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 Post Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 10:57 pm 
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When Arkady hears Felix mention that the Terrans know how to kill off entire worlds he tries to read the locals as that sinks in (or doesn't if they missed it).

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 Post Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:48 am 
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The Earl waves a hand, irritably. "The sun can't do that," he says, with all the assurance of a medieval notion of science. "So, you're not bringing any new major problems in your wake. Good, we've already got far too many of them. How familiar are you with the current political situation?"

Arkady: Enpathy: +4 Roll: +1 Total: +5

The implications don't seem to have sunk in for the Earl just yet. He might pick up on it later, or he might not. Young Berit, as well, seems to have entirely missed that point.

Sir Ulath, on the other hand, looks rather thoughtful. He may have some questions later, but he's not posing them just yet.

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 Post Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 3:29 am 
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"We know the broad details," Felix says. "The Queen was poisoned, the Primate is moving to take control using her weak willed cousin as a patsy, and Elenia is gathered together in an alliance with a bunch of countries in an attempt to defend against the genocidal country of Zemoch whose armies are an ever looming threat. Did I miss anything?"

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 Post Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:06 pm 
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The Earl frowns as he considers it. "I think you've got most of the truly important points," he says. "Would you like me to help fill in some of the finer historical detail?"

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 Post Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:10 pm 
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"Sure," Felix says. "Always great to have more information."

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 Post Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:26 pm 
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"Alright," says the Earl. "Let me tell you about the last Zemoch war. There armies were vast - thousands strong. We knew they were coming, and all the Elene Kingdoms joined our armies together in defense. But Otha's hordes weren't the worst t come out of Zemoch - their priests lay forth great feats of magic, countered and turned back only by the four Orders of Church Knights. Entire battalions were destroyed by sheets of fire called down from the sky, and the war raged back and forth all along the Zemoch border - and, at first, well onto this side of it. But eventually, the Church Knights prevailed against the Zemoch magic, their lines broke and ran."

"But the victory was expensive, Pyrrhic in the extreme. Yes, we routed them - but there were not enough left of our armies to even make an attempt at pursuit. The soldiers returned home, worked the land... but there were not enough left alive to grow enough food. The resulting famine laid waste to our kingdoms even more than the war had. It took us decades to recover - to this day, our armies are probably still not as strong as they were before the Zemoch war."

"Not probably," snorts Sir Ulath.

"The only thing that preserved us," continues the Earl, "was that Otha's forces had suffered even worse than ours. And their god is the sort to start killing those who fail him - they would have found no mercy there. Technically, and legally, we're still at war - no-one ever signed any sort of agreement to end it, after all - and Otha's forces have slowly been building up ever since. It's getting close on five hundred years - Otha might be immortal, but I have no doubt he's eventually going to start getting impatient. And even if we could beat back the Zemoch hordes another time... we can't afford another victory like that one. We couldn't really afford the last one."

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 Post Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:25 am 
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Nate harrumphs.

"If we get the chance to get our feet under us, and sufficient raw materials, a second war with Zemoch won't be a problem, either militarily, or economically."

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 Post Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2017 3:33 pm 
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Felix nods.

"There's no question that we can be of use in the efforts against Zemoch, once we manage to get our house in order," Felix says. "At the very least, once we get all of our hydroponics bays up and running and producing more than just lettuce we should be able to feed a lot of people on the cheap. I was actually hoping to gain support on that matter, actually."

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 Post Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 2:01 pm 
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Still reading the locals, Arkady shrugs. "For now, we will be needing some food. The trip took longer than we thought, some things are needing to be fixed. Also for now the Queen is needing to be cured; and we must to go to Rendor to get Darestim so our healers can make an antidote. Would you have any advice for that trip?"

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 Post Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 1:01 pm 
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The Earl shakes his head slightly. One doesn't have to be Arkady to guess what he's thinking - surely, surely a small settlement in the Fangorn Forest can't possibly have the power to take on the entire Zemoch army by yourselves. (Sir Ulath, who saw what happened to the last army you took on by yourselves, is a bit more subdued).

"I'm not really in a position to provide all that much in the way of food supplies," admits the Earl. "Though I can point you in the direction of a few reputable merchants who won't cheat you, if you like. As for Rendor itself... I've never been there, but I've heard from some who have. They say that in Rendor, the relentless sun beats down on your head like a drum. It crushes thought, originality, and sanity. Some say that anyone in Rendor will do almost anything for a cool drink of water, and nothing ever happens in the middle of the day - all business is conducted only in the mornings and evenings. It's a land of extremes in many ways - one of which is an extreme aversion to magic in any form, by the way. Anyone suspected of using magic will likely be very swiftly killed."

"Also home to the Eshandist Heresy - I suppose you've already heard about that?"

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 Post Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:11 pm 
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"We'd heard about the religious fanatics, but hadn't heard about the details."

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 Post Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 7:17 pm 
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"Eshand was a - shepherd, I believe?" Lenda glances at Sir Ulath, who grunts and nods. "A shepherd," says Lenda, "some few centuries ago, in Rendor. Some say the Rendorish Sun baked the wits out of his head, others - only in Rendor - say he was touched by prophecy. He claimed to have received direct personal communication from the Elene God to the effect that the Church was greedy and corrupt - which, as I understand the history, was not far off the mark in those years - and that, therefore, the Rendorish people should have nothing to do with the official Church hierarchy, and especially nothing to do with the Arch-Prelate and the entire bureaucracy of Chyrellos. He gained a fair number of followers, and the Church took note - especially when he started instructing his followers to kill priests and missionaries. The Church... overreacted?" He glances at Sir Ulath again.

Sir Ulath snorts. "Overreacted," he agrees.

"Overreacted," continues Lenda, "and sent in the Church Knights, with orders to protect the remaining priests and missionaries - along with the new ones the Church sent in to replace them - with lethal force if necessary. The new ones tended to the... fire-and-brimstone type, and loudly denounced the Eshandists. When the Eshandists tried to kill them, they ran into Church Knights, and were killed in turn, almost to a man - which had the unfortunate side effect of martyring Eshand and most of his followers. Ever since then, the Eshandists have experienced periodic resurges amidst the more fanatic of Rendorish peoples - the local royalty aren't Eshandist themselves, but the Eshandists are powerful and popular enough in Rendor that said royals dare not take a stance against them. Eshandists are not known for being bright, but they do tend to be extremely difficult to stop."

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 Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 9:55 pm 
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Arkady shakes his head. "A man back home said that history repeats itself. Another said that it doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes. It seems it is rhyming on two worlds." He sips his tea, then continues: "Well, that is where we have to go. I pray we will get there between...surges."

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 Post Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 10:25 pm 
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Nate nods. "It always seems to be deserts that these things happen in. Still, shouldn't be a problem. I've worked in deserts before, and I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

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 Post Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:39 pm 
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The Earl makes a face. "Latest news from Rendor is that another surge is, um, starting to surge," he says. "Led by some fellow called Aramsham. He's got several thousand followers who go out into the desert most nights to hear him preach at them. This... 'surge' hasn't done much more than that yet, but it's likely only a matter of time."

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