital."

As Grey reached the gates of the Citadl they opened to allow him entry, funnelling him through a narrow tunnel which ended in a second gates which opened at his approach. The tunnel probably had hidden holes or tubes in the ceiling to allow defenders to pour boiling oil or drop stones down upon enemies within. Finally he emerged into a wide courtyard which was overlooked by three nearby towers and a raised area at the far end, two narrow staircases descended on the far left and right ends of the wall to provide access up. It was obviously a place where archers could stand to shoot down into the courtyard and retreat swiftly from back into the main gate of the outer Citadel as enemies were forced to walk to the far ends of the courtyard to get up to reach them.

On the floor of the courtyard a vibrantly colourful mosaic had been placed, obviously an ancient original feature of the Citadel it depicted a map of the ancient Heartland of the First Kingdom - what was now the fullest extent of the modern Second Kingdom. Four of the cities on the map were obviously much newer than their counterparts having been added later with slightly differently-coloured tiles even if the people who had made them had tried to come as close to the originals as possible. Apparently the exact glaze used to colour the tiles had not been re-discovered by the time the additions had been placed. A region north of Rimni, equidistant between it and the capital had been gouged out and defaced - the location of the forbidden ruin of Nias Thineral the only city of the Ancients in the kingdom that had ever usurped Oberoth's place as the Seat of Kings and the only one never to be reclaimed within the bounds of the Renala Mountains.

Archduke Talian himself stood waiting for Grey in the courtyard, a circlet of iron on his brow, wearing fine if practical clothing. If the man was suspicious or distrustful of Grey he did not show it, what seemed to be a genuine smile on his face as he waited for the Deathlord. There were reasons other than blood that Talian was lord of the House Risha and overlord of the Merchant Bloodline, "My lord Grey," he said, including his head in respect and greeting, "A pleasure and honour to meet you. I have already had quarters prepared for you here in the Citadel for your use. I will do all I can to ensure your comfort during your stay as well as provide anything you may require for your journey to Oberoth."

As the ambassador finished talking about the antlers, Erisad nodded solemnly, "It is only right that the antlers so cruelly taken from your people be returned to you. An edict shall be issued at once requiring all of the antlers still within the bounds of our kingdom to be collected and sent to a vault here in Oberoth, once we have collected all of the antlers we will, of course, return them to you. It is likely that there will be items carved from the ivory of your people as well, will you require these to be returned as well, or shall we merely destroy them?" Erisad asked, voice soft and conciliatory after he had seen the effect the topic had had on the ambassador, "I will have the edict drafted immediately," he turned his head and gestured towards his chamberlain who stood on his right handed side at the bottom of the dais, "Banton."

The Lord-Chamberlain ascended the steps until he reached the level just below the thrones and bowed, "Majesty?"

"Begin drafting the edict that will require all antlers and items of ivory carved from the antlers of the Pale People of Vothyl Syl to be brought to Oberoth. Go over it with the Treasury, we will likely have to provide compensation to a number of noble houses in return for the loss of items of value. If my memory serves me correctly then the antlers should not need to be compensated, the old edicts forbidding the display of these antlers still stand. The items made from the ivory however were not covered, and so we may have to pay the value of these objects to avoid trouble from the nobility."

Banton nodded, "I will begin drafting the documents at once, Majesty."

Erisad turned back to the Pale People as Banton made his way back down the dais, a handful of servants already waking over to him carrying parchment, quills and ink. The king considered the rest of what was said, "Hm, we are glad that this Bond will not force us into war, however the offer of sanctuary for our people in times of need is greatly appreciated. Our history is long, and already has one kingdom of our people fallen and though I pray such a day never comes it is a comfort to know that if the worst should occur again that we would find aid and succour amongst your people. Such sanctuary is extended to your people also, if ever the people of Vothyl Syl require shelter and protection, the lands of Terel'Liren are open to them for so long as friendship shall endure between our peoples even if Vothyl Syl itself ceases to be... the Pale People will have sanctuary here."

Emerielle spoke next, since she was born of the House Risha she handled much of the trade and economic policy of the kingdom, "We welcome any trade with foreign nations, we will also provide protection along the trade routes in the lands around Terel'Liren. Hm, this does provide certain opportunities," she said with a glance at her husband, "The influence of Terel'Liren does not extend as far as it once did. In the ancient days our armies marched across the world and laid down roads and trade routes to all the lands of the old kingdom. Perhaps it is time to revive the practice. We could dispatch a full army along the route between our borders and Vothyl Syl, the purpose is two-fold; firstly it will allow the swift construction of roads along which trade may more easily pass between our two nations and root out any bandits or the like that may trouble travellers. In addition we shall establish hostels along the road at a distance a day away from each other, fortified and garrisoned by our troops. It will ensure the safety and security of traders and merchants from banditry and provide travellers cheap lodgings and fresh horses. It will speed up not only trade but communication between our lands. It will be good training for our men and perhaps it will reacquaint the world with our military power. It has been a very long time indeed since our forces have been seen beyond the bounds of these mountains, mercenary bands non-withstanding. It will be good to remind the world that Terel'Liren has her own protectors."

Erisad nodded, "Of course the hostels and the road itself will technically be considered sovereign territory of Terel'Liren, it would make enforcing the rule of law along the route much easier if this were so, but I do not think it would be much of an issue. We have no interest in expanding our territory beyond the protection of the Renala Mountains, and in any case there are still tracts of land to the north and south that can be annexed," the king then smiled slightly, "As for magic, we are always willing to trade knowledge and secrets in equal measure to that which is revealed to us. Your magi are welcomed here. I will have word sent to Amra and to the magi here in Oberoth so that we can begin the trading of knowledge."

Ahn'Kahet

Archduke Talian smiled and shook his head, "Well I had expected as much, the undead do not tend to need food or rest or such things... nevertheless it is polite to offer hospitality to guests is it not?" He smiled, "Besides, my family is famed for its generous hospitality and I would be remiss in my duties not to extend to you all of the courtesies I would give to anyone else even if you will have no need of them. You will still be given a room and a place to stable your horse... at there there is one advantage in this situation; you will not eat me out of house and home!"

The feline looked down at the mosaic, having noticed grey examining it before, "I see you have noticed our little decoration. Everyone seems to take note of the map when they first come to my home... it is a shame it only shows the Heartlands and not the former extent of our old territories. It would be nice to be able to show off the old glories of my ancestors to visitors, unfortunately the old maps are rather... well the world has changed greatly in fourteen thousand years," he looked down at the gouged area on the map and sighed, "Most people tend to be rather curious about the damaged bit. It's not far from here, directly north. I would advise that you pay the region a wide berth and, if you come upon the Boundary Stones ringing the area... turn away. If you went and disappeared into that place I would not want to explain to King Erisad by Ahn'Kahet is declaring war because their emissary vanished within our borders."

Archaia

The suite assigned to Marah, and indeed all of the visiting dignitaries and ambassadors from foreign lands, were large and luxuriously appointed - a common room branched out into three lavish bedrooms and a bathroom with a large sunken tub in the floor fringed in gold with both hot and cold running water. (Like the Romans, Harrapan and other ancient civilisations the Terelains had invented indoor plumbing quite some time ago) The rooms were light and airy and the windows were large to let in a lot of natural light. The stone walls were decorated with tapestries and drapes of neutral colours and the bed were soft and canopied and the sheets were of the finest linen and silk.

The servant who had showed her to her quarters had seemed vaguely embarrassed and apologised for the "Rather drab décor". Apparently they were still preparing the official ambassadorial quarters for Archaia which subsequent ambassadors and dignitaries would stay in, with the rooms decorated in the national colours of Archaia and their crest and emblems on the door and cushions and the like. They would probably be even larger too, considering they would hold not only the ambassador but also their aides and retinue.

Funnily enough the Terelains were also having quarters built for representatives of other nations to stay in, but there was some controversy over Vos Valkear, due to what some of the courtiers were calling a 'frightfully primitive' aesthetic. The interior decorators seemed to prefer to call it 'charmingly rustic'. The Vos Valkearians would probably just think they were all mad. The peasant--folk of Terel'Liren often thought the same of the nobles and courtiers, truth be told.

(Just a quick note: I'm going to assume that the Archain and Vothyl Sylian delegations arrived a few days apart from each other, since Archaia is quite a bit further away from Terel'Liren than Vothyl Syl)

Ahn'Kahet

Talian nodded, laughing softly himself, "The House Risha are the oldest of the families of the Rishael Bloodline and, as such, we are held up as the overlords and paragons of all the Rishael. As leaders of the Bloodline we must exemplify the traits and virtues of it and lead by example.. being gracious and generous hosts is part of that. The Rishael were granted the Gift of Insight in our blood by our Father. As such, most of us are merchants and diplomats and the like... hence why we are also amongst the most open and accepting of the Bloodlines. I suppose you could say we are the foils for the Moralinri, the Warrior Bloodline. They are... well I would not go so far as to say xenophobic, but your receptions in Der'Morlain would have been even less welcoming than here. I would like to apologise for that, by the way, it is not exactly the Rishael way to greet a foreigner at our gates with suspicion and sealed gates but... well... your are a Deathlord of Ahn'Kahet. We understand how powerful such a being as you can be. It would be rather... unfortunate if our openness were to allow you to turn our city into a necropolis."

The Archduke smiled thinly, "Not that we do not have countermeasures and protections in place against the undead and magical plagues and the usual brand of necromantic mischief. The Black Crusades taught us just how dangerous the undead can be," though when Grey mentioned the forbidden area again Talian shook his head, "Go there and you die," he said flatly, "Or worse. Even if you returned we would kill you ourselves, incinerate the corpse and if required obliterate your very soul. Even if it provoked war with Ahn'Kahet we would destroy you. That place is beyond any creature, living or unliving, to endure. What lies there is to be left alone, Deathlord, for the Shadow that lies upon those ruins is the darkness and terror of the world's ending. The ruins are... safe enough during the day when the light of the sun burns away the shadows, but anywhere in that city where darkness lies is to be avoided and at night... not even the Great Fallen of old could remain in that place after sunset, they who serve that which created the Shadow in the first place."

Talian turned away "But enough grim talk, my hospitality is open to you, as is that of any lord of the South. Your arrival is eagerly awaited in Oberoth and we will do all we can to speed your journey to the Mother City."

Vothyl Syl

King Erisad could recognise that the ambassador wasn't all that pleased over the compromise even with her face covered by the mask. One did not become King of Terel'Liren without being observant of people's body language, "Hm... and I do apologise for the fact that we must pay to have some of the ivory items remove from our nobility... however the fact remains that at least some of our noble houses will have purchased these items unaware of the type of ivory they are made from and it would be rather unfair to seize valuable items from their homes and treasuries without some form of recompense. Particularly when items were acquired legally and legitimately at the time. I could seize them, of course but then I would have a large number of nobles complaining to me bitterly for the next century or two... I would rather avoid that particular headache."

Once they moved onto the trade route again Emerielle nodded, "We will begin drafting orders and making preparations to open the trade route and begin construction on the roads, garrisons and hostels and such that will be required. However, Terel'Liren would be happy to build and police the entire length of the trade route. It would streamline travel and trade if the entire road was held under a single rule of law and not two. This way travellers using the hostels would pay the same sum regardless of where they are on the route and it would make coordinating the garrisons much easier as well, which would certainly make it much easier and more efficient when it comes to protecting the route. On the other hand, I can understand how having the entire route, which would pass into Vothyl Syl itself, under the authority of Terel'Liren might be... problematic."

Erisad looked thoughtful at the mention of the map 'error', "Hm... I suppose it is possible. I'll have some cartographers dispatched to the region to update our maps. We have an ongoing project with updating our maps... some of them are centuries or even millennia out of date. I'm pretty sure there's one in my study that's so old it still marks the old Yuan-Ti Empires."

Of course if the tension of the ambassador when she mentioned this 'mistake' meant anything, a few Shadowwalker 'cartographers' might find something of interest about a city that's been struck from the maps. It would have to be a very, very covert mission. No need to antagonise Vothyl Syl when Terel'Liren was beginning what promised to be a very profitable relationship with their western neighbour.

Archaia

The urgency with which Marah requested her audience with the king and queen (no regent; they're both capable rulers and thus there's no regency) had expedited her request and, not a few minutes after she had asked for it she was ushered in to the great throne room of the Royal Palace.

It appeared as if there was already an audience in progress when she was led in; a lithe Terelain female of black and dark grey fur, the patterns shifting under the light as if she were cloaked in shadows, was knelt before the dais. She wore black-dyed leather on her body, a particularly utilitarian and unflattering garment designed entirely around practicality and there the hilts of two daggers could be seen where the blades were belted to her sides. She was one of only a very small number of people besides the Royal Guard themselves allowed to bear arms in the Royal Presence.

One of the kneeling female's ears twitched as she heard Marah approach and she fell silent, not even looking up at the human as she drew level with her. Erisad and Emerielle looked down at Marah with the same calm, regal serenity as they would for any foreign representative. The King inclined his head in greeting, "Lady Marah of the House MacKeely of Archaia. A pleasure and honour to finally meet one who made such a masterful entrance into our fair city. We are told that you come before us with a matter of gravest importance and urgency, enough to interrupt our meeting with the Lady Sekhmet of the House Masrita of Mytheia."

At the mention of her name Sekhmet looked up, "I believe she comes to report that which were already discussing, Majesty."

Erisad nodded, "Indeed. It has been noticed that Archaia has marshalled her fleets and they set out not all that long ago on a southern heading. Might the honoured Archaian emissary have any light to shed upon this most... unusual action by her nation? There are those amongst our advisers that have become concerned over this occurrence. Though I am sure that if Archaia meant to make war upon us they would not have sent you to us, nor would their fleet be heading that far south to land troops to march upon us... and so we wonder, what could possibly take the fleets of Archaia so far south? It seems to us that this is a prelude for war, but with whom?"

In the distance of the Eastern Path walked but two lone figures. A black robed Hobgoblin, wielding a bloodied staff and next to him a short haired Harpy dressed in a regal looking blue dress, seemingly unnatural to one such as her. Seemingly no one else accompanied the duo; no bodyguards, no army, no caravan, nothing at all. In the Harpy's claws was a large black yet transparent looking crystal. She did not fly, possibly to spare the rather eerie looking Hobgoblin the need to run after her.

At the gates the duo came to a stop. The Harpy would then spread her wings and fly up to meet the soldiers on the walls.

"We are here at the behest of Vos Valkear. Allow us to meet your king. The message we bear is meant for his ears only." The Harpy spoke in a voice sweet as honey.

Archaia

Marah's words provoked a low murmuring amongst the nobility, ministers and courtiers arrayed around the periphery of the great chamber. Truly an age of strife and war had come down upon the world if even far-off Archaia became embroiled in war with the south-lands. With the wars between Ahuachtli, Vos Valkear, Coronet and Archaia it seemed as if the entire south would soon seen long years of blood and fire.

Erisad sat impassive upon his throne above, the same serene mask he always wore hiding his thoughts on the matter, "So, our brother king in the far north-isle descends into madness and brings war down upon his people," he said at last, "You are right, Marah, we are not yet allies. You are strangers to us. It is... presumptuous to ask our aid in this matter. This is an affair between Archaia and Ahuachtli, two sovereign nation. What care we for the squabbles and wars of Flicker-Lives so far from our lands and borders? Terel'Liren will not interfere with the internal affairs of her peers, to do so is to invite accusation and dishonour upon our kingdom... and perhaps bring forth the might of Archaia even unto our own border. We have no obligation to Ahuachtli, nor Archaia, nor any other kingdom of the race of Men. You come to us a stranger, Marah, and beg our aid... yet we see no reason brought forth to compel us to do so."

Emerielle then stirred with a glance to her husband, "And yet, Beloved, are we not compelled by our very blood to prevent senseless war and destruction? You know as well as I that chaos and madness and Corruption go hand in hand. A mad king upon the Archaian throne and yet more war in the south can serve only the Corruption and the Shadow."

A very slight barely noticeable frown settled on Erisad's lips, "There is no evidence that the madness of Archaia's king is of such a nature. Not all madness is laid at the feet of the Old Powers. Even should general war and madness strengthen the Great Enemy, we of Terel'Liren can not police the world. No longer do we possess the power and majesty of old. To interfere with the affairs of sovereign nations is to invite down upon us scorn and distrust... how long then, with such resentment stirring, before we too find armies upon our gates? No. Terel'Liren is, and always shall be, neutral in such affairs. It has been so since the days of the Starsinger, we will not overturn the wisdom of our ancestors in such a matter," he looked down at Marah again, "However, we will allow you the service of our Court Magus in contacting your homeland, and whatever else you might require to speed your journey home. You also have our well-wishes and hopes for peace for your countrymen... but nothing else may we grant you. Terel'Liren will not involve herself in the wars and affairs of others. It is not our way."

Emerielle shook her head, "We are sorry, Marah," genuine remorse seemed to colour her words, "But if you seek, as we suspect, that our kingdom intervene directly in preventing this war and deposing your mad king... no. It will not be. It will take more than a single plea from a stranger to us to have Terel'Liren break over 3600 years of policy and tradition. Our neutrality in such affairs has shielded form much heartache and pain in the past. We will not be dragged into a war with Archaia."

Ahn'Kahet

(I'm not entirely sure what Grey is laughing at)

Talian smiled thinly, "That wasn't a threat, Deathlord," he said, "Merely a statement of fact. You should be careful that your confidence in your abilities does not lead to unthinking arrogance. You are used to being able to kill with a wave of your hand and turning the slain into your undead thralls. Those who would be sent to destroy you, should you enter the City of the Sorrow-Song after nightfall and somehow return... they have seen things that would send even the greatest of your lich lords screaming into the night. You know full-well that there are horrors and terrors far greater than death," he glanced aside at him, "These walls have withstood things far more ancient and terrible than Ahn'Kahet's hordes. You are a young nation, barely a century old. Naturally you are given over to such youthful pride and vigour that you would think your shiny new undead toys would make even those far older than you cower and kneel..." Talian chuckled and shook his head, "But we have fought undead before, Deathlord. Yours is not the first nation to build itself by such powers, nor shall it be the last. Terel'Liren yet remains."

He shook the undead jackal's hand firmly, "Just remember, Grey, that we give respect to those who earn it. We do not seek out war, nor the vain glories of the past. If we are left alone to our arts and our magic then we are content to let the affairs of the Younger Races go on without any interference from us. What care we for the affairs of men or undead or the Pale People? But we warn all of the kingdoms and races that have arisen in the lands once held by our people in dim and distant days: Terel'Liren is diminished, it is faded and fallen and old... but it is not weak. Not yet so old and enfeebled that it relies upon old whispers and long-past glory for protection. It has been a long long time since last we marched to war fully and completely and the world has forgotten such a thing. Thus do people such as yourself say - 'easily may we come upon the borders of Terel'Liren with our great host and fall upon them in battle and overcome them! We have great armies, or powerful magic, or undead horrors at our beck and call. With a snap of my fingers I can unleash a plague of horror and death upon this place and bring even the mightiest of these bastions to its knees!' ... It is very easy to say such things."

Talian laughed, "But what such people forget is that they are not the first, nor the seventh, nor the hundredth man or woman to say such a thing. Yet, here stands Terel'Liren still. Old and slow and quiet as it ever was. I do not say such things to say you plot war or treason, not at all! I do not say such things to frighten you. Such dark and dire words are a thing for Moralinri more than we Rishael. But since they are not here... it falls to me to say that such a warning is given but once. Many peoples and nations have tried over the many thousands of years of our history to destroy us and conquer us and lay us low. We have seen it all before. Most often it is young nations such Ahn'Kahet, full of vim and vigour. Wanting to mark its place upon the world, to pull down the ancient powers and carve from them a new world, a new way. Such is the nature of things. We do not begrudge such things, so long as such a will is not directed at us or our allies. Deal fairly with us and we shall deal fairly with you. All that we are we shall share fully. But equally, should you deal wrongly with us then treachery shall be met with treachery and war shall be met with war as it was meant to be fought. Terel'Liren wages war upon a people but once."

He clapped his hands and seemed to completely ignore everything he had just said, "As for the Gift of Insight, it is no great thing. All Rishael possess it, it is in the blood. All Rishael are descended from Ristan and Risha, Fifth Son and Fifth Daughter of Terel the Eternal who is Our Father, may his grief be eased, and of Tara the Beloved who is Our Mother, may she return to us. The Gift is our strength, our purpose, a magic that sings in our blood. Each Bloodline was granted a gift by Our Father, may his grief be eased, in the first days and thus it has passed down all the generations since. The Gift of the Rishael was Insight; we are diplomats, traders, emissaries. We discern the true value of things, we learn the ways and languages of foreigners more easily and are more at home amongst them than our kin. With Insight comes clarity, shrewdness and understanding. There are few Terelains beyond our borders, and most of those are Rishael or Moralinri mercenaries. Rarely, perhaps an Aunidiel scholar seeking the wisdom and knowledge of foreign lands. It is our pride and our duty to be the public face of our race and kingdom to the outside world. Though we are second-youngest and second to last in precedence amongst the Bloodlines we are nonetheless an integral part of the kingdom and her affairs. Without the Rishael, there could not be a Terel'Liren."

(Though much the same could be said for the other Bloodlines too!)

Vos Valkear

The great walls of Adriand rose high and thick and imposing across the Eastern Pass of the Renala Mountains. Like her sisters she was a city of curtain walls, redoubts and towers all overlooking and overlapping one another with the city itself made to be entirely defensible - much of the Lower city had flat roofs for archers to stand upon and retreat across and the more impressive and less defensible-looking Upper City buildings with their domes and spires held ancient wards and magicks that made them much harder to destroy or conquer than they first appeared.

All about the walls and towers of the city stood the Citadel Guard of the East, the champions of the House Adhar and the Guardians of the Citadel of the Rising Sun. The stylized sun and sword of the House Adhar adorned their armour which was burnished to a bright shine. Their helms were high and graceful as were their ceremonial spears. Sharp, deadly khopesh swords hung at their sides and in their free hand was a great shield which also bore the mark of the sun. There were archers on the walls and towers too, of course, with polished bows and quivers filled with deadly arrows, their armour thinner and lighter and more flexible than the rest of the Guard and here and there, scattered about in their armour etched with arcane sigils were the Battle-Magi of the Citadel Guard each bearing one of the strange double bladed Blade-Staffs unique to their kind.

Discipline and serenity in all things were the ideals of the Terelain people, and none exemplified this more-so than the Citadel Guard who were held in respect and reverence second only to the Royal Guard itself or the Jeria Eagles of legend. Thus it was that the strange sight of the cloaked Hobgoblin and the Harby coming down the road was met with only a slightly raised eyebrow by the commander on duty at the Gate of the Dawn Arising, first and greatest of the east-facing gates of Adriand.

When the Harpy flew up to speak to one of the soldiers on duty, the male merely gave a long blink at the sight and the honeyed words coming from the half-avian creature before him. The commander of the Guard here at the gate approached the Harpy emissary from within the ranks, his rank discernible only by the slightly finer detailing on his helm. (Inlays of silver, gold, enamel, etc for rankings were only part of the ceremonial armour rather than for active duty. There was no point in having the officers showcase their status with special uniforms or identifying marks beyond the most subtle. Less chance of the enemy trying to disrupt the chain of command via sniper that way... and yes, it did take a very very long time and a lot of training for soldiers to be able to recognise the slight differences in armour between ranks. It had led to several amusing misunderstandings and cases of mistaken identity amongst the Guard in the past. One notable general still hasn't lived down the time he was mistaken for a gay captain in his younger days. Seven centuries ago.)

The Guard Captain removed his helm and inclined his head with a short bow in greeting to the Harpy, "It is a pleasure and honour to greet the emissaries of Vos Valkear and welcome them to Adriand," he said formally, "His Majesty Erisad Silverbrow, First of His Name, Lord of the Firstborn and of the Taemiri Bloodline, King of Terel'Liren and Her Dominions likewise extends his warmest greetings and welcome to you," he smiled slightly, "We have been instructed to render you all aid in hastening your journey to the capital. His Majesty is ever welcoming of those who would open the hand of friendship to Terel'Liren."

He turned aside and gestured to one of his soldiers, "Open the gate, Guardsman. We do not ant our honoured friend down there waiting outside for too long," he turned back to the Harpy, "Please make your way to the Citadel. The huge fortress with the big tower with the glowing bit on top. Can't miss it," apparently dry humour was endemic in Terel'Liren, "The Archduke Duamutef Adhar, Guardian of the East and Lord of both the Aedrimar Bloodline and this city, will receive you there. All of the hospitality of the House Adhar is extended to you and your companion for however long you reside in the city, and the hospitality of his vassal lords is likewise extended to you on your journey to the capital. Your route will likely only pass through Salisia and Aldareth, though Aldareth is part of the Heartland and is thus under the direct dominion of the King and so his hospitality is enforced there."

The Gate of the Dawn Arising swung open to admit the Hobgoblin below into the empty expanse of the killing field that lay between Adriand's outermost walls.

(Technically they're not vassals per se, but rather royally-appointed administrators chosen from amongst the Lesser Houses, who are under the direct supervision of the Four Archdukes [the only truly hereditary nobility in the Kingdom, the Duchy of Amra excepting) and the Lord Chamberlain. It's more like quasi-vassalage really. Trust me to make the political system overly complicated)

Vothyl Syl

Erisad nodded, "Ordinarily this would be true, however not all of them would be aware of which type of ivory the items are made of and so they would still be regarded as valuable to some extent.Indeed, since the trade in raw ivory and horns is banned and forbidden it actually would increase the worth of them in certain circles; the items would be a rarity since there is no longer any supply of materials to make them and that always increases prices. The fact that the material itself is forbidden... well unfortunately that has an allure of its own. I can not punish them for owning items of an ivory which was not illegal when the items were made and purchase, nor can I take these legitimately purchased items from them without compensation. To do otherwise would be an abuse of my power, tyranny, a violation of their rights. I am quite aware that, however much my crown is granted to me by blood and tradition and divine right, ultimately the power of the king comes from his people. I only rule here whilst the people suffer it to be so. To delude myself otherwise is to become nothing more than a petty tyrant. My son is of age now and should I abuse my powers as king he is well within his rights, and the nobility in theirs, to depose me and put him in my place and well it should be so."

Emerielle took up the talk of the trade routes again, "Then we shall begin immediately. Lord Chamberalin, as you are in charge of the affairs of the Royal House, would you please send for Lord-Commander Shahir? He will need to coordinate with the Lord-Captain of the Citadel Guard in Der'Morlain in order to have the army sent forth to construct these roads and waystations."

Banton gave a short bow, "As you command, Majesty, it shall be."

Whilst the Lord Chamberlain set about contacting Moralin and getting the gods-awful amount of paperwork this was going to involve shorted (I'm sure you can tell by now just how much work the poor man gets on his desk) Erisad frowned thoughtfully at the mention of the maps again.

"Hm, well if you are giving us these updated maps then I see no reason to refuse them. It is a costly endeavour to map such a region as Vothyl Syl anyway. I thank you for your kindness and generosity, ambassador," he said with an incline of his head in thanks.

Archaia

Kind Erisad nodded, "I am sorry we can not help more, but Terel'Liren cannot be seen to interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. It is not our place nor our way to do so. Archaia must deal with her own problems... only if your king meant to threaten Terel'Liren would we be moved to action."

Overt action. Such instability in the North was unacceptable. If the Archaians could not talk sense into their king or be rid of him then perhaps more subtle means would have to be deployed. Still knelt before the throne Sekhmet caught the King's eye and gave a subtle nod. The Shadowwalkers were ever at his disposal. If it was his will, King Gahlerek would choke on his own blood before the month's end. Sekhmet would send some agents to keep an eye on the Mad King of Archaia and make ready any last resorts.

"Banton, please inform Magus Lumiel that we will have need of his skills. Heka Lumiel is my Court Magus," Erisad explained to Marah as the Lord Chamberlain murmured to a nearby page-boy to get a message sent off, "He is not the most powerful of my Magi, nor is he an expert in every single field of thaumaturgy that we know of, but he is one of the best generic Magi, one who has not specialised himself. To be Court Magus you must have a little bit of knowledge in all realms of magic."

Ahn'Kahet

The jolt surprised him, but he barely reacted to the sudden sharp pain other than a tightening about his eyes, "Ah... a warning would have been nice, Grey," he said dryly, "hough I should have expected something like that... people should as you tend to be inimical to most forms of true life. Think nothing of it," Of course his Court Physician would get all paranoid and insist on checking him for malignant, hidden magic and the like from that jolt but that was his job to worry over such things. Talian was pretty sure Grey wouldn't do something like that. He was here on a mission of peace after all.

The Archduke chuckled, "I suppose you could just send our dead soldiers back to fight us... assuming there are corpses for you to desecrate in such a manner. Terel'Liren does have her protocols and contingencies for dealing with such magicks," he shrugged "As for what they would have seen, to be able to panic the unfearing... well it is not something they talk about much as I'm sure you can understand. Just whispers and nightmares. Even mindless, dead things can be taught to fear with the right... persuasion."

Talian shook his head, "Oh, and even if you could destroy our bastions and drown us in a tide of undeath that is no reason not to come to peace talks first... what better way to destroy a nation than through guile and cunning? To offer the hand of peace before the fist of war? Brute force has its place, but it is a crude and inelegant methodology and one that is more costly too. Better to expect everything than act based on assumptions. Though I suppose that is somewhat hypocritical since many of my advisers seem to assume that Ahn'Kahet ultimately wants to subvert and destroy us all. The rather blatant 'death to the living!' rhetoric of your ruling council is not exactly conducive to a warm welcome for their emissaries."

As he led Gray into the Citadel of Rimni itself, passing through wide halls and narrow corridors, statues and stained glass windows and paintings and murals, places of opulence and luxury that could easily be turned into defensible locations or places to easily move troops from one place to another, Talian spoke again, "Terel'Liren is ever open to trade and co-operation with other nations... but an alliance? Hm... alliances are not a thing we enter lightly. Come back in a six or seven centuries and, if Ahn'Kahet is still around and hasn't begun some dark crusade of undeath against the living kingdoms, then we might speak of alliance."

He grinned, "As for our Gift, it is indeed a most useful thing. I myself trained it for diplomatic and political purposes; seeing the hidden subtleties and values of things, the connections between what a nation asks and what it wants... many applications. It also helps that I pick up new languages rather easily. The other Gifts are quite useful as well. The Gift of Just Rule of the Taemiri and the Gift of Wisdom of the Aunidiel spring to mind... and the Gift of Strength of the Moralinri too of course. The Gift of Crafts of the Pelenim is rather self-explanatory and the Gift of Heart from the Aedrimar is certainly one of the most undervalued."

(Sorry about the late reply, I was waiting to see if anyone else would respond and my browser's been acting up!)

Archaia

Court Magus Heka Lumiel, High Magus of the First Circle of the Tower of the Silver Lorus, approached Marah and gave a stiff bow. He was dressed in flowing robes of fine linen dyed blue and silver with trimmings of gold, his fur was cream with white markings and his eyes were bright blue. In his hand was a polished staff of oak with traceries of silver decorating its length and a faintly glowing crystal capping it, "Honoured emissary of Archaia," he said formally, "Their Majesties have placed me at your service... I understand that you wish to relay a message back to your homeland?"

Vohyl Syl

Emerielle smiled warmly and nodded, "We appreciate your help in the matter. We will ensure that the waystation we have constructed will be properly warded against the weather in your lands. As for the weather beyond Vothyl Syl... it is much milder and warmer as you noted, there are no blizzards or many dangers to face other than the occasional storm. However besides wind and rain and a little lightning there should be no trouble for your people. I will have our scholars send the relevant information to you."

At their question of a drought the two monarchs glanced at each other in confusion, before Erisad blinked and laughed "Drought? Not that I am are of, unless my advisers have been keeping things from me?" He glanced around the court, but no one said a word. He shook his head, "The weather has been fair. Terel'Liren has very mild weather, we get a lot of rain in the winter and occasionally snow, but not all that much in summer. Vothyl Syl is wetter than our land, and obviously a great deal colder. It gets worse further south, there is even a desert in the region of Ahn'Kahet I believe where it does not rain for months or even years at a time and it is... very hot. I would advise a great deal of caution to any of your people travelling that far south, even we find it uncomfortable, even life-threatening without sufficient water and shade and we are used to greater temperatures than your kind."

(That's okay, I've been quite inactive myself due to computer troubles which should be resolved this weekend. I'm hoping to get back into the group properly with RP but I've missed a lot so i'm not sure what to do on that front)

Daryn was allowed through the great gates of Oberoth without much fanfare after his identity was confirmed by one of the guardsmen on duty there. The streets of the most ancient city in the world were thronging with peoples of many nations, though of course the Terelains dominated here in their ancestral city. The great markets of Oberoth were a crossroads of trade and exotic goods from all corners of the expanse were bought and sold here, from pottery to spices, from food to silk and incense. Through a city ringing with music and singing, past towers and palaces and temples ever grander and greater as he left the Lower City for the Upper until at last he came before the gates of the Royal Palace itself.

Gates of electrum and mythril and fine steel opened on his arrival to allow him past the Palace Wall, guarded ever-vigilantly by the silent, impassive Royal Guard with their enchanted armour of flexible plate and their long graceful spears and deadly curved khopesh swords. The palace gardens beyond the gate were extensive, featuring rare birds and plants as well as fountains and statues depicting gods or kings of old. The Palace itself was a vast interconnected series of buildings in which the governance of the Realm took place. It was truly a vast complex, once having been the heart of an empire far more vast than the small remnant that was the Second Kingdom.

At the steps leading up to the main palace building he would be met by officials in the king's own livery who would usher him through grand halls filled with friezes and paintings and relics of a bygone age. The processional way leading towards the Throne Room itself was lined with statues of the great kings and queens of the Terelain nation; here Telar the Unifier who had ruled for a thousand years and founded the Second kingdom before vanishing forever into the Shadow of Nias Thineral. There Tlarik I Lightningspear who had ended the most terrible period of civil war in the Second Kingdom's history and defeated Bahra the Dark Apostle at the end of the Second Age. On and on the images of ancient rulers went, staring down upon all who came before their descendant with stern gaze, though here and there were enigmatic smiles and dancing eyes that bespoke of slightly less intimidating rulers.

At last he would be brought into the great Throne Room itself, announced by a herald with a clarion voice and the loud boom of a ceremonial iron staff striking stone. At the far end of the great hall upon a raised dais sat enthroned the King and Queen themselves, circlets of electrum and glittering jewels upon their brows and robes of costly silks dyed deep purple - the colour traditionally allowed only to emperors - as well as symbols of their office. Emerielle the Fair held in her hand a sceptre on top of which was a flawless jewel that seemed to flicker with its own inner light. Erisad Silverbrow had laid across his lap an ornate sword seemed to be cast out of pure silver with Ancient Terelain glyphs of gold down the blade and a pommel-stone of pure lapis lazuli on the hilt.

Just beneath the monarchs, only two steps down from there thrones, sat a finely carved but understated wooden chair where sat a brown-furred Terelain male in a crown of iron and golden chains draped over his neck, displaying the Royal Seal as well as the Crest of the Royal Household, the Coat of Arms of the Royal City of Oberoth and numerous other emblems. This was Banton, Lord Chamberlain of the Household, Chancellor of the Great Council and Governor of the Royal Demesne.

Apart from the Lord Chamberlain and Their Majesties the hall was empty of anyone except for the two guards at the door at the other end of the hall and the four guards that attended to Their Majesties. Even the herald and the servants had departed.

Erisad spoke as soon as Daryn had bowed seven times before him as was ancient Terelain custom for an envoy from an independent nation, rather than the seven times and seven times that was demanded from vassals and subjects, "It has been some time since last We welcomed an envoy of Archaia into Our hall. We were pleased to hear that the troubles besetting your lands were resolved with speed and that order has been restored with the deposition of the Mad King. When you return, convey Our congratulations on the accession of Our brother king and our continued good will towards the Kingdom of Archaia... now that is out of the way, pray tell Us what has brought you to fair Oberoth? The missive sent before you seemed most urgent in tone."

Daryn's explanation is met with respectful silence until his tale is finished and his request is laid bare. Erisad frowns slightly, looking thoughtful, "You are asking us to aid in the overthrow of another kingdom, these... Cil'Naia I think would wish to return control over the isle of Archaia and that means the conquest an destruction of the establish kingdom and a new Cil'Naia polity established in its place... and what of the Archaian people? Would they be displaced elsewhere? Would they be accepted into this new polity and would they allow themselves to be subject to these Cil'Naia? Archaia is if not an ally then at least not an enemy of the Second Kingdom. Why should the Lion Throne support those who would overthrow it?"

Emerielle nodded, "And then, of course, there is the matter of how other nations would view this. Terel'Liren has maintained neutrality in international affairs for a very, very long time. It is a policy that has served us well for centuries. To directly aid in the overthrow of a sovereign state... you can imagine the reaction. How long before these meddlesome felines move to overthrow us? How soon until they start allying with our enemies? How soon until the Battlemagi come forth with the Blademasters beneath the High King's Banner? These are questions that many of those nations on our borders would ask. We have allowed them to live, unopposed and free of interference, for millennia in lands that were once our own. Many have forgotten that these lands you stand now within are put a pale remnant of a once-great empire. How long will it be after we destroy Archaia before the other peoples begin to fear that we might wish to reestablish borders lost to us since the Second Era?" she shook her head, "You would rouse a giant with this plea. It has been millennia since we have come forth in our true strength. I do not think you know what you ask."

"That is not to say that aid can not be lent in other ways. There are quite a few mercenary captains who have... special sympathy for Their Majesties. The Kingdom will not march for the sake of the Cil'Naia but if their reclamation of their homeland is of some benefit to the Crown then... well, you might be able to hire quite a force. Perhaps even at a discount," This was said by Alerios Banton, the Lord Chamberlain, eyes sparkling, "Nothing to do with us, of course. Those mercenary companies might have a few recruits from the Army here and there for the younger Moralinri to vent their warrior passions in places other than here but boys will be boys."

Erisad glanced at Banton, "Hm..." his eyes slid back to Daryn, "To gain such support from the mercenaries it might be... advantageous... if they knew why it would be of benefit to this kingdom that the Cil'Naia, rather than the Archaians should rule in those lands. That they were first there is little to sway them to such a cause. If it were such an overwhelming justification then there would be significantly fewer kingdoms in The expanse today and a far, far larger Terel'Liren. In the time of Archaia's need i sent aid to ensure the stability of a friendly nation and the overthrow of a dangerous force that could eventually threaten my own people in the future. Here, it is rather the oppiste. You ask that we should overthrow a friendly nation in return of uncertain gains. that our aid will be remembered if you win and wrest Archaia, and possibly raise the ire of other kingdoms nearer to home. I do admit I am curious to see if you have anything to bring to this discussion more concrete than a promise of one alliance for the breaking of another."

After the Achaian left, Erisad glanced to the Lord chamberlain with a slight disapproving expression, "You all but told him those mercenaries are a covert arm of the royal army. Perhaps next time you should be more subtle, Banton."

Alerios shrugged, "They can go looking for evidence of that, but you'll find I never directly stated any such things... and besides we both know that the mercenary companies are nothing to do with the Royal Army. Officially."

"Yes, officially," the king said dryly, "And yet so many of our young officers are former mercenaries... and so many of our mercenaries are former soldiers of the army. Curious, that."

Banton merely smiled.


The sudden arrival of the Cil'Naia would be met with some surprise by the guards stationed at the gates of the city. Though the gates were open and crowds of travellers and merchants and the like flowed freely in and out of this, the (to the Terelains at least) greatest city in the world, they were also keeping a close eye out for potential trouble.

His papers would be examined by the ranking officer on duty, and once he had established their legitimacy he would have this new emissary escorted up to the Royal Palace. By the time they had arrived word would have already reached the Palace and preparations to accommodate him would have been made. A few irritated nobles whose audiences with Their Majesties had suddenly been rescheduled murmured darkly in the corridors about what the kingdom was coming to, and back in Maelin's day this never would have happened and did you hear the rumours about the King's son?

Like Darryn before him, Vashta was shown into the serene presence of Their Majesties in their throne room and like before the guards would all withdraw except for the ones stationed before the Dual Thrones and as ever Alerios Banton sat in his chair lower down the dais, inscrutable.

"Your presence before Us was most unexpected, Emissary. We completed our audience with your countryman little more than an hour ago. It is most unusual that a nation should send two ambassadors, one after the other, and inform us of neither coming. Is this now the fashion of the courts beyond the mountains or has the recent troubles in Achaia caused them to forget their courtesy to a brother king?" Erisad asked, eyebrow raised, "Such unannounced visits play havoc with one's scheduled meetings with advisors and petitioners."

(They were basically saying to Darryn that the Royal Army can't be sent to intervene openly, but that the mercenary companies could be used to unofficially nudge the war in his favour if it were in Terelain interests, since the lines between the merc companies and the actual Royal Army tend to blur in places. The merc companies are often used unofficially to give Terelain soldiers actual combat experience without requiring the Kingdom itself to be at war. You tend to find that most members of the Royal Army have at some point or another done a stint in the Companies, it's just that the Terelains are very careful about maintaining plausible deniability in these matters.It can be difficult to tell what contracts these Companies take merely for profit and which ones, if any, might be encouraged by the Kingdom to influence foreign conflicts)

Erisad's expression turned grave as Vahta explained the situation, "I see, a most serious accusation. Terel'Liren is not in the business of overthrowing sovereign realms, as we explained to Darryn. The Royal Army will not march to war at the behest of any foreign power to their own gain. Yet, the maintenance of Achaia's sovereignty and peace in the north would be more beneficial than the fall of that realm. This present somewhat of a quandary, for Terel'Liren is a neutral nation and we have built upon that neutrality to our benefit. Since we favour no one nation over another nor do we entangle ourselves in military pacts we have ensured that, even if we are not viewed favourably amongst our neighbours they can at least be assured we shall not side against them. you can imagine the benefits to trade and to diplomatic relations this can engender. We would be reluctant to abandon this neutrality by intervening in a sovereign realm... unless, of course, the sovereign of Achaia asked for our direct aid in this matter."

Emerielle glanced towards the Lord Chamberlain, "This Darryn should still be in the city, seeking mercenaries that might aid him in his war. If what you say is true, we could send agents to dissuade these companies from accepting Darryn's contract. If he plots treason against Our brother king then we might go one step further than this. He would not be expecting us to seek his arrest. We could have Darryn seized to stand before us. If you speak the truth and he is a traitor against the sovereign crown of Our brother then he will of course be given over to Achaian hands. It would be rather unfortunate should the resources of this nation be used to topple another sovereign land."

Erisad frowned slightly at this request, expression thoughtful, "and why would you not wish Us to apprehend Darryn now? Surely if he is captured and given over into the hands of the Achaians then his insurrection would fail before it even began without risk of loss of life or damage to the land from even a brief rebellion. It would be a simple matter too, he would not expect it and Our agents are... well, long life breeds experience."

"Not that we have any such people. Officially speaking," Banton said with a slight smile, "but warning the Mercenary Companies off is a simple task. I will have word sent presently to inform the Great companies of the Crown's displeasure should they march into Achaia," he said, already writing out a missive on some parchment with his quill.

"I am rather surprised that Achaia allows this man to walk freely given that they evidentially know of his treacherous intent... perhaps it is a political move, to identify and purge potentially hostile and treacherous elements within the Isle?" Emerielle asked, "Clever but a somewhat risky move. Many will die in such a revolt."

Erisad frowned slightly, "Fear of him hearing? You have very little faith in the security of my palace. I assure you that there are few places in the world safer from spies than this throne room, not only are there enchantments in place to defend against that sort of thing but it is quite forbidden for unsanctioned spies to operate within the Palace. My own agents would deal with such people quite harshly if they were discovered."

The Terelains had a few odd cultural quirks in regards to spies and suchlike. The fact that one could spy on the Royal Family if they were sanctioned for it was but one small example of how oddly they handled things like that.

Once Kel was gone, Aleriod Banton, Lord-Chamberlain of the Royal House and Duke of Oberoth, would send the missives to all of the Great Companies so that they would not lend their soldiers to Darryn's campaign. Moreover the Kingdom's own agents would keep a close eye upon Darryn, closer than usual for any foreign envoy in their lands at least. The situation in Achaia obviously bore watching and a careful eye would be turned north for some time. Only time would tell whether or not the Second Kingdom would have to intervene in the dispute much as they were loathe to. If it came to it Achaia's monarchy might just find some of the Great Companies of the Terelain Mercenaries offering their services to them to aid in the event of civil war.

Terel'Liren would never officially intervene in the affairs of a sovereign state unless explicitly requested to do so. Officially.

The great Citadel of the Dying Sun sitting upon the Morlan Pass, was ancient beyond the reckoning of most of the kingdoms of the world, it's first stones laid before even the fabled Elder Days had dawned. Walls high and thick barred the passage through the mountains and towers that had stood watch for tens of thousands of years soared gracefully into the air. Every level of the city above was greater and mightier than the last, walls higher and thicker, towers taller, defenders ever more terrible in their power and resolve.

Der'Morlain was a city with but one purpose and that was evident even in the colourful pennants and banners that decorated her ancient bastions. The Crowned Tree and swords of the Second Kingdom where present, of course, but besides them at every point was the red shield of the House of Morlan, surrounded by six stars representing the Six bloodlines of the Children of Terel and emblazoned upon the shield was the flowing cursive script of High Terelain (Imagine a mix of Arabic and Sanskrit) that recited the ancient creed of the Moralinri bloodline:

Os Ilir, Falyara
Os Utul, Lirua
Os Morendun, Ilir

In Peace, Vigilence
In Darkness, Hope
In War, Serenity

upon the battlements stood the Citadel Guard themselves. Helms and armour shone in the sunlight, seeming to wreath them in flame as they stood ever-watchful for threats from the frigid west. Spears, slender and graceful, rose besides them with blades burning and amongst them were archers with sharp eyes watching the approaching humans warily. Most of these men and women were darkly furred, the Morlainri Terelains, the Third Bloodline. Warriors raised from birth for defence of the Second Kingdom and all of the Children of Terel. Here and there were other fur tones - the earthy hues of the Aedrimar and the pale whites and creams of the Aunidiel. Most of these last had armour decorated with mystic sigils and strange weapons by their sides - mostly the sweeping crescent-blades Amran bladestaff but here and there other variants - serrated and hooked or thinner and less curved or a number of other variants. These were the infamous Battlemagi of the Aunidiel and their centuries-long training and studies of war-magic made them truly terrible foes to face on any battlefield, and equally allies quite often worth a king's ransom to any lord or general that could gain their service.

Foreboding and grim though the walls and their defenders were - even with the elegant architecture of the Terelains on full display with the sloping walls and the soaring towers - the great gates of the outer walls were open, for the Kingdom and its surrounding regions were yet at peace and Der'Morlain was the only entrance into Terel'Liren from the West, meaning all travellers and traders coming in from that direction had to pass through the ancient home of the Morlalinri.

The arrival of these humans before the walls, few as they were, was met with little interest by the watchers on the walls. If they were spies, they were very poor at it and if they intended to besiege them then quite likewise unless they were immensely powerful Magi, and even then those so learned as that would not be so foolish as to ride up to the city gates. The shout from below, though, brought the full attention of the sentries on the gatehouse. One, leaned between two of the crenelations to get a good look at them, "He's in another castle. Come back on Thursday!"

The joke drew a sigh and a shake of his head from his companion on watch, "Ignore him, my lord. Private Kaliset has an unfortunate sense of humour. If you have business in our lands, then by all means pass through. His Majesty holds court in the city of Oberoth in the centre of our lands. Announce yourself to His Highness the Archduke Vykar Morlan, up in the Citadel. He will ensure you are provisioned for the journey if you have business with His Majesty. It is polite to go to the Citadel in any case and pay your respects if you are passing through His Grace's dominion. You are free, of course, to pass through Der'Morlain as you will but such a distinguished guest as yourself would offer insult to the House of Morlan if he did not at least make himself known to be in the city."

The guards on the wall glanced at each other, the less humorous ne was the one who spoke, "His Grace resides in the Citadel of the Dying Sun, you can't miss it it is the centre of the city," he said, gesturing to the great fortress rising above the outer walls and towers like a mortal-fashioned mountain of enchanted stone and ancient spellwork, festooned with towers, redoubts and fortifications. Despite the elegant architecture of the Terelains the fortress had no way of hiding its purpose. Even from this distance it could be seen that it would be nightmarish to assault its walls, almost every position on the towers and walls had two more nearby that could have archers and magi fire down upon it, every defence seemed to have another position easy to fall back to. It, and the city it stood watch over, was quite clearly intended to make any attacker pay in oceans of blood for every inch taken, that any invading force if it should ever miraculously capture the city would find it a hollow victory paid for in unnumbered lives.

The guard spoke again, "Just go to the main gate and announce yourselves, His Grace's steward will likely meet you there and arrange an audience with His Grace. We shall send word along before you so that your arrival will be expected, my lord,"