Empire 6: Mamut Round 10 Event - The Conclave in the North

[Silent_Interim]

Mamut has changed in the years since last a Thunspeaker invited leaders from other nations to attend a gathering in Thun. The second wave of attacks from beyond the mountain range to the West, and the discovery of the mysterious Crimson Kingdom, with its elusive Horned King, have all contributed to an atmosphere that could generally be described as "tense".

Not so in Thun, though. Indeed, by contrast Thun seems more relaxed than ever, as the new Thunspeaker has pushed for greater co-operation, exploration, and trade. This change, too, is reflected in the throne room where the gathering the Thunspeaker has called for is to be held. Since the last time it was opened to outsiders, the room has been decorated with a variety of tapestries and wall hangings in a variety of bright colours. There is no particular sense or design to the way they are arranged, rather draped scatter-shot across all the walls in the brightly-lit hall. In addition, windows have been carved, letting streams of sunlight in, and helping to keep the smoke from constantly-burning torches and fires to be slightly less choking. The back of the hall, with the throne and dais, is kept in shadow, not lit by sunlight or flames. The Warspeaker lurks by the foot of the dais, the flickering torchlight barely illuminating their hulking form, as they guard the long-empty husk of the former Thunspeaker, still and forever more in repose on their throne.

At the front of the room, Nithor kneels at one end of a large but low rectangular stone table, around which a variety of both seats and piles of furs have been strewn, for the comfort of those visiting. The table itself has food and drink laid out across it, within easy reach of all the guests. On Nithor's left, a young and pale woman lounges, introduced as Affel, one of Nithor's lovers. Why exactly she is here is not explained.

Nithor greets each guest as they arrive, led in by servants, and gestures for them to sit around the table, and to partake of the food and drink before them. Once everyone is settled in, they settle down to talk business.

[Miltonian]

Thorn arrives in Thun for the second time in his life, though this time with the official blessing of the Ko leadership. As the most acquainted of the Ko with military affairs, Zinnia had sent him with her blessing and the authority to speak for the Ko in this affair.

And so he sits in his place at the table and enjoys the food, though he does try to give the Warspeaker a nod of recognition. After fighting alongside him, he hopes for at least some form of acknowledgement.

The first order of business on his mind, however, comes quickly to his lips. He leans forward, over the table. "Alright, so I can't be the only one thinking it. Do we defend or do we attack?"

[Zayuz]

Kylisa reclines onto a pile of furs with a hard drink in hand, her tolerance of the cold a little bit lacking for one who lived so close to the snows. Swishing the liquid around in her cup, she glances up to the other taller members of the conclave with a worried expression. Her tone begets her hesitation to act against the Crimson Kingdom. A little bit of fear and a dash of complacency coat each word.

"My people have gotten as close to the Crimson Kingdom as any of them dare to, the omens have warned them to go no further. We don't know what stopped them from occupying the land beyond the pass before we arrived, and all the Sentinels will tell us is that they're good at killing things." She sighs.

"I have a mind to let the Uzi 'Protectorate' do the charging, and see how it goes. It is what they asked for when they named themselves something so pretentious, and none of our men would be dying for it."

[Aventine]

Before Business Begins...

Tšrãák gathers a large pile of food (looking for truffles in particular) and moves to settle in close to Kylisa. He seems entirely happy to split all of his attention between his wife and his little feast, mostly ignoring everything else for now.

With the king came two other Sọ́kǎu: the warrior and explorer Gọ̀uhrèi Sọró, and Lệikhèit Hràiyúik, a lanky teenager unlikely to be recognized by any of the other guests. Sọró grabs a drink for himself, but the two then slip away from the table to talk in a corner. The veteran hero is far more interested in events in the northeast than those in the west, while Hràiyúik is distracted by the strangeness of foreign lands in his first trip beyond Sọ́kǎu territory.

A while after the first three arrive, a fourth Sọ́kǎu shows up. Lọ̀plẹ̀ Džíuró, head of the only other tribe that currently could potentially rival Tšrãák's Sọ́gẹ and de facto ruler of [Region 52]. Showing up technically uninvited to make a point of his independence from Tšrãák's rule, he finds a seat as far away from his rival king as possible. Though he also cares more about Arrakh-Rah and the Executioners of [Region 66], he fully intends for his opinion to be heard by everyone present.

---

The Real Business

Gọ̀uhrèi Sọró comes back to the table, slouching back in a chair with his feet up on the table. As the early discussion quickly turns towards the Crimson Kingdom, he pulls out a knife and idly fidgets with it, waiting for the conversation to hopefully move on to matters he is more interested in.

The first order of business on his mind, however, comes quickly to his lips. He leans forward, over the table. "Alright, so I can't be the only one thinking it. Do we defend or do we attack?"

"My people have gotten as close to the Crimson Kingdom as any of them dare to, the omens have warned them to go no further. We don't know what stopped them from occupying the land beyond the pass before we arrived, and all the Sentinels will tell us is that they're good at killing things." She sighs.

"I have a mind to let the Uzi 'Protectorate' do the charging, and see how it goes. It is what they asked for when they named themselves something so pretentious, and none of our men would be dying for it."

"Killing blightspawn, my love. 'They fight the Blightspawn, and they kill them viciously. This is good.' is what I heard from the Sentinels. There does seem to be a difference between the Crimson Kingdom itself and the wild hordes gathered at its fringes.

"I would agree though, if the Uzii wish to rush in headlong and provoke the Horned King then that is probably good for us! We can see what happens while we prepare."

[Silent_Interim]

Spoiler: Thorn

Show

Thorn arrives in Thun for the second time in his life, though this time with the official blessing of the Ko leadership. As the most acquainted of the Ko with military affairs, Zinnia had sent him with her blessing and the authority to speak for the Ko in this affair.

And so he sits in his place at the table and enjoys the food, though he does try to give the Warspeaker a nod of recognition. After fighting alongside him, he hopes for at least some form of acknowledgement.

The first order of business on his mind, however, comes quickly to his lips. He leans forward, over the table. "Alright, so I can't be the only one thinking it. Do we defend or do we attack?"

At the back of the room, Tior gives no returning sign, but draws an axe from their belt, beginning to sharpen it against their arm.

Spoiler: Kylisa

Show

Kylisa reclines onto a pile of furs with a hard drink in hand, her tolerance of the cold a little bit lacking for one who lived so close to the snows. Swishing the liquid around in her cup, she glances up to the other taller members of the conclave with a worried expression. Her tone begets her hesitation to act against the Crimson Kingdom. A little bit of fear and a dash of complacency coat each word.

"My people have gotten as close to the Crimson Kingdom as any of them dare to, the omens have warned them to go no further. We don't know what stopped them from occupying the land beyond the pass before we arrived, and all the Sentinels will tell us is that they're good at killing things." She sighs.

"I have a mind to let the Uzi 'Protectorate' do the charging, and see how it goes. It is what they asked for when they named themselves something so pretentious, and none of our men would be dying for it."

Spoiler: The Sokau

Show

Before Business Begins...

Tšrãák gathers a large pile of food (looking for truffles in particular) and moves to settle in close to Kylisa. He seems entirely happy to split all of his attention between his wife and his little feast, mostly ignoring everything else for now.

With the king came two other Sọ́kǎu: the warrior and explorer Gọ̀uhrèi Sọró, and Lệikhèit Hràiyúik, a lanky teenager unlikely to be recognized by any of the other guests. Sọró grabs a drink for himself, but the two then slip away from the table to talk in a corner. The veteran hero is far more interested in events in the northeast than those in the west, while Hràiyúik is distracted by the strangeness of foreign lands in his first trip beyond Sọ́kǎu territory.

A while after the first three arrive, a fourth Sọ́kǎu shows up. Lọ̀plẹ̀ Džíuró, head of the only other tribe that currently could potentially rival Tšrãák's Sọ́gẹ and de facto ruler of [Region 52]. Showing up technically uninvited to make a point of his independence from Tšrãák's rule, he finds a seat as far away from his rival king as possible. Though he also cares more about Arrakh-Rah and the Executioners of [Region 66], he fully intends for his opinion to be heard by everyone present.

---

The Real Business

Gọ̀uhrèi Sọró comes back to the table, slouching back in a chair with his feet up on the table. As the early discussion quickly turns towards the Crimson Kingdom, he pulls out a knife and idly fidgets with it, waiting for the conversation to hopefully move on to matters he is more interested in.






"Killing blightspawn, my love. 'They fight the Blightspawn, and they kill them viciously. This is good.' is what I heard from the Sentinels. There does seem to be a difference between the Crimson Kingdom itself and the wild hordes gathered at its fringes.

"I would agree though, if the Uzii wish to rush in headlong and provoke the Horned King then that is probably good for us! We can see what happens while we prepare."

"I concur. At present, the Crimson Kingdom and the Horned King pose no direct threat to our collective interests, and if the Uzii provoke them, I see no reason to believe that it will not be the Uzii that bear the brunt of their retaliation. If the Horned King is content to leave us be, then I do not see any reason to strike at the Horned King."

"There are, of course, other matters to attend to. I believe there are already plans in place for the cleansing of the evil lurking in Arrakh-Rah, and I will, of course, make my Warspeaker available to assist. There is, however, the question of what comes... after."

Nithor drums their fingers on the table for a few moments. "I wish to ask for your blessing to have the Scrim spearhead an effort to re-occupy the city once the malevolent presence is cleared. Have you been to see those grand walls? I have viewed them only from afar, but let me tell you, it was once a grand citadel of civilization. Imagine what it could be if we rebuilt there. The guiding light of the Trinity, the resilience of my own people, in a place built with the wisdom of ancients. What a center of light it could be! Please, let me do this thing. It will be a thing of beauty!"

[Zayuz]

Kylisa nods along, stifling a laugh at the correction that the Crimson Kingdom has mostly tested its armies against the blight. The blight was less organized to be sure, but warriors hardened against such monstrosities would be slow to falter against armies of mere men. In fact, it might even be a boon to have them around if they would lend their might against such evils. Food for thought. She stays close to her husband and seems quite comfortable in his presence through their discussion. At the mention of Arrakh-Rah, she frowns a little bit and glances away. A troubled expression covers her face, and she finally sighs after a moment or two passes.

"You know that my men will be there with you to see the city purified, my most trusted champion will be leading the efforts with as many blessings as we can bestow upon him. It warms my heart that one way or another the faithful will once again hold my ancestral home, and I might be able to walk among its legendary streets I've heard so much about since birth." Her tone switches from reminiscent to one more guarded. "The line from the last Thalaz'ir of Arrakh-Rah to me is an unbroken one - by right of blood it should belong to my father or I. I would welcome any help in restoring the city, but I know not if I can grant it to you in full. Not only would my pride suffer a little bit, but my family and my people have... Expectations, you see? You and all the Scrimthun are worthy allies and custodians of the city, do not mistake my words, but I will need some time to consider with my father on what should be done about this. It is terribly far from our new home, after all, though even non-action would be enough to stir trouble in my courts."

When she finishes speaking she looks on with a sympathetic smile. Reluctantly, she adds: "My best idea would be to allow it to fall under Scrim protection, and you could spearhead the restoration as you desire - but one of my blood would serve as at least the regional ruler. As I said before though, I'll talk with my father. And my husband." She looks to Tšrãák and takes a nervous breath. As much as she wanted to assure her host that things would turn out alright between them, they were both aware of the people of Na'karat's zealotry, which her father currently ruled. If the church decided it should belong to them, they would be helpless to stop this from evolving into a crusade against their own ally. ...Not to mention, it was a great cause for war if they sought one. It happened that Kylisa felt she did not have much to gain for the risk and harm involved, but her well-loved liege and husband could always encourage another direction.

[Miltonian]

"I will assist in the city's purification as well," Thorn says, "The Ko owe our origin to your ancestors. In a way, they are ours as well. I will honor that, as much as I can."

He seems to accept Tior's response as the best he is going to get.

[Aventine]

"I concur. At present, the Crimson Kingdom and the Horned King pose no direct threat to our collective interests, and if the Uzii provoke them, I see no reason to believe that it will not be the Uzii that bear the brunt of their retaliation. If the Horned King is content to leave us be, then I do not see any reason to strike at the Horned King."

"There are, of course, other matters to attend to. I believe there are already plans in place for the cleansing of the evil lurking in Arrakh-Rah, and I will, of course, make my Warspeaker available to assist. There is, however, the question of what comes... after."

Nithor drums their fingers on the table for a few moments. "I wish to ask for your blessing to have the Scrim spearhead an effort to re-occupy the city once the malevolent presence is cleared. Have you been to see those grand walls? I have viewed them only from afar, but let me tell you, it was once a grand citadel of civilization. Imagine what it could be if we rebuilt there. The guiding light of the Trinity, the resilience of my own people, in a place built with the wisdom of ancients. What a center of light it could be! Please, let me do this thing. It will be a thing of beauty!"

As the topic turns to Arrakh-Rah, Tšrãák leans back, devoting his attention entirely to his wife and his food and muttering "Ah, this is Sọró's business now..."

Sọró, meanwhile, straightens up and puts his knife away, pleased that things have finally moved on to the reason he is here, though Kylisa is quicker to speak...

Kylisa nods along, stifling a laugh at the correction that the Crimson Kingdom has mostly tested its armies against the blight. The blight was less organized to be sure, but warriors hardened against such monstrosities would be slow to falter against armies of mere men. In fact, it might even be a boon to have them around if they would lend their might against such evils. Food for thought. She stays close to her husband and seems quite comfortable in his presence through their discussion. At the mention of Arrakh-Rah, she frowns a little bit and glances away. A troubled expression covers her face, and she finally sighs after a moment or two passes.

"You know that my men will be there with you to see the city purified, my most trusted champion will be leading the efforts with as many blessings as we can bestow upon him. It warms my heart that one way or another the faithful will once again hold my ancestral home, and I might be able to walk among its legendary streets I've heard so much about since birth." Her tone switches from reminiscent to one more guarded. "The line from the last Thalaz'ir of Arrakh-Rah to me is an unbroken one - by right of blood it should belong to my father or I. I would welcome any help in restoring the city, but I know not if I can grant it to you in full. Not only would my pride suffer a little bit, but my family and my people have... Expectations, you see? You and all the Scrimthun are worthy allies and custodians of the city, do not mistake my words, but I will need some time to consider with my father on what should be done about this. It is terribly far from our new home, after all, though even non-action would be enough to stir trouble in my courts."

When she finishes speaking she looks on with a sympathetic smile. Reluctantly, she adds: "My best idea would be to allow it to fall under Scrim protection, and you could spearhead the restoration as you desire - but one of my blood would serve as at least the regional ruler. As I said before though, I'll talk with my father. And my husband." She looks to Tšrãák and takes a nervous breath. As much as she wanted to assure her host that things would turn out alright between them, they were both aware of the people of Na'karat's zealotry, which her father currently ruled. If the church decided it should belong to them, they would be helpless to stop this from evolving into a crusade against their own ally. ...Not to mention, it was a great cause for war if they sought one. It happened that Kylisa felt she did not have much to gain for the risk and harm involved, but her well-loved liege and husband could always encourage another direction.

Tšrãák gives Kylisa a curious look, uncertain what exactly role he is supposed to play in this...unless she expects things to end up in war over an old, ruined city. War he can do. Seems a bit pointless, unless they're planning on claiming to be the successors of the old kingdom and hoping to get more respect and legitimacy from that. But plenty of feuds have started over less, so eh.

Sọró adds his thoughts, when an opening presents itself, "Land is almost meaningless. Dirt's dirt, and there's plenty enough to be found all over the place. It's what's in the city that really matters. A good raid-leader shares the spoils. Everyone involved gets rights to take what they can of whatever riches we find. That's essential. Y'all wanna fight over the dirt, go ahead. After I've got my loot to bring home."

"It won't come to a fight." Tšrãák cuts in, "Why would it? But if it does, there should be no doubt where I stand! But we are friends here, and can be reasonable.

"Sọró's right about the loot though. Shouldn't have been too much looting yet, if the place is haunted. Think of the treasures just waiting to be taken!"