Welcome to Gaia! ::

Welcome, Welcome! If you are viewing this page, then you are curious what exactly the Long War entails. The following posts will tell you everything you need to know about the past, present, and possible future of Ren, and also about those that will play a part in the final battles of a long-overdue victory in a war that has plagued the land for centuries.

Before you go on, I'd like to make note of this.



I also like to help people improve. As daunting as this is, I'm not really as judgemental as I appear. If you want to join but don't know if you can keep up, PM me and we'll work something out. I may choose to help you out with critiques and advice =3

Please take the time to read everything now, and when you are done, you may use the following profile sheet to create an original character, or PM me with your desire to take up one of my premades.

Important Note: I will not accept an original character until you take at least one premade. This way my premades get taken care of and people can bring in their own additions as well =3

Name (informal): Does not include last name and may include a nickname
Name (formal): Must include last name, if there is one.
Age:
Gender:
Species:
Appearance: May include a picture, but I expect a written appearance.
Hair:
Eyes:
Frame:
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks:
History: Don't need to know everything about a character's past, but a few important details that you don't mind sharing outside of the context of the roleplay are necessary to define your character within a profile. =3
Likes:
Dislikes:
Strengths:
Weaknesses/Flaws:
Relations, Extra Details: This is where you put clan affiliation, if any.
Controlled By: Your Gaia name here, please.

If you have any questions or concerns, PM me or if I'm on aim or msn, you can contact me there. I'm always open for communication, and if I'm not online when you send me something, I'll likely be back on in the relatively near future.

Thank you very much,



P.S: Py loves exchanging ideas for the roleplay, whether it be possible plot twists or new characters or anything, really, she's open to suggestions =3 Your input as a roleplayer is most valued! =D

Navigate this Page;

1. [Beware the Castle Moat] Welcome!
2. [The Laws of the Land] Rules
3. [Ren] The World
4. [Hail the Gods] Clans
5. [History of War] Background
6. [Great and Terrible Beasts] Dragons
7. [Lords and Ladies] Available Premades
8. [This is War] Character Profiles
9. [This is War, Let us Wage it] Closing Statement
10. [Chapter One: The Tides Change] The Beginning

Important: I thought it would be fun, since the rivers aren't named and there's room for more cities, that we could make up more as we go along. I can edit the map at any time and put up a new one as our adventures continue, and who knows, perhaps we can explore to the North, East, West, or even South? Who knows what new lands lay in wait ^^

Dead City of Hart: This was the site of the first battle of the Long War, at what had once been the capitol of all of Ren. It was destroyed, and because it was a geological center of magic as well, the souls that died there tainted this magic and now the place is cursed, haunted, and rather spiritually toxic to all who travel near it. This is not a welcoming place, but for those devout enough it is a place for contemplation about the future, and reflection on the past. This is also where Julien and Damien’s father suffered his death at the hands of an enemy bowman while out on a routine scouting mission.

Denou Fortress: The capitol of the Denou sect. Also the home of Bartholomew the Vengeful, and the single largest city in the Denou sect. This city is wrapped around the broad side of a lake, and has fortifications on six levels, each level attached by a series of gates that lead to the central building, the Castle Denou, where the king and his court live. The surrounding countryside is devoted to barracks for training soldiers of the Denou army as well as raising food for the sheer number of people behind the concrete walls of Denou Fortress.

Citadel Sonariah: The capitol of Sonariah. This is also the home of Damien, Julien, and Calypso, and one of the largest cities in Sonariah. This city is shaped like a sun, with the Castle Ariah in the middle, which is also circular in shape. The city is compact, but holds a great many people, while at the same time punctuated with greenery, fountains, and any manner of pleasantries that a capitol should need. Poverty is practically nonexistent the farther one gets in from the outer buildings, but generally the level of poverty is rather low in Sonariah. Julien ensures that those who need work find it, whether that be in working in the farms surrounding the Citadel or within the city for the numbers of artisans and crafters that thrived in the clean, life-abundant capitol of Sonariah.

Drask: A large city on the banks of the Drask Lake. People here are mostly trappers, fishers, or any variety of woodsmen come to rest from hikes in the North Forest and trapping missions. This became a trade town when it was discovered that there was gold in the hills of the Drask Lake, and ever since then (even though most of the gold had been mined by the military for some cushion in expenditure) it has remained a large, thriving city built by woodsmen and run by fat traders and aristocrats alike.

Millen: A large port in Sonariah. This town is known for its beautiful weather, seeing as a mountain range to it’s northwest protect it from the harsh winds coming from the Gulf. Also the currents surrounding the city offer a rather safe trade route to Port Dragoon and farther north to Peor and Ningan, although at this time Ningan is farther North than most Sonarians are willing to go.

Fort Rivett: A military outpost turned city after it continued to grow through recruitments from the surrounding countryside. It is still rather concentrated with military personnel, but it has garnered enough trade to attract some travelers heading farther North through The Vale and those heading West to Ningan.

Port Dragoon: The largest trading port in Sonariah. Strong currents carry ships far enough away from the Dragon-Breath Islands to make them comfortable going North, and the town also has access to inland currents that carry ships to Silla toward the end of the Dragon-Mouth Channel. This town is also known for cultural diversity, considering the sheer amount of trade it receives, many people from all over have passed through there in their lifetimes, and the different cultures have shaped this sprawling city.

Asher/Ash Mountain/Smoky Pass: Asher is a small city downwind of Ash Mountain, an active volcano that marks the edge and beginning of the Sonarian and Denou territories respectively. Asher is mostly just a place to catch a rest if you happen to be in the area, which isn’t likely since most avoid Ash Mountain and its nearly constant fury. The Smoky Pass is the fastest land route to the Denou territories, and is dubbed so because the winds from the Gulf of Winds blows the smoke of Ash Mountain into the pass, making it constantly a dim grey mass of fog, often treacherous.

Ithil Peaks: Somewhere in these mountains it is dubbed that the elusive race of elves have made their home, but the only things that leave the mountains are the banished or other foul creatures that the elves would not stand in their territory. Naturally these mountains are taboo, and are generally avoided by all but the most hardened travelers.

For those of you who seem to miss this point, the dragons in this roleplay replace horses.

As in the calvary will ride dragons. Yes, I know, so original.

It wouldn't be a fantasy roleplay without some classical fantasy element thrown in! I know, everyone loves dragons (and if you don't, please don't burst my bubble. Dragons are quite dear to me) and I figured they could find a place in the War somewhere =3

Those at the top of the list as marginally more common than those at the bottom of the list =3



This is a sea dragon, found mostly in the warm-water Southern Realm. They are raised on the Dragon-Breath Islands, along with a variety of other dragon species, by Burma, who sells them to whichever clan can afford them. Sea dragons are quite adept in the water, although they have amazing long-distance endurance on land. They cannot fly, but they can defeat any other dragon when in their natural element, the sea.

They range in coloring from soft blues to greens and occasionally white, to darker hues of blue and green. They are not likely to be foud in any other colors, considering the fact that nature intended for them to blend with the sea.



This is a mountain dragon, found mostly in the mountains of the Northern Realm, although they have been raised on the Dragon-Breath Islands as well. Mountain dragons cannot be matched in short-distance land speed, as they are born sprinters, and they are most adept in their normal rocky, craggy habitat. They cannot fly, but their superior speed, and resulting strength, gives them a great advantage over any other land-dwelling creature.

They range in color from dulls grays and browns to any variety of color, seeing as their habitat ranges over many-colored hills and mountains of the northern regions. There have been record of some oddly-colored dragons, but none have appeared in the current times.





This is a tame breed of sky dragon, found all over Ren, although most likely to be found near the peak of a mountain or hill, as close to the sky as they can get. They are also raised on the Dragon-Breath Islands. They can fly, and have great speed when in the air, but are incredibly awkward on land. Their main purpose is for quick traveling, but they are also employed for the use of airborne archers.

They vary in color from whites, grays, and light blues, and other colors are extensively hard to breed in these creatures, considering nature intended for them to be invisible when airborne.



This is a wild variety of sky dragon. They cannot be ridden, and refuse to be tamed by any human, even Burma with her extraordinary gift with the beasts. These wild species are responsible for many killed sheep and livestock, but other than being a general nuisance, they keep to themselves.

They vary in color from white to blue, and other colors are rare considering nature intended for them to be invisible when in the air.





This is a special breed of dragon, referred to as the Battle Dragon. They are used to pull giant war machines with catapults on them, but also to trample any that get in their way. They are quite large, and although they have wings, it takes a lot to provoke one of these brutes into flying. They are not as intelligent as the Sea, Mountain, or Sky species, but they make up what they lack in brains with tons and tons of strength.

These beasts vary in color much like the Mountain Dragon species, although the darker the color, the rarer the dragon. This is a Black Battle Dragon, supposedly with mysterious powers due to the unnatural shade of its hide. These appear periodically throughout history, and are met with either great fear or great reverence, depending on the circumstance and clan under which it was bred.

If any Black Battle Dragons exist at the moment, Burma has not been so kind as to inform any of her employers.

Important Note: Details regarding premades can be changed if the roleplayer undertaking them sees fit. All you have to do is ask OneCalledPyrin if the change is acceptable, and if it is, she'll change the profile for you =3




Name (informal): Nema
Name (formal): Nema Renai, Mercenary for Hire
Age: 25
Gender: female
Species: human, darkness elemental
Appearance: She generally wears dark clothing, due to her propensity to like all things dark. Considering the fact that she doesn’t necessarily like people, she never wears revealing clothing, but her outfits have been known to reach a near-skimpy area, or at least in her brother’s point of view.
Hair: short cropped and blood red. Hangs slightly lower than her jawline, and she keeps it short so she doesn’t have to tie it up
Eyes: deep green
Frame: Leanly muscular, but with a rather girlish figure
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks: black claw marks on each cheek, which her brother thinks it utterly ridiculous but she thinks they make her look more tough
Personality: She is occasionally hot-tempered, most often with her brother, but most of the time she seems rather withdrawn. She can be haughty and have a tongue with a swifter bite than a poisonous snake, but she is also known to kill without blinking, such is her dual nature that is afforded her by her brother and his infectious attitude of content.
History: Both she and her brother were born in a remote region of Sonariah; close enough to the Denou territories to be affected by both clans. They decided early on that they wanted no part in the war, but when their parents were murdered in a battle (which side killed them, they never found out) they decided to become mercenaries to try and discover who killed their parents. Even though she was raised in Sonariah, she gained an appreciation for the God Dinrei, while her brother praises Ariah.
Occupation/Job: Mercenary for hire for the clan that pays the highest
Hobby/Hobbies: Riding her steed (a dull-green dragon named Lenix), hunting, practicing darts, sparring with her brother, using her powers, whittling
Likes: Darkness, the moon, thunder, intricate objects (knick-knacks), daggers (especially shiny ones), her brother (sometimes), night, and (if the mood serves) chaos, destruction, and battle.
Dislikes: her brother (sometimes), daylight, white clouds (which means they won’t bring rain, and aren’t smoke, which means no battle for her to come across), Ariah, other bounty hunters who get paid more, people who lie to her and she can tell
Strengths: Her moderate abilities with darkness, a burning fire of passion and purpose she carries in the back of her mind with each mission she undertakes, her skills with small daggers
Weaknesses/Flaws: She often acts without thinking, causing her to make mistakes. She occasionally looses control of her darkness element. She sometimes forgets that her brother experienced the same things she did, and has a hard time grasping the fact that he is in essence her only ally.
Relations, Extra Details: Lucien is her brother and opposite, his abilities being the exact opposite of hers. Their opposite abilities augment each other and allow them to work well together, rather like the polar ends of a magnet, even though getting along for them in a social situation is something like trying to eat nails for breakfast, without milk. She was born in a small village south of Drask, but far enough south that it was in the Sonariah region. The village no longer exists because it was burned down in the battle in which their parents were killed.
Controlled By:


Name (informal): Lucien
Name (formal): Lucien Renai, Mercenary for Hire
Age: 29
Gender: male
Species: human, light elemental
Appearance: He wears bright, loosely fitting clothing all the time, and has a special attraction to flowing capes. He argues with his sister frequently about wearing bright clothing at night, since she thinks he’ll be seen, while he nags her about wearing dark clothes during the day when they’re walking out in the open. He also carries a white staff with him at all times, with a yellow topaz crystal at the top which amplifies his powers
Hair: wavy russet red, cut to the nape of his neck
Eyes: deep green
Frame: lithely muscular
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks: None
Personality: Quirky, at best, annoying, at worse. He can be rather mercurial, summoning up the anger he needs whenever he needs to, but he can also be extremely cheerful, even caring if he has reason to be so. When he is in a bad mood he has a bad habit of complaining, and can get rather annoying at this point.
History: Both he and his sister were born in a remote region of Sonariah; close enough to the Denou territories to be affected by both clans. They decided early on that they wanted no part in the war, but when their parents were murdered in a battle (which side killed them, they never found out) they decided to become mercenaries to try and discover who killed their parents. Since he was raised in Sonariah, he appreciates Ariah, while his sister, who he assumes lost her faith in the light when their parents were murdered before their eyes, takes a great amount of stock in praising Dinrei.
Occupation/Job: Mercenary for Hire for the clan that pays the highest
Hobby/Hobbies: playing with his powers, staring at the clouds, talking to people and learning about them (this excludes those he kills), generally examining his cheerful outlook and pondering why it never wavers, shiny objects, the comforts of home (which he hardly ever experiences, considering he travels with his sister all the time)
Likes: his sister (sometimes), light, sunshine, clouds, stars, forests, dragons, friendly forest creatures
Dislikes: War, killing (although he kills anyway, because he bound himself to doing so when his sister did), a night without stars, smoke on the horizon (reminds him of the day they left their village), unfriendly forest creatures
Strengths: His abilities with light and the heat associated with light (although he cannot control flame if it ever arises from his toying with sunlight), his strength of will even though his heart really isn’t in the right place for killing, his love for his sister (even with all her flaws), his ability with the white staff he carries (which doubles as a bludgeon when he runs out of energy to wield the elemental power)
Weaknesses/Flaws: Darkness unsettles him, seeing someone killed without due cause (even though he’s a mercenary), the fact that his only other ability besides magic is his near-expertise with his staff. If he is ever without his staff, his power is cut in half and he has no weapon that he can readily use (save a tree branch, if it occurs to him to be resourceful). He also has a rather nagging conscience, which makes him feel guilty whenever he or his sister kills someone
Relations, Extra Details: Nema is his sister and opposite, her abilities being the exact opposite of his. Their opposite abilities augment each other and allow them to work well together, rather like the polar ends of a magnet, even though getting along for them in a social situation is something like trying to eat nails for breakfast, without milk. He was born in a small village south of Drask, but far enough south that it was in the Sonariah region. The village no longer exists because it was burned down in the battle in which their parents were killed.
Controlled By:




Name (informal): Burma
Name (formal): Burmalese Nedracen, Travelling Dragon Breeder, Trainer, and Caretaker
Age: 32
Gender: female
Species: human
Appearance: She is dressed for the road all the time, and seems to be perpetually covered in a layer of traveling dust. Only when she attends a royal ball (which is extremely rare) does she clean up nicely, and some have commented that she is, in fact, beautiful, but most of the time this fact gets overlooked due to the fact that there is often any number of six-foot-tall dragons trailing behind her.
Hair: short, muddy blonde, cropped choppily and seems to always be sticking up in odd places
Eyes: Dark blue, almost purple
Frame: She has a rather feminine frame, although it has been hardened by the road into something between athletic and lithe.
Tattoos/Distinguishing Marks: Several scratch-marks on her arms and legs from unruly dragons that she dealt with in her youth. She also bears a horizontal scar across her nose rather cheerfully, although she does cover it up with a magician’s help whenever possible, seeing as it brings painful memories when others ask her about it.
Personality: Quirky, eccentric, weird. She is most often around her dragons, and has picked up a few dragonisms, such as growling (if she’s not watching her behavior) whenever she’s mad, and general cavorting in a rather draconic way. She is capable of acting human, however, and has done so with great success, but greatly prefers the company of her dragons to other human beings.
History: She was born in Port Dragoon, a few hundred miles or so South of the Citadel Sonariah, within a decent rage of the Dragon-Breath Islands. She became interested in dragons when she saw the first generation of dragon riders surface, and watched as dragons gradually became scarce due to improper breeding and mistreatment of the animals. She traveled secretly to the Dragon-Breath Islands to see if the legend of dragons was true, and ended up staying there for a few years among the dragons, whom she discovered did, in fact, exist. After she returned to the mainland, she had perfected every aspect of dragon breeding, handling, and raising, and sold her services and top-notch dragonlings at a rather high price. Despite the expense, her dragons were the most sought-out in all of Ren.
Occupation/Job: Traveling Dragon Breeder, Trainer, and Caretaker of the land of Ren
Hobby/Hobbies: spending time with her dragons, seeing as much of her world as she can, mostly spending time with her dragons
Likes: her dragons, people who are as enthusiastic about dragons as she is, people who understand that dragons are far more complex than people give them credit for
Dislikes: people who scorn dragons, people who think she is crazy and/or irrevocably odd, presumptuous people, people in general (although she has made a rare exception for a few of the royals throughout Ren, namely Damien who has one of her favorite dragonlings as his most honored steed)
Strengths: Her determination to do whatever is necessary to save her dragons, her adept skill at handling dragons and breeding monsters fit for war, which both sides covet
Weaknesses/Flaws: She is blind to many human customs, considering she spent a good portion of her life with the dragons. She is also rather anti-social because of this, and finds difficulty fitting in with normal people
Relations, Extra Details: She doesn’t talk about her family with people, and claims half-heartedly that the dragons raised her, but she was born to a single mother in Port Dragoon, a mother who abandoned her when she was young and (although she denies it entirely) spurred her to pursue her fantasies of meeting with a dragon.
Controlled By:




General Vincent: Head General of the Denou Army. He answers to Bartholomew alone, but he is an NPC because he follows Bartholomew’s orders and thusly makes no decisions of his own.

Dinrei: Denou God of Storms and Rain. He’s an NPC because playing him full time would be (you guessed it!) god-moding.

Ariah: Sonariah God of the sun and dreams. See Dinrei for reason why she is an NPC.

Chancellor Nicholas: Chancellor to Bartholomew, although the guy is so old that he doesn’t really do his job anymore. He’s really just there so people can make fun of crotchety old men without upsetting Bartholomew =x

Seer Rain: Seer Rain is a prophet, of sorts. She only gives a prophecy when something rather vile is going to happen, and her presence is not a welcome one. She’s there for some plot advancement that may arise -grin-

Well, I hope the information I provided is enough for us to wage a war on. I think with the background I've provided and the talents of those joining it should create a masterpiece of roleplaying, filled with adventure, action, plot twists, fantastical battles, and so much more. And, when this roleplay nears its end, I have a final plot twist in mind that I think will blow everyone out of the water. This looks like it will be an epic story to tell, and I am proud of any that want to be a part of it.

May the Gods watch over you all,

Nexus Denithil had heard rumors of a Dwarven Cemetary hidden deep within the Barrier Mountains that was still untouched by the Necromancers of Ren. He wasn't sure exactly where he had heard it. He had caught whispered conversations between treasure hunters and adventurers in taverns and inns, and had no intention of being last to the site. If he had to, he'd raise the entire graveyard to clear out any thieves.

Of course, as he trekked along the leagues still left between him and the Barrier Mountains, he had to assume that it was suspicious. He had been a Necromancer for many years, and yet he had never heard of such a place as the one he was headed toward. He figured that it was a trap. He just didn't know when it would come. He saw a small settlement to the East, and he figured that he'd stop there for the night. It was getting dark, and he had been travelling for days without enough rest. He was around half-way between the Dead City of Hart, and the Barrier Mountains.

He arrived almost an hour later, and his legs felt like lead. His water had run out a long time ago, but he knew that a settlement at this location must have been close to the river that ran south from Drask Lake, or else it would have died a long time ago. However, as he walked around, he found that such an event might have already happened. He had seen some of the most gruesome scenes in the world- he had even seen people impaled with their own dismembered arms, and that never disturbed him.

However, he got uncomfortable when he set foot in the first house. No one was there, but the wooden chairs were set around the table as though a family had been eating, and the food was still on the table. What unnerved him the most, however, was that there were no insects around the food, and nothing was growing on it. That meant that someone had set the food out no more than two hours ago.

The other houses were similar- no one was there, but there were signs to show that they had been present only an hour before. There was no blood and no signs of struggle- it seemed that the people had just disappeared. He didn't linger for long. He exited the fourth house he entered and moved quickly down the streets. Just before he cleared the last house, he heard a creaking noise from behind him. He looked behind him, and his eyes followed the pathway uphill to the part of the village he had come through. He saw the trap too late, however, and didn't have a chance to avoid it.

A seam ran through along the pathway, though it could only been seen from a certain angle. To any onlooker, it would have looked as though the village was blown to pieces, due to the immense amount of dirt that was kicked up as the ground under every building collapsed, sending Nexus and everything else in the settlement almost twenty feet into the ground.

Nexus had heard of such traps before, and he immediately understood what had happened to the people in the settlement. The food had been poisoned, and once their corpses fell to the ground, the assailant had dragged their carcasses to a pit and thrown them in, after which he returned to every house and set it up to make it seem as though the people had merely disappeared.

The ground that he had fallen through appeared to close back up again, shrouding the cavern in darkness. Two bright red eyes appeared only a few inches from Nexus' face, but he didn't even flinch. The voice that emitted from the creature in front of him was dark and brooding, but he did his best not to show fear, knowing that his face would be illuminated by the eyes.

"Nexus Denithil, Necromancer for hire. Searching for the Lost Dwarven Necropolis, which doesn't exist, and who fell into a trap that was designed weeks in advance. You fight for the Denou, and so I shouldn't have any quarrel with you. However, Nexus, you are a Necromancer, and as much as I hate your filth, I have a favor to ask. You might not think that this is the best way to ask for your help, but in return for your assistance, you get the corpses of all thirty-three villagers that once lived here. They were Sonorian, and so their existance bothered me, and I wanted them to be eliminated. So, before you see my face, and before you hear what I request of you, do you accept? I have two swords, one that is inches away from your heart, and another that it inches away from your left eye."

Nexus didn't need to think about the request, but he dind't want to show any desperation, and so his reply took a few seconds.

"I do know who you are, Soekrian. None of your kind have such a demented attitude. While I don't believe that you would succeed in killing me, I think that the trade is adequate, and I accept your terms."

"Good," the voice responded, "then follow me."

The room lit up as a series of torches ignited, revealing the tall, lanky hooded figure of Jikreneindir Noelti'fen. Nexus followed him as he traversed through the dirt caverns, around the cracked houses, and even through a narrow river-like tunnel before they reached their destination.

Nexus heard the almost inaudible rumble of water running in the distance, and that, coupled with the damp dirt beneath his feet, told him exactly where he was. He couldn't help but take the chance to insult Jikreneindir.

"How long did it take to dig these tunnels? Better yet, how many times did this trap get ruined by the river before you managed to siphon the water elsewhere?"

"It was ruined twice," Jikreneindir replied calmly, "However, I have not siphoned the water off elsewhere. That rumble is not coming from the distance- we're several meters below the river, and I can assure you that these tunnels are far from stable. Several areas of these caverns have collapsed entirely, even with the rocks that I have embedded into key areas to support the dirt. The rest of the cavern will cave in several hours from now, just as it was designed to, and the village will probably not be uncovered for several years. A Sonorian Village was poisoned- I can't leave any evidence. I'm sure that some excavators will uncover it and assume that the village died off and was buried under years of rain."

Nexus' thinly veiled threat hadn't even fazed the Demonic-looking Soekrian, and his response held the anger that he would have loved to vent physically. His hand inched toward his dagger, the Blade of Nazareth, but he needed this person the get out of the caverns, and so he resisted the urge to stab him in the back.

"You've given this some thought, creature. Tell me, though, what will happen when they don't find any corpses? Sonoriah won't be happy."

This seemed to strike a nerve with Jikreneindir, for he turned around to face Nexus, and his eyes glew with a fiery crimson light, almost as though a fire had been lit in his head.

"First, Necromancer, I can leave you in these caverns. They span for miles, and there is only one exit. You figure the chances that you'll make it out before the exit is blocked, and reconsider your level of courtesy toward me. Second, the Sonorians won't worry about it because they won't be around to worry. The Great King of Sonoriah will not live to see tomorrow morning!"

Nexus wasn't sure what Jikreneindir was incinuating, but as the Soekrian turned around, Nexus realized that he had just found a severe psycological weakness...




Julien had been walking through the Citadel of Sonoriah when the messenger from the Skirmish at Hart arrived bleeding, injured, and panting. He had run almost the entire way, his dragon killed in the battle, and only rested a few hours throughout his entire trek.

Julien, of course, was not above anger. He rarely ever felt the emotion, for he tried his hardest to be kind an patient with everyone he met, and the personality trait had become inherent years ago. However, the capture of his brother, Damien, made him angrier then he had ever been before. He was pacing through the courtyard he had heard the news in, trying to find a solution. He knew of one person who was capable of getting his brother back, but a foolish soldier had turned him to the Denou's ranks many years ago. He had no idea where to find the Soekrian, however, and even if he could, he knew that the Desert-born race would sooner kill him on sight before hearing him out.

A faithful servant was following behind Julien, awaiting orders. Finally, the King spoke.

"Squire Jir, please go find Soldier Jhordan. He should be in the barracks."

The Squire hastened to follow his Leige's orders, and headed directly toward the large building that held many of the reserve soliders in the Sonorian Army. The Squire returned almost fifteen minutes with a grim expression to find King Julien still pacing.

"S-sir. The Soldiers in the barracks directed me to Jhordan's bed, where it was thought that he had been sleeping with an illness. His body was bloated and purple, and he wasn't breathing. I am sorry to say that Soldier Jhordan died earlier today, but I did find this note on his corpse. It was sealed with this wax symbol, and it says that only "The Great Lord Julien" should open it."

The Squire handed Julien a sealed note, and the King recognized the seal immediately, for he had only seen it twice before- Once on a letter carrying a threat of death from Jikreneindir for him almost three years ago, and the other carrying a threat of death for the Soldier Jhordan, only a few days ago.

He opened it without the caution that such a letter warranted, and dropped the envelope once he retrieved the note. The handwriting seemed rather standard, and he read it without trouble.

Dear Julien,

I do hope you forget about my purely intentional murder of the soldier that put a sword through my head, but I doubt that you will. After all, you're the King of Sonoriah. What could possibly make you forgive the seven hundred ninety-eight soldiers that I've killed to-date? Before you try to send a letter back with the answer, let me assure you that I know of Damien's capture, and I believe that the Denou have taken it too far. Your room is trapped with a bolt-trigger. As soon as you enter your room, you'll get speared with four arrows. I don't regret anything if one of your servants is killed by the trap, but consider the fact that I'm revealing this to you as a token of my good-will.

Also keep in mind that after this event is cleared up, I'm going to do everything I can to kill you. Nothing you do can ever make up for the attempted murder that your soldier comitted. I don't care if you offer all the money in your treasury- I will hunt you until I die, and after I die, I'll send someone in my place to bring down your Kingdom. I don't want you to misunderstand my intentions- I don't want to save your Kingdom- I want to be the one to bring it crashing down. If the Denou capture Damien, and you cave to their demands as I know your kind always do, they'll get your kingdom and slaughter your citizens.

I will have the Necromancer Nexus Denithil on my side in a matter of days, and he will help raise the dead of the City of Hart. I think that you might be underestimating exactly how resourceful I am, and let me assure you, if they are holding Damien in the Denou Fortress, I will get him out. I know of a race that dwells in the City of Hart that is beyond your comprehension, and Nexus knows how to control them. There are spirits dwelling in the City. Just because they never killed you doesn't mean that the city is safe.

Now, I won't lie about the fact that I am not to be trusted. I have already informed you that I will kill you as soon as the situation has been worked out, and while there is one way you can get me on your side, I'll continue to say that there isn't, because a fool like you would never dream of attempting it. I am not as strong as any army, and I won't deny that ten of Denou's elite could likely kill me without trouble. The problem that Denou has is that they are underestimating my creativity just as much as you are. I've trapped forests with falling trees, and rigged plains with three hundred foot-deep spiked pits. But nothing so ostentacious as what I'm going to attempt. I've slaughtered your soldiers while I was forty leagues away, and I've even gone so far as to poison one of your soldiers with a contagious disease that spreads no more than twenty minutes after the host dies. Thirty more of your men are likely infected right now, and I recommend that you burn the corpse promptly. However, I several days ago, I would never have dreamed of attempting to kill someone in such an elaborate way as what is going to happen.

If I succeed, I'll come to the Sonorian Citadel, and in return for enough self-disipline to avoid murdering your people in the streets, I ask only one thing- to be left alone. Your soldiers hound me day and night, and while they do not live long, they never seem the fail in finding me. Betray me, and the results will not bode well for one side of this army. I will cross an ally without any warning, and I have grown tired of the Denou's constant double-crossing. I have killed three hundred forty-seven soldiers of their army, but none of those kills were as satisfying as the knowledge that Jhordan would be so foolish as to open a poisoned letter, and that he would be dead within days. I have had revenge on the soldier that tried to kill me, and if everything goes according to plan, I'll have revenge on the one that ordered him to do it.

The Scribe inquired as to what it said, and Julien replied with a sigh, "The Soekrian that Soldier Jhordan tried to kill several years ago out of fear that he was working for the Denou still believes that I gave the order to have him killed. He is not Human, and so he believes that we are all the same. Soldier Jhordan put a sword through his cheek, and tore it out of his mouth. The Soekrian said to me that he would rather work for the side that admitted that they were evil than ally himself with the ones that veiled it with benevolence. He was so sure of himself that day, when he stormed out of the citadel that I almost doubted my own reasoning. He didn't kill anyone then, but his traps have claimed hundreds of my soldiers over the years. He is the single biggest unaffiliated threat in this land. He kills the Denou as well, but only for sport, and they hire him often. Since he left our ranks, swords and arrows have become the least of our soldiers' worries."

"Surely you are exaggerating, My Lord."

"Of course I am. However, he is a threat, and I have tried numerous times to bring him into custody. I believe I may have even come close one time. He was on the inside of the gates when he escaped, and killed several Sonorian Families before disappearing. He is cold-blooded, but if he believes every Human to be like Jhordan was, he obviously has his reasons. I am not condoning this alliance, but he believes that he can get Damien back, if only for the sake of being able to kill him later. If he fails, the Denou will not suspect me, and he will be dead. If he succeeds, he's said that he'll come here with Damien, and when he does, he'll be arrested so that he can not do any more damage. Any corpses with similar features to Soldier Jhordan's are to be burnt. They are diseased, and I will not risk my army. This Soekrian is no fool, and I suspect that he is coming here with the knowledge that he will be arrested."

"If the Denou hire him, could we not do the same, My Leige?"

"No gold will quench his hatred for us. He doesn't use gold, and the only time he wanders into a village is to kill its inhabitants."

"Why do you not send your soldiers to kill him, rather than detain him?"

"Because, Squire Jir, that would make his accusations correct. Fetch Weather Mage Calypso, please."

Squire Jir nodded promptly and ran off to find Calypso. He came back no more than ten minutes later with a lithe, white-robed woman at his side. She was obviously a few inches taller than him, and had long golden hair with light blue eyes.

"You summoned me, Lord Julien?"

"Yes, Weather Mage Calypso. You were born in the East Desert, were you not?"

"Yes. Is this concerning the Soekrian that has been terrorizing Sonoriah?"

"You seem to know more about the current events than I do, sometimes," Julien chuckled slightly, "still, you are correct. Recently, as you likely know, Damien was kidnapped by the Denou. This Soekrian believes that he can get them back. You were born in the East Desert, and from what I've heard, it's filled with them. What can you tell me about them?"

"First and foremost, they hold honor in high regard, but their form of honor is extremely different. If a single member of another race insults them or attacks them, they always stereotype every other member of the offending race."

"What do you mean by a different sense of honor?" Julien interrupted.

"Well, Soekrians are not good at interacting with Humans. Or maybe it's that Humans aren't good at interacting with them...anyway, they consider underestimation an insult. You've tried repeatedly to detain the Soekrian, no? And he's killed all your guards, as well as a random family to go with them?"

"You really do know a lot about him... He has committed such acts, yes."

"If you were to hear of a Human doing such things, you would have him hunted down, would you not?"

"Well, yes. If he proved himself to be so much of a danger that his crimes warranted execution. But this Soekrian has his reasons. Soldier Jhordan put a sword through his mouth!"

"And he believes you gave the order, didn't he?"

"How do you know of this?" Julien asked suspiciously.

"I don't. I'm guessing based off of my knowledge of Soekrian culture. Does he believe that?"

"..He does."

"Than why don't you treat him like any other criminal?"

"Because my Soldier tried to murder him!"

"And his victims have to pay for it?" Calypso was starting to enjoy contradicting Julien.

"Well...no..."

"Do you know why he has killed so many Sonorians?"

Julien's eyes widened in recognition of what Calypso was hinting at. His voice was quivering slightly as he responded, "You mean that he's killing my people because I've refused to order his execution?"

"That is a Soekrian point-of-view. If he believes that you think he doesn't deserve execution, he thinks that you are too foolish to live. Why are you asking me this now? He's killed hundreds of your people. Why not ask after the third victim?"

"Because he's said he's going to come here. To deliver Damien personally."

Calypso looked uncertain, "That's can't be right... A Soekrian would never risk that. If he believes that all Humans will try to kill him, then he'll come with the knowledge that he'll die. And if he comes knowing that you'll only try to arrest him, he'll kill your soldiers, as well as you and Damien, with the knowledge that he'll be killed shortly after. Something isn't right..."

"What do you mean?"

"Soekrian minds are extremely advanced. Humans can handle thinking of one, two, or maybe three things at a time. A Soekrian could have nine books open and be reading every one of them at the same time. Their minds can handle so many different ideas at a time that they excell in a set number of jobs, and engineering is one of them. They are quite possibly the smartest race in all of Ren, but they divert that intelligence into cunning, cleverness, betrayal, and the destruction of their enemies. Soekrians might not be the smartest people when it comes to answering questions, but they are definately capable of adapting to almost any environment or situation. He knows that, no matter what you try, he'll be killed. A Soekrian never decides that it's time to die. There are no kamikaze Soekrians. There is no such thing as a Soekrian that sacrifices himself for the good of the people. Soekrians don't exist to sacrifice themselves for a cause. They exist to kill their enemies without exposing themselves to danger."

"They're cowards, then?"

"No. They want to make a name for themselves in the armies that they serve. They, unlike the Human footsoldiers that fight them in the Desert, are simply smart enough to do it from a distance. A concealed trap will always be more effective than a charging warrior. Their combined traps can bring platoons of soldiers down in seconds. Soekrians could be the most technologically advanced race in Ren, but they don't care about politics or religion. When it comes down to it, they only care about making better traps."

"What kind of trap could arise from a single Soekrian coming here?"

"You continue to underestimate him. He will have a hostage after all. Damien would be safer in the Denou dungeons than traveling with a Soekrian."

"But...but Soekrians won't torture him for information, will they?"

"No. Soekrians know that there are much easier ways to get information."

Julien didn't ask what Calypso meant. He didn't want to know. He hadn't realized before that Damien being "rescued" by Jikreneindir would make the threat on his life even worse. Julien couldn't attempt to kill the Soekrian. If he did, his brother would have to pay. He would just stick to the deal, and hope that he wasn't betrayed...

(( -cough- you know that huuuuuuuuuge last post of mine? That would be my intro xP

and I think I'll be closing this if we don't get a full cast in the next week or so. Tis nothing personal, just it's getting irritating trying to run this thing when it fails so many times.

Meow. I give up on this one, for the most part. I'll just make a better one later when I have more time =) ))