Creative Exercise--Aleasana

[Conaill]

The Shay wizards of the Imperium Arcanum in the Shay city of Karina have developed flying vessels powered by non-sentient air elementals, and mounted with heavy crossbowsthat fire bolts of lightning as a result of quasi-elementals that power these weapons. The first fleet of these vessels have just rolled out of their up-to-now secret manufacturing facilities that are as well guarded and protected as the Citadel of Karina.

With these flying vessels, the Shay seek to even the balance of power between the other races and the human cities that have encroached upon territories that once belonged to the Shay.

<Just to scale back the Shay powerhouse a little...>

However, the dragons of Aleasana apparently do not appreciate this intrusion upon their rule of the skies, and two of the three first airships have been swatted out of the sky on their maiden voyage.

 

[Sarellion]

@Conaill
Why should Majera ally with the Asani-Morok then if the dragons do the work for her?

Contribution:
Virgon lies in one of the largest valleys of Aleasana. The other cities in the valey are Jovin and Therestra. These two cities are under Virgon´s direct control and consider themselves part of Virgon.
The passes into the valley are well defended, especially King´s Pass, the pass that leads to Black Spire Castle

 

[Conaill]

Why should Majera ally with the Asani-Morok then if the dragons do the work for her?

Sigh. I have to admit that this thread is getting too complicated for me, without trying to stay up-to-date 24-7. I thought that Arkhandus' contribution that Majera would ally with the ogre magi agains the "eleven fleet" would be moot, considering said fleet consists of air ships.

Using the island-based Asani-Morok against a sea fleet makes perfect sense. But why would the rabidly anti-magic anti-human want to ally with the distinctly non-human magic users half a continent away to help fight a combat over her own skies?

Argh! I've got factions coming out of my bleeding ears by this point, I give up...

 

[Arkhandus]

LOL. Because the Asani-Morok are magic-users, they're strong, and they can probably use magic to fly and make surgical strikes against the fleet. With Majera's dislike of arcane magic apparent to other Aleasani, who else would she get to help her fight an airborne fleet? The Asani-Morok of course, who have almost nothing to do with the current conflict and don't give a rat's behind about Majera's plans or prejudices. If there's gold or magic items to be had in the pillaging, that's good enough. {:^D

Edit: And who says the Asani-Morok won't just kill the crews when they strike at the airships, then take the ships home to the Asani islands as soon as the attack's over? }:^P

 

[Arkhandus]

As of late, since Dominus Majera Alsea ceased her contracts with the Black Fist Brotherhood, the Brothers began looking for contracts with others to strike at the southern parts of Aleasana, hoping to destabilize the area a bit to draw the attention of Bodai, Shay, and Juni away from looking southwest for refuge or new lands away from the conflict. Towards that end, the Black Fist has taken up a few contracts with Dromas and Cassant (separately) directed at southern Aleasana, while refusing to fight against their most recent employer (Bandesh-Thar) for a short period, citing matters regarding honorable severance of their contract with the Dominus. Through these activities, the Black Fist Brotherhood is able to gather more information about the central and southern parts of Aleasana and attempt to ensure that southerners are distracted to look northward towards the immediate threats. More secretly, the Brotherhood has negotiated a temporary deal with the Margrave of Volg, to conduct minor spy duties for the Margrave and keep him appraised of threats to his city-state and his traderoutes. This only furthers the Black Fist initiative from Ur-Sai.

 

[Dr. Harry]

For centuries, Bandesh-Thar served as the holy city of the Church of Dar, the ancient faith of the Asani people. Its lord was the Dominus, High Priest of the Church, and Protector of the Faith. But as the Aleasani lived among the Shay, the Dvergar, and other influences, the power of the Church waned, as Aleasani began to worship other forces. The attitude of the priests became increasingly militant, inflexible, and xenophobic. It was this that would create the tragedy of the War of Deadly Voices.

At the time of the Night of Woe, the Dominus of Bandesh-Thar was Gojerus Alsea, brother to the King. Gojerus was an embittered, tempermental man, who had joined the Church both out of piety, and because of his hatred and resentment for his brother. ...The razing went on for twenty-five days, while Valeris's men held the castle, at which point allies arrived from Annit and Altania, and fought the Dominus's forces off, thus beginning the War of Deadly Voices.

Following the decade-long War of Deadly Voices, the various city-provinces of Aleasana did their best to heal their wounds, and settled into the nearly four century period generally known as the Interregnum. The War, while it had cost many lives, had ultimately settled nothing, and had ended because the damage done to all sides was so great that they had more or less lost their ability to wage it. And so Aleasani slowly settled into existence without a monarch.

Characteristic of the War of Deadly Voices was the widespread use of a form of magic based upon music. Bard-Wizards hurled mighty songs of power back and forth; the Church developed the ability to have whole congregation contribute a portion of their life-force to their Sagaskaldi as songs broke walls and armies. Echoes from the sky tore the mountaintops ragged and made the passes more difficult.

And then the Asani devices were used, even though no one fully understood what they could do ...

Only the barbarians in the north use magic of this form now (though of course they do not consider this magic), because there are legends that many of these songs of doom still wait in the mountain passes, reverberating just below audible sound, ready to release their energy all over again if the right sound is sung to trigger them.

Especially because the songs from the last days are only remembered as long, voiceless, metallic screams ...

 

[Rhialto]

Of all the various warlords involved in the present troubles, few are as colorful as the former mercenary Broken Stone. A barbarian from the North, Broken Stone's path has led him from a simple sellsword serving in various armies to having become Lord of the City-State of Travask, and a major player in the war. He has also enfranchised numerous of his Northern kindred and mercenary comardes to support his rule, making Travask's nobility one of the most varied in all Aleasana. Though Broken Stone has chosen only competent men to support his rule, much of the city's old nobility rankles to serve such an upstart rabble. Only Broken Stone's cagy wits have kept him in power.

Oddly enough, Broken Stone, a man who has never bothered to learn to read (he feels it ruins the memory) is allied with the highly intellectual forces of Altania. While the wizards of that city look somewhat askance at the Northerner, his fine strategic mind and undeniable courage have made him invaluable so far.

 

[Rhialto]

LOL. Because the Asani-Morok are magic-users, they're strong, and they can probably use magic to fly and make surgical strikes against the fleet. With Majera's dislike of arcane magic apparent to other Aleasani, who else would she get to help her fight an airborne fleet? The Asani-Morok of course, who have almost nothing to do with the current conflict and don't give a rat's behind about Majera's plans or prejudices. If there's gold or magic items to be had in the pillaging, that's good enough. {:^D

Edit: And who says the Asani-Morok won't just kill the crews when they strike at the airships, then take the ships home to the Asani islands as soon as the attack's over? }:^P

Plus the Asani-Morok are pure-blooded descendents of the old Asani people. They're clean to Majera's mind. Not like that filthy arcane magic, which they got from those dirty dwarves and those disgusting elves.

You know, maybe we should have a deeper discussion on Aleasana politics on the meta-thread.

 

[Conaill]

There is a secret cult of Shay wizards and druids, called The Grey Seers, whose primary goals are premised on the survival and prosperity of the race. This somewhat translates to on-going undertakings to undermine the city of undeads to the south.

You mean the Odraani Imperium to the west, right?

I was trying to reconcile this little titbit with the established location of Odraani by placing most of the Shay in the northwest (hence the Odraani Imperium being south of the Grey Seers' powerbase), but that doesn't really work because we already know that two of the main Shay cities are towards the south (Karina and Val-Alen).

 

[Rhialto]

You mean the Odraani Imperium to the west, right?

I was trying to reconcile this little titbit with the established location of Odraani by placing most of the Shay in the northwest (hence the Odraani Imperium being south of the Grey Seers' powerbase), but that doesn't really work because we already know that two of the main Shay cities are towards the south (Karina and Val-Alen).

I think we're all just going to have to deal with the fact that Saladin didn't seem to read other people's posts too well, and act accordingly.