NationStates Jolt Archive


Birth of an Empire: Hidden Game

Nordland II
16-08-2007, 16:12
In the beginning the gathering had no name. It simply existed for it’s purpose. As time followed many titles had been bestowed upon the cult, but only one had stuck the course like no other. The Elves. In ancient times, the Nords had wrote of elves who lingered among men as agents of the Vanir. They were the children of the gods and the protectors of the Norse, and they had brought among them men and women devoted to the preservation of the gods will.

The Christian expanse toward the end of the dark ages had saw an end to the álfari elves to all but the fewest numbers. Over the course of several centuries only one had remained.

Nordsjäl, or the Path, as she was sometimes called. She existed from her mantle of obscurity and held the faith firmly in her hand since 802 A.D.

She has been the bearer of every major ruler in Nordland since 1256. She guided Lorkhan’s first true king to victory in the year 1402, and helped him establish an identity that would last to this day. She mastered the Dasfuret imperial conquest of the renaissance, plotting the course and embedding resentments and affiliations within the people from coast to coast. Those who she could trust, those who were worthy of joining her were selected from birth. As they grew these agents bloomed the fruits of their master, feeding the word of Nordsjäl to the masses.

Finally the work of the last Elf Queen of the Norse would accumulate to this single shining moment. The Crown of Midgarde would be restored and Nordeland would once again shine brightly as a symbol of it’s power.

----

The woman was tall and slender, her features angelic and perfectly proportioned to meet the highest of standards of any human. Her skin shined unnaturally bright, reflecting off of the marble floor she stood barefoot on. Her eccentric robe was an ivory white made of a very light silk that was quite revealing, highlighting her breasts as it wrapped around her torso and met with a leather strap that held several strange pouches. Her eyes were a fair mix of the brightest blue and a silver that matched the most luminous moon, though her flowing golden hair had been concealed by the loose fitting hood of her apparel.

The view of the disgusting pig that was named Leanfaust faded from the massive screen that dominated her hidden temple‘s Chamber of the Watch. What was once a monitor had become a large ornate mirror that seemed to float unaided surrounded by the flow of a clear pool of crystalline water. Her form was wonderfully imitated by both.

“He is a pathetic fool.” The voice reverberated from the otherwise empty chamber. It came from the opposite end of the hall.

“He has served his purpose and aided us in our path to victory” Nordsjäl responded without so much as turning from the beautiful pool to face the welcomed guest. “His actions tonight will be no less crucial than your own Valias, and the same shall be said for his quest of the last fifteen years to your own.”

“I am afraid I object, my lady…”

Another man walked into the hall, this one more elaborately dressed and exotic in nature than the contemporary and rigid Tiber Valias. He wore a customary blue gown over white under clothes, and was armed with a ceremonial dagger fastened to his belt. It was more a symbol than a weapon, a symbol aimed toward any power hungry ruler who thought their power reached past the senate. Rome’s influence on the nation of Falgoust was clear. A senator, a champion, and a prophet. Three of the twelve Pillars that would raise Midgarde from it’s watery tomb and hoist the glorious Empire of Nordland to it‘s rightful place among the clouds.

“Every noble quest demands a martyr. Leanfaust would prove to be adequate.” the third Pillar interrupted, pushing himself into the conversation between the woman and Valias.

Valias raised a quizzical brow, removing himself from the arched doorway he had himself pressed upon, stepping out of the antechamber into the arena of the watch chamber. “I was not aware you were invited senator. Have your duties in your precious council proven too lax?”

Comparing Lorkhan and Falgoust was no different to comparing Sparta with Athens. The two civilizations contrasted one another, but formed a unique bond that shook the core of the region under the submission of their influence. This made for a competitive rivalry between the two powers, and though it was usually considered friendly, it was always outspokenly ruthless.

“I had only thought it necessary to attend so that I might finally, in this last hour before our victory, hear from the lady herself of my coronation as the Emperor of Nordland.”

The self-serving boast of Senator Alaron was just as much an attempt to unnerve the Nasier of Lorkhan. The verbal blow however, was deflected by Tiber Valias’ firm resolve and belief that it would be he who would be crowned. The senator was a smart man and admittedly more of a people person than Valias, but he lacked Tiber Valias’ charisma and intrigue. He also lacked the iron will of Lorkhan’s chosen champion. More importantly, he lacked the encompassing vision.

“Enough of this!” Nordsjäl commanded with a wave of her hand. The room fell silent and both men reserved their full attention to the beautiful elven woman. “In a matter of hours Leanfaust’s men will make their strike on their selected targets. Leanfaust will cite the execution of the Ajoi chieftain and the plunder of Gravedom’s land and resources as the cause for his attack. Falgoust’s queen will surely refuse to involve the nation into the conflict. It is not your concern to involve yourself in the affairs of the crown. Your mission, Alaron, is to stir dissent in the senate and oppose Queen Taerl.”

“The only way to convince the people of Falgoust to incorporate themselves…” Valias interrupted, pausing slightly to assure he had the attention of Alaron. “…is to make them feel that they need fear the fate of their liberties and traditions.”

“Correct.” Nordsjäl added her support to Valias’ statement, now moving between the two men and summoning for them to follow her back toward the antechamber. “Without the support of Lorkhan, and Dasfurer who will surely leap at the opportunity to re-awaken the thunderous army of Nordeland, Falgoust is exposed to a dangerous global trend of occupation. Remind them that it is better to sacrifice for neighbors than strangers.”

“I will do what I can, bu Taerl is very popular with the people, and a woman of her innocence has very little to use against her politically. She has a flawless record and very few enemies.”

“Purity harbors the will of the tainted.” Nordsjäl explained. “You are a nation of selfish politicians and egotistical philosophers. Somewhere in your government is a being who has attempted to string Taerl as a puppet and failed. Somewhere in your government is a person whose corruption has suffered at the hand of her chastity. Use these agents against her and you shall find the delicate link in her armor of virtue.”

“Soon,“ Valias beamed clenching his gloved fists. “Our efforts shall be rewarded with triumph!”

OOC: Closed arc.
Nordland II
29-08-2007, 15:23
Nordsjäl walked gracefully through the narrow passages of the ancient Valjanhad citadel buried beneath the woods of Fuverdark. Trailing behind were was only the luminescent aurora that had surrounded her form, igniting the darkened hall in a bath of bright light as she walked along.

She came to a room with a large round table and a burning flame in the center. Surrounding the table were statues that scaled over twenty feet high, stretching into the darkness that reached for hundreds of feet above. One man sat at the table, in one of the seven seats that were evenly spread around it's base. He was dressed neatly in brown military dress uniform decorated with several medals, ribbons, and symbols. His hair was neatly trimmed into a crew cut and the gray features had been near perfectly died over, an almost pointless effort due to the obvious wrinkles that revealed the age in the man's face.

"Welcome my lady." He said with a bow of his head, saluting her with utmost respect.

"I trust I did not wear your patience, General Kurgstad" she responded, with a wave directed against Kurgstad's cordiality. The man was a brutal warlord and a disgrace to the nobility of these sacred halls. He existed here only because he served a very vital purpose as the current leader of Dasfurer. Of course, he was not aware that his role was finite, and that when the Empire was reunified he would have no further use to her.

It'd be a shame to waste such an efficient and loyal pawn. she thought to herself as she approached the table.

"Oh please my lady, time has no bounds for the arrival of the last Ljósálfar. You have awaited the fulfillment of ancient Nordland for time than I could ever know or understand. Is it the least bit expected that I wait twenty minutes?"

The light elf did not bother respond to his flattery, but rather moved forward to more pressing issues regarding the campaign to come.

"I must remind you Kurgstad that you shalln't jeopardize this moment with hasty action. Tonight our agents in Gravedom shall spill blood within Lorkhan's capital. Valias has taken a diplomatic mission to a nation sharing our heritage, and Doro has been dispatched to a land where my elvish kin once settled. This has left that shallow fool Kraft in Lorkhan, and he has already received orders to respond appropriately."

"Of course" the large dark haired man nodded. "The birth of the Northern Confederacy is to wait until the precise moment. Dasfurer shall involve themselves in the conflict between Lorkhan and Gravedom as a gesture of good will, making it apparent that our actions are merely a process of political maneuvering to win the good graces of the clear power in northern Norgeland."

"You see..." Nordsjäl continued with a clap of her hands. "You are right to punish those who criticize your abilities as a worthy strategist and politician. Surely they should know better than to think you are merely a killer with clout."

The comment was sarcastic, but the elf showed no signs of the fact in her speech. Kurgstad was actually one of the worst leaders the nation had seen in many years, and had pushed the country further into decline by completely altering it into a militarized state. The union with Lorkhan would be the greatest thing to happen to Dasfurer, and many of it's citizens would be quick to embrace Valias as their new leader.

"Now we must watch events unfold."