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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Archon Basileus" data-source="post: 7299361" data-attributes="member: 6855545">SHAYURI"If the rumors abou the thing are true, it might bring doom over my people. Not that the blockade isn't causing enough damage already. With the Old Crown on the Sea of Memories, elfic lifestyle is no longer acceptable, and that cuts us out of surface affairs almost entirely. A bit more and dwarves might end us entirely, as well." - for the last centuries, elves have survived as seafarers and pirates for the most part, helping Tarraz grow through shady practices and intense coastal trade. If what Arvana says is true, the loss of surface allies might lead the dwarven fleet to frontally attack underwater settlements, as complicated as this might be. On the other hand, a Tideruler might do a lot more damage on the long run...As for the city, Shayuri knows it to be an ancient legend. In fact, it is as old as the desert peoples, maybe even older. Back at Ashir, tales of this fabled fortress-city appear here and there in ancient scrolls. As far as she can recall, it is said that the city was once the heart of a draconian kingdom, one of the many that ruled over Gaelia in the past. After a titanic war against the eastern armies of the Rising Sun, the city was surrounded. Unable to invade it, the attackers conjured a powerful spell, banishing it to another plane of existence and giving birth to the legend of the exiled Black King, a dragon lord that would swear to return and wash his honor when the time was right. The older libraries, hidden away in the chambers of King Marduk of Ashir, accessible only to a lucky few, house yet another piece of the mystery. Shayuri once had a chance o browse such secrets, albeit briefly. She remembers reading something about the king's tremendous power, and how he managed to bring the city back at certain points in time, through strange star alignments and forgotten rituals. It surely matches the superstitions of locals: according to them, this city used to appear in several points in the desert throughout the years, only to disappear later on.... Never did it cause such turmoil though.As Shayuri talks and remembers, she remembers the distant presence of the spirit. It seems as if she had been mistaken when she talked to the thing in the desert, her memories gliding away from the event. But when she shrugs and leaves it behind, the presence reappears, right at the margins of her mind, echoing away, reminding her of how real was the experience. "This will go sower" - she repeats in an echo, turning Shayuri's second thoughts to Dram and his dagger requests. It is just for a moment, and the message is left as a guess, so unimportant it might barely interfere in Shayuri's spam of attention. MORGRYM"Oh, not even in that filthy man's dreams!" - her eyes widen and she shudders under Morgrym's suggestion. "He has tried, though. But you know how it is. Valley people aren't like these southerners... We refused. That's why he's getting... Violent." - her face changes to a somber tone, unwilling to continue the debate down that path. As Morgrym mentions his intentions of dealing with the man, though, she brightens up once more. "Let me be there when ya do so..." - she repeats, a tone of anger and cruelty in her voice.""Aye. Last I heard they headed east, towards the Glass Caves. Your sister looked for the augurs, they said. Some followed" - Morgrym remembers his dream-like experience, his sister turned priestess. Come to think of it, even though she never decided to go down such path, she always had such inclinations, sought auguries, rose prayers... More and more those memories feel like an illusion, built over Morgrym's confusion and restlessness... But they're still very vivid, very real, as a second life that awaits somewhere else.HAGADARK"Go tell that to Gorak, friend!" - the stubby one mocks in his strong accent as Hagadark ignores him, deep in thought. Both gnomes seem offended at Hagadark's suggestions, rising at an instant. This time the tall one takes the word."Oh, you got some nerve, orc, waltzing in here, stinking a' road and ox arse, and calling me soft! Ya' think you can boss us around, do you, orc? You think we can't hold our weight in a battle because we're short, ey? Well, you're not very impressive, I say, none of you are! We may be small, but we stab you, won't you bleed? AYE, YOU'LL BLEED! And I tell you more..." - some small hand tries to stop him by resting on his shoulder, but he shakes it off, still facing the shaman the best way he can - "...Words are for naught when war comes! We're gonna go to the fields and we'll show you what's soft and what's not! WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A RUN FOR YOUR MONEY, YOU AND YOUR ARSE KISSING, BELLY-DRAGGIN', FILTH-FLOUNDERING, TODDLER-MUMBLING ORCS!" - heads turn towards the gnome, now, either in fear or in anticipation. "AND WHEN WE'RE DONE, YOU AND YOUR LIZARDS ARE STILL GONNA LOOK DOWN TO FIND US... BUT THIS TIME YOU'LL BE SHUDDERING IN FEAR!" - confused faces glance at him as he and his companion march out, pissed as one can be, to do exactly what Hagadark had commanded him to do so. Some applaud his effort - probably in pity, while others are silent in fear of the shaman... A handful of dwarves - more than the gnome would have wished for - laugh out loudly: a gnome in rage is a sight to behold, be it rare... or simply amusing.  @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=24380" target="_blank">Neurotic</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=87106" target="_blank">MetaVoid</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=6801311" target="_blank">KahlessNestor</a> @<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/member.php?u=4936" target="_blank">Shayuri</a></blockquote>

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