All the Strange, Strange Kingdoms - IC Thread

[Raz_Fox]

Raid gone Wrong

Lethan snarled in anger, before looking at Sharea and sighing. "Very well." He dropped the goblin and stepped back, sheathing his rapier. "Nevan! Get down here!"

"Just in time, boss!" Nevan backflipped from the goblin's wagon and landed at Lethan's feet.


Kobold Mines

"What this?" Several miners looked down into the hole they had excavated hunting for that elusive vein. "I think this tunnel, boss!" Krakiin shook his head. "How tunnel get down here? We not dig it!" "We better take this to boss!" "Oh yes, this goes to boss. This not good."

Spoiler

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A Veiian tunnel, methinks. Interesting...

[pingcode20]

Agakaan
Examination

The doctors examined the corpses and heads, and carefully checked for signs of decay. The pale skin was indicative of most Veiians, but also that of undead. The enbalming process, of course, was extremely crude, so it was easy enough to simply remove the enbalmed neck to check for decay.

Spoiler

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Report on how old the corpses are, please.

Then, they properly embalmed the bodies and reported on the state of decay in the bodies, before moving them to the chilled underground cold room.

Raid gone wrong

"Bah. Off with you, then. Your friend will be with you shortly."

Small Ear climbed back into the wagon, barking orders in goblin as he did. The guards waited for Lethan and Nevan to leave, before letting Sharea go.

[Greystone]

Examination

Only about 5-6 days old, but the embalming fluid has stopped decay.

Definatly NOT undead.

@Raz Fox

Ready to talk when you are

[LongVin]

Kobold Mines

Lindum - Veiian mining settlement.

The empy tunnel stretched far out, it was abandoned by the mining crews for not being profitable enough for Lindum an outlying town of the City of Shadows.

Further down the tunnel the sound of picks can be heard echoing against the stone as they chased thicker veins. Dozens of slaves from lesser races like Orcs and Goblins. Between their ranks patrolled whip weilding Veiian overseers keeping the slaves working and properly motivated. They had quotas to meet and they would meet them or else the savage creatures would pay in their blood.

[kopout]

Being Watched

A windowless lizard drawn carriage emerges from the darkness, the door opens and out comes a man dressed in the black and purple robes of a Magi "Will those who wish to enter the city of shadows please step on board"

Karel, Rassin, and Ursk, along with two other guards enter the carriage.

Mine, all mine
"Tr'a'g'rok'!" thought Kela. Monsters, tails told to children, but perhaps hear they where real. " We are not Tr'a'g'rok', we merely wished to learn about the builders of the mine " She said "If you have bean attacked perhaps we can help, If you tell us where you want to go we may be able to help you. "

[Raz_Fox]

Raid's Over

Lethan, Nevan and Sharea loped away from the caravan, Lethan snarling with restrained fury and Nevan supporting Sharea.

"We'd... better head back to the tribe."

They left quietly, leaving their dead behind them.


Over a Week later

Rhysanon and Dojan took their leave from Lucius the next day, telling him to stay in the grove and wait for a week. Surprisingly, Lucius found the berries growing in the grove to be edible and there was more than enough wild game to survive on if his own supplies ran out.

Eight days later, a tribe of Jaela descended upon the grove. Several scouts ran ahead, finding Lucius in the grove.

"You wish to see the Talin Gythaint, outlander?" The leader of the scouts was tall and almost human, but for his scales and vicious drake's teeth. "We will camp here tonight, and you may speak with the blessed one."

[Greystone]

Envoy

Lucius stood, then bowed "Very well"

[LongVin]

Being watched

The carriage wheeled around heading towards the city and slipping into the fog of the shadow veil. The carriage takes a round about route just in case the grund are trying to memorize the way. The path into Veii was only for Veiians to know.

The robed figure who greeted them in the carriage introduces himself in the common tongue of the world below "I am Master Donatus."

[kopout]

Being watched

The carriage wheeled around heading towards the city and slipping into the fog of the shadow veil. The carriage takes a round about route just in case the grund are trying to memorize the way. The path into Veii was only for Veiians to know.

The robed figure who greeted them in the carriage introduces himself in the common tongue of the world below "I am Master Donatus."

"Hello, Master Donatus." says Karel " My name is Karel and this is my associate Rassin. We would like to open trade relations with the Veii and possibly allow for the exchange of magical knowledge, I am led to understand that you have impressive magical facilities" she says with a polite smile.

[LongVin]

Meeting the Grund

The carriage forced its way down the streets of the city, outside the sounds of city life could be heard as merchants hawked their wares and people went about their daily business.

"You will not be able to find a people more gifted in the art anywhere else be it on the surface or the world below. We are always looking for more locations our traders can visit. What is it do you have to offer?"

[Febreezium]

Armalen Countryside

That With No Role looked carefully at the former-King and smiled. "Ah, it is a wish made with black magic! This understands; your nation hopes to live forever. Lofty..."

No Role stretched and stood up to its full height of eight feet. It fluttered its wings and scratched its thorax. "This must consume. Do you want to share?"

It places its hands on the ground and concentrated. A small apple tree, barely two feet tall, appeared between the four limbs.

No Role reached down and picked out a handful of tiny, green apples, eating them with a wince. It then gestured that the former-King should feel free to have one.

[pingcode20]

Agakaan
Pickup

Three days later, when Lady Regenisis returned, a different clerk was at the desk (a difficult feat to actually discern - many gremlins looked very similar to non-goblinoids, and barring distinctive facial features, they were often mistaken for one another. Co-workers tend to catch on eventually, though).

"Lady Regenisis, I presume? Your receipt, please."

Various Happenings with Ironhold Trading

Only a few weeks after Regenisis' claim was processed, the Ironhold Trading office had an entire face of its walls covered in tarpaulins, and coated goblinoids rapidly became a ubiquitous sight in the open markets, presumably out on the hunt for bargains. Every now and again, they would jot down something on their clipboards, and ask a question or two, before moving on.

Spoiler

Show

What are the commerce laws of the Ebon Hills?

Failed Raid

Small-Ear humphed to himself, and motioned for the driver to move on. He had no love for bandits and raiders - if they wanted to use force, they would only get force back.

[Greystone]

Pickup

Regenisis holds out her receipt quietly.

Various Happenings with Ironhold Trading

Every Item sold, including the Iron Trading Companies, has a tax set on it that goes to the Black Diamond Mercenary Company coffers. The prices are average, but a good portion of it does go to the Company itself. Goblins may notice that their purchases cost slightly more than the norm.

[Johel]

(Johel, will you answer Regenisis?)

((Sorry, a lot to deal with and it was late...))

Faith must spread : Ebony Hills

"-Well, this world can exist, my child. All it needs is people ready to work at it. I understand that your people prefer not to associate to our projects for now. Nevertheless, I'll ask the Doctor if the Clergy can purchase a few houses in this city, as well if the Order of the Dove, a sisterhood of the True Faith, can open a temple.

I guess a land full of mercenaries would find the help of healers useful. Freedom of religion and speech in exchange for the help of the Order of the Dove, this should be acceptable, don't you think ?"

Spoiler

Show

1% of believers per turn in exchange for access to White Magic.
Not a large access to begin with, but this will increase as your population convert. To reflect this, adapt slowly your local politic to the True Faith philosophy.

Spreading the Faith

The mayor listened carefully - or, if he wasn't, he was at least making an impressive show of it.

"It is quite the dream." he said, nodding. "I can't help but recall, though, that Federation Traders have never been allowed into Rivan. Why is that? Truth, and Common sense?"

Faith must spread : Agakan

The cardinal blushed.
"-I'd say racism. And it makes me sad, trust me, but not all goblins are as civilized as your citizens. And this cause many among my people to see this race as the negation of what we are working for...and as a threat. But maybe we could change this if you accepted to work with us.

When returning home, I'll do my best to guarantee safe passage to goblin traders, provided they bear a certificate from you. In exchange, what about letting the Order of the Owl, a brotherhood of learned monks who believe in the True Faith, settle a temple in your city ?"

Spoiler

Show

1% of believers per turn in exchange for access to Grey magic and Water magic (that's world magic but specialized on water).
Not a large access to begin with, but this will increase as your population convert. To reflect this, adapt slowly your local politic to the True Faith philosophy.

[Greystone]

Faith must spread : Ebony Hills

"Well, we'll let you in, but I can't guarantee the amount of faith you'll get"

Spoiler

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Eh, prob. not. Maybe in any normal civvies still around, but the mercs like their job too much as a whole, even 1% is stretching it

[Johel]

Faith must spread : Ebony Hills

"-Oh, don't worry about it. We must try, whatever the odds. That's the only way to achieve our dream one day. And even if we can't inspire faith, nothing prevent us to change the current values. It will take time but, as I've already said, the Clergy is in no hurry."

Spoiler

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...I think you misunderstood. I'm not asking for recruits. Just that 1% of the population believe in the True Faith and try to live by its philosophy.

For the Doctor, it just means to avoid contracts with "genocide" painted in red letters and to provide basic services to your population (steady improvement of Economy and Arts) rather than spending everything in weapons and military technology.

In exchange, you get "white magic" items and, when your population will be faithful enough, the unilateral assistance of the Theocracy. I can throw the Water magic as well but I'll rather give it than trade it.

[pingcode20]

Agakaan
Pickup

The clerk takes the receipt, and rummages through a stack of files.

"Mmm... It says here that we should hold the bodies for another two weeks before releasing the bounty, since the doctors found something that required further investigation."

Scribbling out another receipt, the clerk gave Regenisis a new one.

"This receipt verifies that our doctors have found no appreciable signs of decay on the bodies, and that the bounty will be released in two weeks. No further cost will be incurred to you at this time."

Various Happenings

The goblins didn't buy anything - they simply browsed and questioned. That all the prices were average across the board was suspicious in and of itself - it was rank with the stench of a regulated economy.

Instead of conducting any business, they simply browsed, watched, and documented.

Spreading the Faith

"Now there's an idea, Cardinal. As you may already know, Kulius*, the council has recently passed an initiative requiring all the city-states of Agakaan to undergo large-scale beautification. The details, of course, were allowed to local city councils."

Longtooth opened a drawer and produced a large map of Johara, with a number of sections marked out in grey, labelled in goblin. He pointed at a largish one.

"Our particular plan includes a cathedral to be built right here, to form the hub of our new arts district. However, we are still in discussion regarding which religion we should allow to establish their temple there."

Then Longtooth leaned forwards, putting his elbows over the map.

"Before I offer to allow your faith to establish this cathedral, you must understand how we, as a people, have arrived at this point. As you say, for much of history, goblins have been a savage, brutal race. Considered monsters by much of the world, goblins have been cut down by the thousands wherever they have been found. We have allied with anybody who seemed to possess strength, for no other reason but to survive. Survival. That was the name of the game. If ten soldiers attacked a hundred goblins, who would win? The soldiers. Even the kobolds had their elaborate lairs to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies - we had nothing. Every home we built, torn down. Every fledgling nation, destroyed in war. Numbers saved us only by allowing more to escape from each brutal devastation. Now, this has all changed."

Longtooth opened the top drawer of his desk, and took out a weapon. It was a firearm - carefully built and charged with magic. He placed it on top of the desk, closing the drawer again.

"Tell me, what is this?"

*Or was it Kurius? It seemed to change. Better not to ask, kuriusity killed the cat, after all.

Spoiler

Show

No deal on that one. Agakaan already has World and Grey.

[Johel]

((... I like the pun . Ok, let's say Kulius.))

Faith must spread : Agakaan

The cardinal looked confused. He put an hand on the mysterious device and began to look at it more closely. Was it some kind of pipe ? Maybe these goblins were even more evolved he had thought if they were able to build such a marvelous music instrument.

"-Archdeacon Raffil, what do you think ?"
A old but enthusiast adept advanced his chair. As a member of the Cloud Order, his task was to inspire dreams and to delight the minds. And so, like Kulius before him, the first thing which crossed his mind was...
"-A pipe ? Oh !!! And I've never seen anything so elaborated !! I could probably spent years on it, just to learn how deep and beautiful its sounds are !! Lemme try !!"He grabbed the "thing" with haste and brought the hollowed side to his lips, manipulating the "pipe" carelessly, like a child would have done with a new toy.

[Greystone]

Pickup

"What did they find" Regenisis asked casually while taking the receipt.

Faith must spread : Ebony Hills

Before Regenisis can answer Dr Kessel Unbara entered the room, decked in his Dark Blue lab coat "Ah, your the priests. I will allow you to stay in the land and attempt to convert my populace, but you will not get far"

Spoiler

Show

He will take genocidal contracts, they are good money. The regular Mercs and warforged just don't care, as per their job. You perhaps can impress 1% of the worker force

[kopout]

Meeting the Grund

The carriage forced its way down the streets of the city, outside the sounds of city life could be heard as merchants hawked their wares and people went about their daily business.

"You will not be able to find a people more gifted in the art anywhere else be it on the surface or the world below. We are always looking for more locations our traders can visit. What is it do you have to offer?"

"This is good. I am sure that the question of what is to be trade can be worked out by the merchants, as long as we make trade possible. In the meantime, allowing our people to come to you magical universities and the other way around could be beneficial to us both"

[pingcode20]

Agakaan
The Spice Faith must Flow!

Longtooth watched with slight alarm as the adept began fiddling with the weapon, plucking it from his fingers before he figured out how to actually trigger it. Even without the usual crystal at its head, it was still dangerous.

"Ah, best be careful. Ceci n'est pas une pipe." he said, gently, before setting it back down on the table.

"While music is a very fine aspiration, and I'm sure we can all agree that fine music is amongst the finest things to enjoy in the world, this is not a musical instrument. I am sorry to say that this is the pinnacle of the most deplorable practice. Archdeacon Casius would have recognised it immediately, I would warrant."

He shook his head sadly.

"It is shameful to think that this is responsible for our existence, but this was the invention that finally broke our cycle of extinction at the hands of others. It is cold, and indiscriminate. The mightiest knight is as the smallest child before its strength, and it is what has brought us here today. We gremlins alone created it, we alone can construct it, and we alone among all the goblin races succeeded in building a civilisation because of it."

"The power of this tool made it too difficult to simply destroy us. Quality of size, quality of sword, quality of armour - none of these made the slightest difference now that we had our weapons. And so, the people allowed us to live. And we lived. Johara was the first city that we ever had."

"I will not lie. The first generations of our cities were harsh, brutal affairs ruled by old, violent gods. But in time, the struggle to survive diminished, and more enlightened minds began to flourish more and more. Rule of the strongest cannot last when strength means nothing. But, we would just be a couple of cities, points of civilisation surrounded by hundreds of more brutal clans. It was only when the Black Lands fell that Agakaan could truly rise. Fearing that neighbours would be encouraged to try and sweep them away in the wake of the event, the goblin tribes rallied with our cities, and we became a nation, feared and reviled among our neighbours."

"Then, we did the unthinkable. We opened our doors. We welcomed others to trade. At first, it was simply a matter of playing nice with the goblin with the firearm, but in time, with sound policy and strict secularity, we have been able to carve our cities into centres of trade and commerce in the region - perhaps the foremost in the world at present. But at its heart, it is commerce and force which has bought civilisation for the goblins."

Longtooth finished his account of the history of Johara, and paused for a moment.

"That is who we are, as a people. Even now, we must rely on force for our own safety - your lands are a fine example; despite what we have achieved, still we need to rely on strength of arms to preserve our people. Understand that in your endeavours to spread your faith."

The mayor drew back, waiting for comments.

Delivery

The clerk looked at the memo.

"It doesn't say, I'm afraid. Just that something came up and they would need another two weeks to properly examine the bodies before the bounties are paid."

[Greystone]

Delivery

"Very Well, but I shall be back in two weeks"

[LongVin]

"This is good. I am sure that the question of what is to be trade can be worked out by the merchants, as long as we make trade possible. In the meantime, allowing our people to come to you magical universities and the other way around could be beneficial to us both"

'We normally do not allow outsiders to enter into the City of Shadows. But we can arrange for some of our Magi to go to your universities and advise your spellcasters."

[pingcode20]

Agakaan
Monitoring the Ebon Hills

The next two weeks were spent with the agents of Ironhold Trading keeping an ear to the ground, keeping in touch with as much as they could happening in the Ebon Hills.

Meanwhile, examinations continued behind closed doors.

[Greystone]

Monitoring the Ebon Hills

As far as any investigations go, nothing seems out of place in the Ebon Hills. Talks are made between clients, contracts are fulfilled. No Goblin is admitted deep in the Capital though so, nothing is known at what the depths hold.

[Raz_Fox]

Envoy

Lucius stood, then bowed "Very well"

The entire tribe arrived at the grove several hours after the scouts, quickly setting up tents made of hide, leather and silk. They integrated seamlessly with the natural grove, as if they had lived there for years in harmony with the animals and trees of the grove.

After most of the tents had been erected, three Jaela came over to Lucius. Their leader was a young Jaela maiden in diaphanous blue silk, carrying a black staff covered in gold and silver runes - she seemed nervous, and her eyes flickered away from Lucius's gaze. The second was a tall Jaela, with the common grey fur and prominent fangs of a lupine - he carried a sword at either hip, and walked with the dangerous grace of a trained soldier. The third could have been the leader's twin - but with flexible leather armor, ribbons of silk hanging off of her garb; she seemed confident and amused, though hanging back and letting the other two approach first.

As the tall soldier nodded at Lucius and the confident one started playing with an obsidian dagger, the maiden cleared her throat and addressed Lucius. "I was told that... you wished to, uh, speak with the Talin Gythaint about mercenaries. You may speak, warrior."

[LongVin]

@Raz, anything else happening in the Kobold mines?

[Greystone]

Envoy

Lucius stood and bowed deep. "I bring a message from the Black Diamond Mercenary Company, Ruler of the Ebon Hills. We offer any who hear this message aid, troops, or workers. We are honest and hard-working and are willing to do practically anything you require"

[pingcode20]

Agakaan
Two Weeks Later

Two weeks later, when Regenisis returned, the clerk seemed to be waiting for her.

"Welcome back, Lady Regenisis."

[Greystone]

Two Weeks Later

"I am here for my bounty" and she presented her receipt/