Channelknight Fadran

Using their army of Adamantium equipped mages and their air force of specialized airships, the Republic of Astrym has decided to join their ally Realmingsburg in their war against the Gahestian Empire. They send many troops and airships to assist in an assault on the Empire's northern border. The Imperial Army is nowhere near ready for such a massive attack, and is forced to pull back to defend its home territory. Unfortunately for the Republic, the Empire is not without defenses of its own. A squad of elite Gaddos, using their superior numbers and fearsome magic, easily repel the Republic's invasion. The Republic retreats and suffers a crushing defeat. After the battle, the Empire decides to use their newfound strength to reclaim what was once theirs; the city of Astrym. That's what you get for randomly attacking the friendly wizard empire. Emperor Sel orders the construction of a new capital city. It is to have enchanted walls and gates so as to be impregnable. At the height of the city, Sell orders that a temple be built to the gods, the greatest temple ever made by human hands, at whose altars a fifth of all plunder of war shall be sacrificed to them as thanks. In the central square of the temple, the Emperor builds a statue of himself, the first emperor of the empire. He is to be enthroned there, forever. The city will also be the site of the Emperor's coronation, which is to take place before the completion of the city. This is done to prevent the citizens from revolting if they should feel that the Emperor is not worthy of being their ruler. As Sel's birthday approaches, the work on the temple comes to a halt. The Emperor grows impatient and angry, and begins to suspect that someone is conspiring against him. His suspicions are confirmed when the priestesses of the temple begin to disappear one by one. Sel is enraged, and orders that the culprit be found and punished. Meanwhile, the Grand Vizier discovers the plot. He tries to warn Sel, but the Emperor refuses to listen. Finally, the Grand Vizier has no choice but to act. Using false documents and forged seals, he impersonates the Emperor himself and carries out the Emperor's orders. He summons a group of assassins to kill the Emperor and all those in his court. The assassination attempt fails miserably, however, as the Emperor is never alone, and always surrounded by guards. The Grand Vizier continues to try to assassinate the Emperor. For two months he plots his next move, until finally he sees a way to get rid of the Emperor permanently. He forms a conspiracy with the Grand Magus, a powerful sorcerer who lives in the north. Together, they plan to turn the Imperial forces against the Empire and make it collapse. Oop. @Matrim's Dice: your turn!

I got him! I-- I-- The old burn of satisfaction rang out despite all her body did to suppress it. Even with every cell blazing through her leftover energy, completely and utterly focused only on moving her body to keep fighting, a part of her brain made the time to set off the transmitters for pleasure. It was conditioning from years--almost decades, now--of grueling training and ruthless murder. As her blade slid into his skin, pushing into the bone and cutting deep, the part of her she wished beyond everything to leave behind peeked out once again. To kill was to succeed, and success was every human's ultimate primal drive. A flash of light, followed by the harsh, whistling ring of her katana been so expertly guided--they cut out in an arc, powerful enough to deafen anything close enough by. Her comrades were all far behind, however. All they would see would be the final broad slash of her blade, followed through far past his neck and swinging out to pull her body sideways and bring the tip far behind. She'd slashed him. His windpipe had been cleaved in two. It was only a matter of time before he collapsed and-- Khaos's jagged, bloodsoaked fingers crushed into her face. His nails cut into her cheeks, one jabbing deep into her eyelid. The shock and the pain might've been enough to enact a shriek, but by now she had far less than any of those left. Instead Elya's katana fell to the ground with a clang as she grabbed at his arm, pushing with primal desperation against his agonizingly powerful grip. But-- No! I got him! I-- Weightless. The wind whistled past ears that could barely hear a sound anymore. It battered against the pitiful remains of her jacket, harsh and cold against what could once still feel pain. With her vision gone almost completely dark, the only way she could tell she was falling now was by the uncanny wrenching in her gut and the faint whistling past the very tips of her fingers. After all that, she'd couldn't even stagger him. But I... He wasn't going to kill them, was he? But then Elya crashed hard into the canals, the impact snapping through her spine like a whip and rocketing up to her head. Just like that her mind went completely dark, and what pitiful few pieces of her body that still had the will to work began to steadily die out. @DramaQueen, @Tani, @Frustration, @Emery the Steelrunner - write your big sads!

:chef's kiss:

Round 3 Recap: The Republic of Astrym attacks the Gahestian Empire, nabbing all their airships in the process. Nam-Ed summons a fourth primordial evil: the Demigods. They use them to absolutely clap Vandora. Dalrya discovers an ancient well of power, which they use to add to the worldbuilding. Eshael Navar begins making headway into the Pitarese mainland. The few remaining Lynarans call upon the gods for aid. They send a warrior called Aladdin, who goes on a seemingly irrelevant quest that somehow saves the Lynarans from extinction. The Wrizrecan empire interrogates a Hive Mind soldier, using its eldritch knowledge to attempt to open a portal to another world. Serenitas begins reconstruction of their homeland, but Lynara is far from done with them. The war continues. The Gahestian Empire seeks aid from Realmingsburg against the traitorous Republic of Astrym, but wind up waging war on Realmingsburg after a convoluted series of events. Not-Luxembourg sends out its monster army to the Earkirandi Empire, but end up getting wrecked by one of their own out-of-control monsters. The Commune of Vandora discovers yet another secret evil known as the Brotherhood. Everyone simultaneously decides that this is super plot-relevant. Realmingsburg takes action against the Brotherhood, but wind up getting clapped. List of Acquisitions: 0008: The Republic of Astrym begins construction of their own Airship fleet. Nam-Ed petitions the gods for a boon, receiving an army of demigod warriors. Dalyra begins exploring the deep and extensive caves sprawling beneath their mountains. The Wrizrecan Empire begins interrogation of the captured Hive Minds. Serenitas begins reconstructing their homeland. Eshael Navar sends their fleet to attack Pitar. 0009: Not-Luxembourg invades the Earikandi Empire with their manufactured monsters. Lynara fights back against Serenitas' restoration efforts. Dalyra discovers an ancient well of power beneath their mountains. Nam-Ed uses their brand-new demigod army to fight back against the Vandoran resistance. The Wrizrecan Empire is contacted by the Hive Mind in order to stop them from using their eldritch knowledge to open a portal to another world. The Republic of Astrym opts to enlarge their airship fleet by capturing the Gahestian Empire's airships. 0010: Dalrya continues exploration through the caves, stumbling upon a vast dwarven kingdom. The Eshaelan fleet and crew manage to capture part of the Pitaran islands. The Earikandi Empire push back against Not-Luxembourg, fighting towards the country's capitol only to find it in shambles, destroyed from within by the very monsters it manufactured. The Republic of Astrym successfully takes all of the Gahestian Empire's airships. The Gahestian Empire seeks aid from Realmingsburg to fight back against Astrym, but are betrayed and declare war on them instead. The Commune of Vandora accidentally finds a secret organization known as the Brotherhood. 0011: Realmingsburg declares war on the Brotherhood, but are almost immediately destroyed by the organization's display of power. @The Bookwyrm, keep us going!

Seeking an explanation for why its allies have betrayed it, Realmingsberg begins taking action against the Mastermind, believing that the Brotherhood is behind all the chaos in this world. The Brotherhood, however, has agents everywhere, and is prepared to defend itself. The masterminding mastermind uses the situation to his advantage, launching a surprise attack on Realmingsberg while its attention is elsewhere. The masterminder takes the city by force, and declares himself ruler of the nation. It would appear that your plan did not succeed. Another round done! I'll get the summary up soon.

The surviving members of the Commune of Vandora--rage-filled after their defeat--recuperate in the wilderness, licking their wounds. One day, a mysterious man appears and offers the Commune a chance to regain their lost glory. He tells them that he intends to conquer the entire continent, and that they can either join him or die. The Commune, who had always despised each other, unite to fight against the stranger. During the battle, the stranger reveals himself to be a member of the mysterious organization known as the Brotherhood. While the Brotherhood is a secret society, it does have a leader: the Mastermind. He sends his minions to attack the Commune from behind. The members of the Commune are quickly overwhelmed, and most of them are killed. R.I.P. @NerdyAarakocra, it is your turn now.

The Eakiris are quick to respond, sending an army of thousands of troops to destroy Not-Luxembourg's facilities. However, the soldiers suffer heavy casualties during the battle against the monsters, and Not-Luxembourg is able to mass produce even more creatures. Eventually, the Eakiris manage to recapture their own towns and cities, but at a huge cost. They decide to send a trade delegation to Not-Luxembourg, hoping for peace negotiations. When the delegation reaches Not-Luxembourg, however, they find that the city has been completely destroyed. The entire population was wiped out in a single night due to the beasts the city manufactured. The surviving Not-Luxembourgers believe that the Eakiris attacked the city to capture their technology. Some of the survivors, including a young girl, flee into the woods to hide from the invading Eakiris. Yikes. @CalanoCorvus, your turn!

Having reclaimed their homeland, Serenitas begins to work to restore the damage done by the occupying Lynarans, seeking help from other nations and using their available resources. However, a group of Lynarans led by the former governor of the Larken Duchy, Raul, rebel against the new government, declaring themselves to be the true rulers of Serenitas. Raul's rebellion spreads quickly throughout the land, and soon the majority of the country is under his control. As the rebellion grows, the Serenitie government orders all military units to rally around the capital, leaving it defenseless. Meanwhile, Raul's forces begin to raid outlying towns and villages. Fearing for the safety of their families, the remaining citizens flee into exile. It would seem that your guys' war is far from over. The Gahestian Empire, hurt by the treacherous once-allies Republic of Astrym, seeks to wage war against the traitors. They ask Realmingsburg for assistance in this war. Realmingsburg agrees to help, but requests the Gahestians to pay tribute to them for helping them in their time of need. The Gahestians agree to this arrangement, but soon realize that the Realmingsburg Empire is actually using them as a tool to maintain power. After the Gahestians and their allies win the war, Realmingsburg demands that they continue paying tribute to them. However, the Gahestians refuse to comply, because they never asked for or received any protection. As a result, the Gahestians declare war on the Realmingsburg Empire. ...So I don't think my petition worked. @Enter a username, your turn now.

Having been completely decimated by the Serenite armies, the remaining Lynaran people cry out for help. The goddess of fate, Aelu, hears their cries and sends her strongest champion to aid them: a warrior named Aladdin. Aladdin arrives at the battlefield, where he helps the survivors to escape through a portal. Once outside the portal, he battles and defeats the demon general, Grendan, who had come to Earth seeking revenge on Aladdin for killing his father. After defeating him, the hero returns to Aelu, who informs him that she will cast a spell to keep his spirit alive forever if he saves the Lynaran people. Aelu tells Aladdin about the prophecy that foretells that the Lynaran race will become extinct within six months. She also reveals that she knows how to stop the extinction, but only Aladdin can help her. Aladdin agrees to help, but asks if there's anything else he could do to repay her. She tells him that he should seek out the Blue Stone of Life and give it to the king of the Lynaras. With the help of the Lynarans, Aladdin defeats Grendan once again and saves the Lynarans. He then travels to the city of Nafra, where he finds that the king of Lynara is none other than his childhood friend, Raul. Aladdin gives the Blue Stone of Life to the king, and thanks the Lynarans for trusting in him. He promises to return someday to save their kind from extinction. @Shallan Stormblessed, I'm pretty sure you're alive again, though I haven't the faintest idea as to where you are. The Wrizrecan Empire captures one of the hiveminds, and secretly torture it to extracts its eldritch knowledge. Upon learning that the Wrizrecan Empire is planning on using this information to create a weapon, the Elders of the Hivemind warn the others. The Wrizrecan Empire replies that it's not going to use the knowledge for weapons, but rather to open a portal to another world. The Elders reply that this is nothing new; they already opened portals to several other worlds before. The Wrizrecan Empire refuses to listen, however, and continues to plan with the eldritch knowledge extracted from its prisoner. The Elders try to reason with the Wrizrecan Empire, but the Empire ignores them and proceeds with its plans. @The Wandering Wizard, you're apparently looking into interdimensional travel, which the Hivemind don't seem all to happy about. @Sequence, it is now your turn.

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Eshael Navar launches its immense navy to fight the Pitar's invasion force with instructions to continue on to create a foothold on the Pitarese coast. This proves to be a mistake, as the navies of both Eshael and the Pitar clash head-on. When the battle is over, Eshael has lost almost half of their fleet, while the Pitar have completely destroyed several more ships. Both sides retreat, allowing their fleets to repair. After the destruction of their navy, the Eshaelian government calls for a complete naval embargo against the Pitar, which goes into effect shortly thereafter. To make matters worse, the Pitar invade the Duchy of Larken, forcing its citizens to flee into exile. A few years later, the Pitar attempt to seize control of the Larken Duchy, but Eshael intervenes. With a combination of naval forces and military units from the army, the Eshaelian forces drive out the Pitar and annex the Duchy. With this new territory, the Eshaelian government intends to expand southward along the coast. @The Unknown Novel, it would appear that you have begun making headway into Pitarese territory!

While mining in the Dalryan mountain range, the Council of Six discovers an ancient well of power. Though they're initially hesitant to study it, they eventually agree to. They discover that this well contains an unimaginably vast amount of mana. The mages conclude that the well must belong to one of the Five Great Races of the world, so they begin researching these races. The Council of Six realizes that the well is connected to the Well of Mana in the Kingdom of Vandora, and they decide to investigate further. They send a group of mages deep underground, where they encounter a tribe of dwarves. The elves don't realize that they've stumbled upon the dwarven kingdom of Brugge until much later. The Council of Six is overwhelmed by the dwarves' size, strength, and skill. They eventually flee the region with their tails between their legs. Congratulations, Mat! You've added to the lore of the world!

Stunned by the incredible forces of magic let loose upon the world, emperor Sell entreats the gods that they might bless the armies of Nam-Ed, offering dozens of human sacrifices. Though the gods appear to hear his pleas, they refuse to intervene directly. Instead, they grant Sell the ability to summon a special force of demons known as the Demigods. These Demigods are among the most powerful beings in the world, and they serve as the emperor's personal guard. Their arrival ends the war quickly, and the Nam-Edians win a decisive victory over the Kingdom of Vandora. Sell's campaign against the kingdom was short lived, however. After losing half of his forces in the first battle, Sell abandons his siege of Vandora and retreats back to Nam-Ed. In the aftermath of the war, the kingdom pays for its defeat at the hands of the Nam-Edians in blood. Thousands of Vandoran soldiers march to the Nam-Edian capital, and they slaughter every last Nam-Edian man, woman, and child they find there. Many years later, the nation of Vandora will rise again, but it will never be the same. Uhh... ... ...@Matrim's Dice! Move us away from this chaos.

Support your argument, coward, or face my wrath.

The Republic of Astrym, using information and technology gained from their alliance with Realmingsburg, begins to develop their own Skyships for their future use and benefit. These Skyships are personalized to Astrym, and are equipped with Adamantium and Starmagic. The Republic of Astrym decides that the best way to defeat the Gahestians is to destroy their Skycastles. To this end, they train their pilots in how to fly their Skyships into enemy castles without damaging the craft. However, their pilots are not yet ready for combat. Many fail to hit their targets during practice runs, and some even crash into the ground or other obstacles. To improve their skills, the Republic of Astrym sends them to Realmingsburg, where they learn the art of flying from the experts. Once the pilots have mastered their craft, the Republic of Astrym launches a massive aerial assault against the Gahestians' SkyCastles. During the attack, the Republic of Astrym captures two of the enemy's SkyCastles, and destroys another. The Republic of Astrym then uses these captured Castles to launch a full-scale invasion of the Gahestian Empire. Over the next few months, the Republic of Astrym's forces land on the Gahestian coast and push inland, destroying the empire's SkyCastle after SkyCastle. Finally, the Gahestians capitulate, and their ruler agrees to a ceasefire. Astrym demands that the Gahestians sign over all their SkyCastles and allow the Republic of Astrym to take control over them. It would seem that the Republic isn't so keen on me being allied with Realmingsburg. (For the sake of continuity I'm going to say that "Skycastle" in this context means "big airship" and not the same thing as the one big Skycastle that Realmingsburg made). @Nameless, your turn!

Fadran decides to down deeper. Maybe it wouldn't all that good for him, but he wasn't the type to give up to water of all things.

Round 2 Recap: The Republic of Astrym sends help to the Commune of Vandora and accidentally summons a second primordial evil. Nam-Ed invades Reabrimore and gets absolutely clapped. Dalrya attempts to assassinate the monarch of Ipethagena and pin the blame on the Gropans. Unfortunately for them, the Gropans assassinate the monarch first and pin it on Dalrya instead. Eshael Navar raises taxes which somehow results in them going to war with another Pitar. Lynara sends some accusations at the Kingdom of Light, which results in them getting invaded and conquered. The Wrizrecan Empire attacks Zunotis, who accidentally creates a third primordial evil. The war's been put on rain check until they sort that out. With their combined power, the Serenite resistance and the Gahestian army manage to recapture the capital from the Lynarans. Not-Luxembourg begins manufacturing monsters for some reason. The Vandoran survivors seek asylum from Nam-Ed, who grants them a place to stay on the one condition that they don't try to undermine the government. Vandora immediately begins undermining the government. It doesn't work. Realmingsburg creates a flying castle with the help of the Gahestians. It's unclear as to how I got there in the first place, but whatever. List of Acquisitions: 0005: The Republic of Astrym sends a team of mages to assist the Commune of Vandora. The Kingdom of Nam-Ed sends an army to invade the Kingdom of Reabromore. Dalyra attempts to spice things up by assassinating the King of Ipethagena and pinning it on the Gropan Dynasty. The Gropan Dynasty gets their first and pins the blame on Dalrya in the most ultimate uno reverse card move the world has ever seen. Eshael Navar attempts to raise taxes in order to get their brand-new fleet out of the harbor. The Wrizrecan Empire invades Zunotis. 0006: The Astrym mages' first expedition fails remarkably. Lynara quests out for more land and provokes the Kingdom of Light. They get conquered in about a week, now only controlling Serenitas. With the help of the Gahestian Empire, Serenitas takes back their capitol. In an attempt to fight back against the Wrizrecans, Zunotis summons an ancient monster race called the Hive Mind. They put the war on hold until that gets sorted out. Eshael Navar passes the tax laws, but accidentally provokes the southern kingdom of Pitar due to the increased import prices. 0007: Pitar declares war on Eshael Navar and beings to attack. The next wave of Astrym mages accidentally awaken an ancient race of monsters called Orchids. The Commune of Vandora is, as it seems, screwed. The surviving Vandorans take refuge in the Kingdom of Nam-Ed. They squander their hospitality and end up starting a rebellion, which is immediately quelled. The Astrym mages begin creating a magical barrier around the island of Vandora to contain the Orchids. They project it will be completed in about ten years. 0008:

As the surrounding world increasingly devolves into chaos, Realmingsberg shores up its defenses. With the help of its allies, it makes upgrades to its skyships and begins implementing the infrastructure needed to make them commonplace. With the help of the Gahestians, Realmingsberg develops a method of using skyship technology to create a giant floating castle, called a Skycastle. The first version is far too large to move, but the engineers are able to shrink it down in time for the Second Era. The Skycastle becomes the center of the realm, and it's used to transport goods across the continent. It also serves as a base of operations for the Realmingsberg army and the Gahestians, giving them easy access to the rest of the continent. You have invented Laputa: Castle in the Sky (the best movie!). And I'm your ally now apparently? Even though I'm nowhere near you? We'll figure that all out later.

The surviving members of the Southern Clan of the Commune of Vandora manage to cross the sea to the Kingdom Of Nam-Ed, where they petition for asylum on the basis that their country has been destroyed. The King of Nam-Ed grants them refuge, but he warns them that they are not welcome. If they cause trouble, they will be forced to leave. The Southern Clan of the Commune of Vandora immediately starts working to undermine the kingdom. They manufacture small arms and explosives, and send them to the kingdom's enemies. The kingdom responds by sending troops to round up the Southern Clan of the Commune of Vandora. The Southern Clan rebels, forcing the kingdom to deploy even more troops. The kingdom's generals are desperate to end the conflict, but they don't know how. Then, one day, an unknown bandit raids the kingdom's border, capturing hundreds of soldiers. When they interrogate him, he reveals that the Southern Clan of the Commune of Vandora is behind all the attacks. The kingdom's officers are shocked, but they decide to make an example of the bandits. They execute every single one of them. The Southern Clan of the Commune of Vandora flees the kingdom, vowing revenge upon the people who murdered their kin. @NerdyAarakocra, 'tis your turn now!

Furious with the Eakirandi Empire, Not-Luxembourg doubles research into what they hope will one day be a great superweapon. They also begin producing more and more units for their army. Their military continues to expand, eventually becoming the largest in the world. However, they keep their plans hidden from the public and continue to work under the radar. Not-Luxembourg also begins manufacturing new types of monsters and releasing them into the wild. Though they're not as dangerous as the previous batch, these monsters still prove quite deadly. With each passing month, Not-Luxembourg's military grows larger and stronger. @Enter a username, you can apparently manufacture literal monsters. Next up is @CalanoCorvus

The remaining Serenite Resistance gathers anybody they can find in the outer farming villages of Serenitas who is willing to fight, arming and training them as best they can. With the aid of the Gahestian Empire's sizeable armies, they launch an attack on the once-peaceful mainland of Serenitas to reclaim their capital from the Lynarans. After several brutal battles, the Gahestians have pushed the Lynarans back to the city of Kaldor, where they continue to fight. The Gahestians, however, begin to grow tired of the fighting. They've been at it for months now, and they're no closer to recapturing Serenitas than they were when they began. Many of the soldiers express their desire to quit the war, but the general of the Gahestians convinces them otherwise. He explains that if they give up hope, the Lynarans will surely win. And so, the soldiers soldier on. It would appear that the AI doesn't want to conclude the war yet. Looks like we'll have to find out what happens on my turn... Now whose turn is it... ... ...Oh! It's mine. In order to empower their Serenite allies, the Gahestian mages arm them with enchanted weaponry. These weapons are designed specifically for use by the weak-willed. Once armed, the Serenites begin to cut down the Lynarans like wheat in a field. The Gahestians watch in horror as the slaughter continues. Eventually, the Gahestians decide that enough is enough. They call out to the Serenite resistance, and together they crush the Lynarans. The surviving Gahestians promise to help the Serenites rebuild their nation. WE HAVE RECLAIMED SERENITAS!!! ...Dunno what Lynara is gonna do now though.