NationStates Jolt Archive

The sky was over cast and a fine mist hung about the roots of the pine forest. The mountains were silent, but for the trickling of a brook through the valley and the cawing of crows. It was towards this sound that the Shoushi(tracker) took his charges.
The Shoushi moved quickly through the open forest. His face and chest were tatooed in green swirls and spirals and he wore at his side a steel dagger.
"The site is just ahead."
The senior Michinoki nodded and gestured for him to continue. It hadn't been too long since they had left the lowland village, but he knew that the walk back through the forest at night would be a grueling one. He almost wished they could set up a camp at the site, but this mission required him to be quick. The god's demanded it...and what must be done, would be.
Behind him came other Michinoki(Priests of the way) and the ritual three Shinenoki(Priests of Death). As guardians for the five Tsuchinoki(Priests of the Land), the Mai-zoku(Dancer tribe) village had offered to send their best warriors, fifty Douwushi (war dancers), who glided along behind in their flowing cloaks.

Just before the forest opened up to a small valley clearing, the Douwushi stopped and waited. They were a very superstitious group of lowlanders who had rarely dealt with the harsh laws of the Taka-doma(highlands). Though they had known raids by the Okami-zoku (Wolf tribe), a kill of the Hunt was sacred. Whoever lay rotting on the valley hill had wandered into the dark forests, where the Hiku-doma(lowlands) meet the Taka-doma, wandered blindly into the Kari-doma(Land of the Hunt).
At the approach of the Priests and the Shoushi, the crows gathered on the hill side ascended into the darkening sky. They flew off to the north east, towards the mountains, past the border. The border to the Kari-doma was now clear, distinguished by claw marked trees and wooden banners with wolves carved into them.
At the sight of the border the group paused.
"Well, I think it is obvious which tribe is to blame for this. It is those damn Ba-zoku!"
"O-Rendo-ki, once again your insight amazes me," As the sarcasm of the senior Michinoki continued the youngesters ears reddened with shame. "I had never even considered that this was the work of the Okami-Zoku. Though I am disturbed by your attachement to your family tribes name for the Okami-zoku. Every tribe is equal in the eyes of every Tsuchinoki, even the Okami-zoku, Kuma-zoku and Geren-zoku. All Tsuchinoki understand this, no matter their family tribe, be they Michinoki or Shinenoki or any of the five orders. "
"Yes sir..."
"Good. Shoushi, when did you hear of this?"
"The Kalasu-zoku(Raven tribe) alerted the Karimoru-zoku(Hunter tribe)yesterday Taran-ki. I was dispatched immediately to the closest Hiku-doma settlement, which was the Mai-zoku village you were staying at."
"It must be god sent that we were passing through from the gathering at Mioka-ro," said Taran.
"The gods show the way now...," replied the Shoushi.
"And forever after," intoned Taran and O-Rendo.
"Now...let us go up. Shoushi, you may return to the Douwushi. Wait there for us." Without waiting for his reply, the Michinoki started up towards the corpses.
"Wait! Taran-ki, there is something else...a one of the hunted survived. I found his path while I travelled to the village, but lost it."
"Impossible, the Shoushi can find any path or trail..."
O-Rendo was interrupted by the Shoushi, "I could have, but I had a mission to perform. And this was no normal Ba-ki. I can tell by his tracks."
"Thank you again Shoushi. Wait for us in the forest."
"Yes Taran-ki." The Shoushi bowed to the priests and walked back to the forest.
"Now...let us see what we can see..."

The corpses, seven in number, were badly mangled, torn by the wolves of the Okami-zoku and the crows. They were face down on the hill, their eyes turned away from Heaven. The Shinenoki set to work, preparing the corpses for travel while the two Michinoki waited by.
"Taran-ki, do you think this will come to war?"
"Not between the Wan-zoku(ten thousand tribes, the Tribes). But this will not go well in the south. We could have told the foreigners that it was an animal attack, but now that Ba-ki has survived. He will tell the barbarians everything."
"Could this effect the plans of the Council, Senior?"
"Only time will tell, O-Rendo-ki. It proves, once again, why the Wan-zoku must be made to come together, without this constant raiding and feuding. And it is only the five orders of the Tsuchinoki that make it happen without too much bloodshed."
"May the gods show the way now..."
"And forever after..." Taran sighed after he finished, and looked north east, towards the cloud hidden mountains.

General Itsuhide Takamori stood on the upper balcony of the ornate pagoda which marked the centre of the Yamakiro shrine, looking out over the mountains. A thick mist hung in the air, flowing into the valleys and delves, leaving only the mountain peaks visible to the eye, and Takamori understood why his ancestors had built a shrine in this place: such a sight was so beautiful that any who gazed upon it would have no choice but to feel awe and respect for the spirits of Nature.

But, he had no time to contemplate Nature just yet, for there were other, more pressing matters to consider.
Takamori was head of the Sixth Army of the People's Republic of Spyr (http://www.freewebs.com/strain), charged with defending the northern borders of the nation. It ha been a relatively easy task, until recent weeks, when the uncivilized tribes to the north, and warlords to the west, had begun to show signs of consolidation into larger groups. The whole of the 6th Army had been moved to garrisons right on the border, to insure that no hostile raiders crossed over into Spyr, and to take any steps neccessary so that no power arose in the north with intentions counter to the interests of the PRS.

The situation had been going from bad to worse, as the ba-ki... the christian 'priests' of the nation of Tord... had been trying to journey northward as missionaries or somesuch. Even when they remained in their own country, it was hard to tolerate their blindness and ignorance of the true nature of Heaven, and now they were moving forth once again, to aggrevate the northern situation!

Takamori hoped that the Tord would not make matters too much worse. Though the kingdom was an ally, he felt more akin to the northern tribespeople than to the christian Tordians... they shared the same animist faith, the same history... they were truly his brothers and sisters.
He thought back to ancient times, when the whole of the land had been united under the divine emperor, Lyong-ti. Back then, the blessed generals of the August Empire had governed the region from this very shrine, on behalf of the distant Dragon Throne, communing with the local priests and performing rituals to honour both Heaven and Nature. But that was before the Empire had become divided... before the geren-ba had arrived in their metal clothes and enslaved the people of the west under the kingdom of Tord.

He dreamed of a day when the barbarians would be driven from the land, and the people could once again reclaim the unity that was their birthright, together under the Dragon Throne once again... when he could look out from the pagoda not only as a general of the People's Republic, but as a servant of a new August Empire.

Wth a sigh, Takamori turned and strode into the pagoda, where a desk covered in maps and reports awaited him. The President wanted him to keep Spyr's best interests ascendant, no matter what... thoughts of unity would have to wait until he could better understand the situation on the ground. He turned to an aide, who quickly saluted.

"Order our air wings into the sky, for overflights over the north yaman mountains and the plain of Helekar. I want to know exactly whats going on down there."

Alexander Anderson watched Spyr's planes with a smile as they passed overhead, he was weary, beaten and disheveled, but was still alive. He fondled the ears he had taken from the heathan hell hound riders, and smiled all the more.
Soon, very soon, he would bring down the wrath of god upon those filthy Northerners. They had their chance, the other missionaries greeted with open arms and the possibility of salvation. It was a good thing he had been there.
He spied the Spyran outposts in the distance, all he needed to do was endure the "civil" heathans for a short time and he would be home.
(Missionary Alexander Anderson approaches a Northern Spyran outpost, he's been sent by the Tord government, he's got the papers as a Tord official, and is looking for pasage through Spyr to Tord, he has no money, but requests Spyran transport...well, once he gets there he will anyway. Ball's in your court).

[OOC: Ill assume the outpost in question'll probably be one of the guard posts in the mountain passes]

Leftenant-Colonel Mikata Gawan sighed in frustration. Some time ago, an emissary of the Tordian government had arrived at her border post... at least, his papers claimed he was a Tordian emissary... and requested transportation. An easy enough task, save that the border post did not have access to a vehicle pool, and she had been forced to call regional headquarters at Yamakiro to get a chopper sent up.

Looking at the man, Gawan knew he was certainly from Tord. He wore one of those sigils that they all treasured, that symbol of a man nailed to a piece of wood, bleeding to death. She shuddered at the thought of religious followers who bore a constant symbol of their god's defeat of another.

The Tordian was sitting in a chair at the opposite end of the room, fondling what appeared to be gory trophies from some ritual killing... perhaps he planned to eat them in that ceremony she had once heard about, where the Tordians ate the flesh and blood of Jezu-ti... to include such impurity in ritual was in direct opposition to the will of Heaven, and she did not understand why the Tordians would insult their chosen deity so. He hadnt started chewing on them yet, thankfully, and she hoped he would opt for the pine tea they had served him instead.

A soldier approached from a side corridor, and saluted.

"Colonel, a helicopter patrol has arrived, and is ready to carry the missionary to Broken Saints."

Gawan smiled, and strode forward to inform the missionary. The sooner he was out of her outpost, the better.

Alexander Anderson arrives in Tord, and shortly after reports to Archbishop Constantine, who reports to Queen Patricia.
He tells them of the heathan savages and how they atacked anyone they saw, etc (a biast account).
Military assets of Tord are put into motion to send an expedition into North Yaman, to recover any lost missionaries, and perhaps dea lwith the local populace...

36 Missionaries, along with 79 aids, are sent to The Empire of Helekar, 3 missionaries are acting ambassadors to open peaceful relations between the two nations, the rest are trying to convert the populace...

The People's Republic of Spyr has granted permission for an expedtionary force from Tord to cross through Spyran territory and into the northern Yaman mountains, to investigate the dissapearance of its missionaries. However, this permission is contingent on the assurance that this force will seek a peaceful resolution, and not act as a retaliatory attack on the native peoples, nor a a blunt stick with which to opress their culture in favour of Tordian christianity.

The Tordian force will be accompanied as far as the border by the 3rd Infantry Division of the Spyran 1st Army

EDIT: (OOC: because I said I would, but forgot to mention it in the thread...)
A yamakinoki (priest of the great mountain spirit) from the Yamakiro temple wll be accompanying the Tordians, with two guards and an aide, to provide translation and cultural liason services for the Tordians.

the condition is agreed upon, and the force set out.
Alexander Anderson could'nt help giggling as the Cavalry force crossed the border into North Yaman, he hadn't had to wait long at all for this, God was indeed good. He showed them the way he and his entourage had gone, and they set off in search of the missing missionaries and native tribes.
(Unless you wanted to do something while they were in Spyr, then I'll edit this post.)
(The host's intent is to approach any natives with a handful, if not just one person (and the Spyran interpreter) and open peaceful discussion with them, to find the missing missionaries (whether alive or dead) and lastly, find the ones responsible for the deaths...if the host ever does find out about the deaths).

The PRS has officialy opened diplomatic relations with Helekar, and has deployed four tank divisions to that nation, in order to assist in maintaining regional stability.

In other news, after leaving First Army command in the hands of his brother, Anilus Hay, General Alexander Hay has been dispatched to Sol Sanctum, to serve as senior liason between Spyr and Tord, in these times of change and upheaval.

Ress Geetan was worried. A lowlander of the Mai-zoku, Ress had lived all his life in the shadow of the mountains of the Taka-doma, going about his farming. The Mai-zoku kept to the valleys and the places where the rivers ran down from the mountains and lived in relative peace, compared to the tribes that lived closer or in the Taka-doma. In his valley, Ress had been quite happy, content with his lot and trusting in the martial prowess of the Douwushi warriors.

But now, his peaceful life was being shattered. The tribes were on the move, there was rumours of great battles and feuding between the tribes of the Taka-doma and, lately, strange priests had appeared out of the south, speaking of a God that stood alone. Everyone had called him a fool, but he took this to mean only one thing...the Heavens were falling.

If one God had seized control of Heaven then that meant that all the gods of the world were dead, their spirits vanquished. The world, now devoid of its guardians, would crumble and Man lost to war and bickering. All had mocked him, called him the village fool, but he knew what he had to do.

He had heard of a spirit, a great reincarnation of one long dead, who ruled a vast Land in the south west. This Land, with its guardian god-in-man would surely be the best place to flee to. So he decided to find the way down the valley, to this strange land and its leader.

None had come with him. This wife had yelled that he was crazy, an idiot, the village fool. But he had seen that she was lost, would not come to salvation. He had set out on the next day...

What had struck him as the worst sign of change to the Way-things-are was the reactions of the Tsuchinoki to the news of war in the Taka-doma. Ever before, the Priests had comforted the people, instructed every tribe and village as to what was happening. But lately, the Priests were silent. Even when the Ba-ki came to his village, the senior Michinoki had simply turned the foreigner away...he hadn't told the people anything of why the Ba-ki was spreading the story of one God.

But it didn't matter now, he had been travelling for many days and soon he would reach the Land he sought. Every village he passed had told him he was closer to the ancient border between the land of the Wan-zoku and the land with the supposed holy leader.

It was then that he heard movement ahead, around the bend in the valley. He crept as he climbed into the woods around the little river valley and peered down as a strange party passed him by. There were many men, giants even, men who might have been able to stand up to a man from the Geren-zoku covered as they were in the oddest armour. They were riding, or trying to ride. Some had gotten off their beast, as the forest was thick in this area, and some rode partly in the river. At the end of the line came some who looked more similiar to the people he had grown up with, the Mai-zoku. The party continued its slow climb into Hiku-doma and were soon gone.

Ress crept from his hiding place and set off at a run. He wanted to get as far away from the strangers as possible. He had known that the Land was falling towards ruin, but he hadn't known that the tribes even lower than the Hiku-doma were also marching to war...

The host continued on, trippity trot.

Taran, high Priest of the Michinoki and selected leader of the Tsuchinoki, looked down from the Mioka-ro, over the pre-morning plains of the Hiku-doma. Down there, the many villages and towns of the Mai-zoku spread out away into the east, until the ground sloped up to the Taka-doma. There the valley city/fortress of Michi marked the beginning of the lands of the Man-zoku(Valley tribe).

Taran liked to watch the sunrise from the shrine. It was soothing to see the light shine golden on the ancient standing stones ringing the hill and see the ancient, gnarled cherry tree absorb the energy of the sun goddess. The scene always reminded him of his mandate which, of late, was becoming harder and harder to fulfill.

A quarter of the moon had pasted since O-Rendo had brought him a message from the Kalasu-zoku of the southern mountains, far to the south of Michi and the Man-zoku kingdom. It seems that many Sawa-zoku(River tribe) and Mai-zoku had been fleeing north east to the Taka-doma and south to Arentaka, the city of the Sawa-zoku on the river Ogawa. The cause was the worry, not the quickly abandoned, and quickly reclaimed, villages and towns. A group of some seven hundred cavalry were making a straight line up the Hiku-doma to Mioka-ro, and behind it, the Kari-doma of the Okami-zoku.

Only quick dispatching of messenger ravens had prevented the tribes of the Hiku-doma from marching on the foreign group. But the small army hadn't stopped and was now only days from the ancient shrine of the Wan-zoku. In preparation, many of the douwushi and other warriors of the Mai-zoku, ever loyal to the priesthood of North Yaman, had gathered near the holy site, in case the foreigners meant to bring war to the holy ground, the meeting place between the Taka-doma and the Hiku-doma.

Taran smiled as the sun rose into sight and began filling the plains and hills with its power. He would protect the people of the Wan-zoku as best he could, and the gods asked nothing more.

Spyran satellites are positioned in orbit, and patrol aircraft are making constant runs to keep a careful eye on the situation.

Yamakinoki Gizo Takanori, accompanied by a pair of aides and a company of infantry, is slowly making his way through North Yaman, behind the Tordian cavalry (who I assume have been outpacing the pedestrian Spyrans). Wherever people are encountered, they are greeted with offers of tea, and Takanori attempts to converse with them about the situation in North Yaman. (likely slowingthe Spyrans down even further).

From of-shore of the Tord coast, another dropship set out, not not one dropship, but five.

This time though, only three carried soldiers, the rest had inside of them equipment, GC-5s, MCR-2s, GR-100s, and even IAAW-2 Anti-Air weapons.

The convoy flew low over the trees, so low that some branches scraped against the underside of the dropships. The dropships themselves were painked a blackish green, their national insignia was painted over. As the flew low, they searched for the elusive tribesmen, they only needed to find one tribe...

One the ground, the commandos (landed in the other thread), moved silently through the forest, as they moved, thecommadner hel up his hand, ordering them to stop. As they peered through the forrest fog, the saw the Tordian army, and waited.

[OOC: Err, Im trying to get the new Lyong map drawn/region webpage updated, which should make these distance/location/etc issues more clear for everyone. Hopefully the map'll be done soonish, other stuff updated later...]

[OOC: Err, Im trying to get the new Lyong map drawn/region webpage updated, which should make these distance/location/etc issues more clear for everyone. Hopefully the map'll be done soonish, other stuff updated later...]

OOC: thanks, I was hoping that my joining this RP would not be an inconvenience, but Thelas has for a long time had an interest in the Lyong area, for various reasons.

OOC: Thelas, which Tordian army are your men looking at? The exiled rebels, on the coast of Kaioken, or the 700 cavalry moving through North Yaman (which is much, much further inland, and thus less easily accessible)?

The map IS coming... eventually.... should make things much easier to understand...]

OOC: this is indeed confusing. Thelas, I think you're associating Kaioken with North Yaman. We are neighbours, but North Yaman isn't on the shore. And the "natives" that contacted Glenn don't even speak the same language as the tribal peoples of the lands of the Wan-zoku. So the elves that dropped in the other Lyong thread must have either dropped in Kaioken...or North Yaman. If they're watching the Tordian army (sent to find the Okami-zoku murders of their missionaries) then they're in North Yaman and the priests would have been alerted of their presence, what with the tribal people of the Mai-zoku and Sawa-zoku fleeing from weird foreigners when the sentries notice them.

(OOC: The soldiers are in North Yaman, and are about to get moving)

IC: The Capitan decided that his mission would be better served elsewhere and got moving. Even with all their equipment, the elves moved quickly and silently through the forests, ears, and microphones, strained to hear any sounds of human life. With the group was another young elf, as with the others, he was one of the best insurgent soldiers in the Thelasian Army, but this young man had a special magical gift. He was telepathic. He had been chosen to communicate with the natives and to learn their language, then to teach it, again telepathically, to the other soldiers.

OOC: It would really be great to have that map soon, for the OOC person behind Thelas, and for Thelas High Command, just so that I know what my men are doing.

Scouts were returning from ahead, reporting a hill teeming with natives.
Finally, Argus (the hosts commander, Paladin) thought to himself, some dogs that won't run away.
Argus: "We ride forth , gather my retinue, we shall see what these heathans have to say for themselves.
(the hosts rides forth to the shrine, as a whole. Once the host is minutes away from the shrine, Argus and 12 other knights will head forth to greet the North Yamans).

OOC: Okay...if the troops are in North Yaman, and they're watching the Tordian army, then they're in the Hiku-doma, the Lowlands. The lowlands are very marchy and are pretty much vast fields. The closest Forests are into the Taka-doma, or Highlands. The Taka-doma extends pretty much all around the Hiku-doma, except to the south, where the river Ogawa marks the border between the land of the Wan-zoku and Helekar. To the west lies Kaioken and the coast, to the north the Kingdom of Dawi Grung and to the east, over the Yaman mountain chain, Spyr.

So, your troops can't be both moving through the forests and watching the small army. If they are in the forests, then they're probably in the west, near Kaioken and Mioka-ro.

The thirteen Tordian Knights galloped over the soft ground, north west, towards the hill that rose from the plains and marsh. Behind the shrine rose the forests and hills of the highlands, which is where Tord had lost contact with its missionaries.

On the very top of the hill, an ancient cherry tree acted as a signal, announcing the sacred site to the flat lands for miles around. Near the base of the hill was a ring of massive stanging stones, below them, sealed portals digging into the side of the hill. Further out from the hill, eight wooden gates stood to mark the eight corners of the world. Outside this ring, some wooden structures were erected, places of shelter and worship.

Seven priests awaited the knights at the gate marking the south-west corner. They were the only people in sight...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Taran stood still as the knights continued riding towards the shrine. To his side was his faithful, if naive, student O-Rendo. Behind him stood the elected representatives of the five orders of the Tsuchinoki, chosen, as he was, at the Grand council which had been held at the Mioka-ro.

The fourth Grand Council had just taken place the year before, but the history of the councils was a long one. The first had been held three millenia ago, when the people of the Wan-zoku had fled the change of the Warring States Era. The next was when the August Empire formed and included the Tsuchinoki in its connection with the populace of the Wan-zoku. The third had been held when the Empire had fallen, which is when the Michinoki had changed from simple teachers to leaders and their holy mandate had been confirmed. Without the Empire, the Priests of the Way were to try to protect the Wan-zoku, from the outside world and from themselves.

This was now Taran's mandate, and he would live up to it. Nothing would stand in his way, not even his own fear of change, a fear that built with every step of those horses.

"Senior. The Mai-zoku army is ready and the Sawa-zoku cavalry force is on the way from Arentaka. We also have Douwushi posted behind the standing stones, should the foreigners decide to rush the hill. They won't get..."

O-Rendo was cut off by the forceful voice of his teacher. "Think O-Rendo-ki. If they rush the hill then we will have already lost. No more of this. Run and tell the Shinenoki that the foreigners have arrived."

"Yes...Senior."

A cold wind is blowing out of the highlands, thought Taran. And these coming are not the only foreigners the ravens of the Kalasu-zoku had brought word of...

A pair of helicopters rip through the sky of North Yaman, speeding northwest from the mountains... towards the gathering at Mioka-ro.

Argus rode to the group of Natives standing nearby, as he approached, he greeted them, not bothering to dismount.
Argus: "We come from the Kingdom of Tord, a land to the South. We come in search of the bodies of those that came before us, preaching the truth of the one true God, they were called missionaries, we also search for the foul perpetraitors that slew these noble men, know you of any of this?"

The Priests stared at the Paladin with cold glares. Not one of them showed any emotion on their passive faces.

The Priest in the front, a man getting on in his years, replied.

"I am Taran-ki, formerly of the Michinoki, now elected leader of the Tsuchinoki. We Tsuchinoki are the voices of the Wan-zoku as much as anyone ever can be. Your Ba-ki, who still wander our land, were not welcome here and this was made known to them."

The elder paused and glanced at one of the buildings, which was seperate from the rest of the settlement. He sighed and continued.

"But what happened to them was still unjustified. They were not warriors, and should not have been included in the hunt of the Okami-zoku. I don't know what madness would have set them on those Ba-ki. It's not as though there was a warrior spirit among them. Perhpas they are lost to the Way..."

Finished, he pointed to the building away from the hill and the small settlement and turned towards the hill. The other priests turned and followed him.

He had only gone a few steps when he stopped and glanced back at the knights.

"You may go into the Kari-doma, if you wish to bring death and pain to yourselves and that entire forest. I cannot stop you, only warn you...as the Ba-ki were warned."

He spat the last words at the Knights and then continued towards the gate...

Argus waved the priests last comment off, and headed towards the building. They reached it and entered, and when the door was opened they found four priests in a dark room.

"Greetings, foreigners. Come in..." The rough voice belonged to a tall, heavy set man with a shaggy beard and powerful arms. He was standing infront of the long stone table that ran down the room. As the knight's eyes adjusted to the gloom, they could see herbs hanging from the ceiling and various equipment in cabinets. On the table, fifteen figures were wrapped in silk and lay side by side.

As the crusaders walked in, one of the priests stepped out a side door.

"These are your Ba-ki and their servants. We, the Shinenoki, have kept their spirits safe, so they might meet your God on his own terms. Though they should have been burned, to allow their souls to return to the cycle, they were not for the Ba-ki in our lands told of your ways of burial. You may take them and do with them what you will."

Argus whispers a few words to his retainer, who returns to the crusading host to get men to retrieve the bodies.

Argus glared at the head Priest of Death "Where were they killed...and who killed them?"

"They were killed in the Kari-doma, to the North West. They were killed during the hunt, so it could have been any of the many packs of the Okami-zoku. This is the information you are allowed, as brothers of the fallen. Further than that I cannot, nor will not, help you."

"Very well then." Then, to his retainers. "Let us away."

Argus and his retainers met back with the host. Argus sent 50 knights away back to Tord with the missionaries bodies, and the rest he prepared to march North West to where the attacks took place.

The Spyran helicopters came quickly into view, slowing as they approached the great mound of Mioka-ro. Their black shapes circled the holy site once, then twice, before coming to rest in the fields beyond.
Before they had even settled upon the ground, the infantry platoon contained within them sprang forth, followed by some sort of priest and an officer, whose double braid marked him as a senior officer.

The group split, the senior officer leading the priest and some of the infantry towards the priests around the hill, while the platoon officer took the rest of his men, and moved to stop the Tordians.

"Sir knight! Hold for a moment!"

damn damn damn damn damn damn
Argus thought to himself as he saw the helicopters come into view
damn damn damn damn damn damn
Argus thought to himself as they landed
damn damn damn damn damn damn
Argus thought to himself as the Platoon approached him
This expedition had been a big chance for him, he was given commend of the first crusading force from Tord for ages, and had the potential to return a hero, now these Spyran...dogs could very much ruin everything. I suppose these heathans look after their own.
Argus: "What is your business? I am here on the Queens authority."

O-Rendo had had enough of those foreigners, and when they came to the hut, he had slipped out the back and gone to rejoin his Senior. As he marched up the hill he glanced back at the knights and their host, which seemed to be on the move.

When Taran was waiting for him between two standing stones. Out of the corner of his eye, O-Rendo could see the Douwushi warriors and Mai-zoku archers hiding behind the ancient monoliths.

"Taran-ki, you know these foreigners bring only change and destruction. Why then do you tolerate there defilement of our sacred land? They mean to attack the Kari-doma. Many packs will be torn and blown to the wind if they reach the forest..."

"Think for once O-rendo-ki. If they make for the forest, we will know their intentions. The Mai-zoku army has orders to destroy them if they move to the north west."

"Sorry Senior. I should have known you would have a plan..."

"Perhaps it will not be necessary," the Elder replied, still staring off into the south east.

"But you know they mean to make war Senior...what could stop these foreigners?"

"Dragons..."

"What? Senior...you're not making any sense." O-Rendo was deeply confused now and stood staring at his teacher, an expression of fear on his face. "Have you gone mad?"

Taran smiled and turned towards him. "Sometimes, you must simply look...and the gods will provide."

As he said this, a hum that been growing became impossible to ignore as two black helicopters rushed towards the shrine and began circling it.

"Come O-Rendo-ki...we will go down to meet them..." Taran smiled at the look of awe and wonder on his students face. "Some things never change in one life," he thought. Looking at the helicopters, now moving away from the hill and descending, Taran's face went hard once again. "And some things, do change too quickly."

With those thoughts on his mind, he once again walked towards the south west gate.

------------------

In the trees to the north and west of Mioka-ro, an army waited, hid and watched. Mai-zoku archers, Douwushi and hiku-doma villagers with sharp sticks waited for the day to decide whether blood would be shed.

With his war leaders around him T'aejo, chief war leader of the Mai-zoku, watched from a high point in the hills. This army was the biggest that had been assembled in the lands of the Wan-zoku for many generations and he was proud of it. Should the foreigners cross the ring of the eight gates, or try to make it into the forest, the army would move and their traps would be sprung.

"Fifty thousand soldiers...who would have thought that I would have the honour of commanding a war party so vast," With that, he knelt and bowed down. "May the gods watch over us now..."

His group, all bowed the same way and chanted, "And for ever more..."

"God bless, sir knight!" the platoon officer said as he jogged up alongside the horse of the Tordian leader, "I am quite sorry to trouble you, but may I inquire as to what you are doing here on this fine day?"

------------------------

As the senior Spyran officer approached the gate, those watching him noticed that he held something in hand, a folded piece of purple silk upon which characters had been drawn in white paint... a prayer cloth.

The officer approached the gate and bowed, first deeply to the gate itself (and the hill beyond), then more lightly to those who stood there waiting.

"I am Itsuhide Takamori, General of the Spyran 6th Army, and commander of the Yamakiro Garrison. I come with a prayer for the honourable tree, and to speak with you on matters all the tribes of the north should know".

[OOC: The regional page has been updated here (http://www.freewebs.com/strain/lyong.html).... some info may need clarification, some stuff (history subpage, most likely) is still a bit behind... but, the map is there, which should help everybody.]

Argus kept his horse's pace up, and looked down to the Spyran officer with just a bit of contempt.
Argus:"I am here in search of our missing missionaries and upon finding their bodies, I am now searching for the foul people that killed them, what, pre tell, are you doing here?"

"We're here to speak with the people of North Yaman," the platoon officer replied, speeding his jog to keep up, "to ensure that any and all potential conflicts are resolved by the most peaceful means available. Im sure you agree that violence and conflict benefit no-one.

If you go to seek those who slew your countrymen, please keep in mind that a missionary goes to spread the word of God, of love and peace, knowing that by doing so they risk their lives. They do it because they believe that love and peace are worth dying for, and those who came to this place paid that price. Do not dishonour their memory, and your own soul, by seeking vengeance and more death... an eye for an eye was rejected as a doctrine by Jesus Christ, when the people of the world were granted a new Covenant with God... one of love and of forgiveness. If you go forth and seek justice in violence, you will go against all that Jesus taught to the world... war can bring little but pain to those it touches.

Thus, I ask you, can you find it in your heart to love, and to forgive, as God loves and forgives all his creations. Please, stay horse and hand from any path that would lead to bloodshed."

Taran smiled. It was as before. Taran bowed to the General.

"Itsuhide Takamori, Keeper of the Yamakiro shrine, be welcome here. I am Taran Jidoshin-ki, formerly of the Man-zoku, formerly of the Michinoki and now elected representative of the Tsuchinoki."

"Please meet the Senior's of the Tsuchinoki. Zong Kuza-ki, formerly of the Sawa-zoku, Senior of the Ii-ki(Priests of life)." The tall, lean man bowed.

"Ika Chung-ki, formerly of the Kalasu-zoku, now Senior of the Shinenoki(Priests of Death)." Ika nodded to the new comer, his face remaining as expressionless as the ravens of his tribe.

"Senior of the Uta-ki(Priests of the Song), Shuri-lan Mora, formerly of the Mai-zoku and Aluri Mikio, formerly of the Kuma-zoku, now Senior of the Ka-ki(Priests of the Word)." The men juxtaposed each other, the one small and soft from living in the Hiku-doma, the other a massive man, his face scarred by what appeared to be bear claws. Both were obviously joyful in this encounter, and bowed together.

"And lastly, Dwalasi Unri, formerly of the Karimoru-zoku, now filling my position as Senior of the Michinoki(Priests of the Way)." The last man simply starred coldly at the newcomer, his eyes piercing the general's. At a look from Taran, he bowed, stiffly and lower than needed.

Taran turned back to Itsuhide Takamori.

"Please...Enter at your will. We may speak within."

Taran gestured towards the hill...

We have been waiting for you for too long, the elder thought.

General Takamori accompanied the priests through the gate, heading towards the prayer tree.

"I am sure you are aware of the many things which have happened since the brotherhood of Lyong's peoples was lost..."

Takamori continued speaking, telling of the turmoil after the death of Shy-ti, the warring princedoms, and the arrival of the geren-ba.
He told of the warlords who had ravaged the land for many years, of his own past as a warlord working with the priests of the Yamakiro Shrine to try and reforge the bonds which had once bound the region together...

"... but, I did not... COULD not succeed, for I sought to copy the past, not learn from it. But, there came a man who could do what I could not... Stephen Strain, descendant of Lyong-ti. Where he spoke, the people were filled with strength, and they rose up to reclaim their unity. Though I was a warlord, I could not bring myself to oppose him... I instead bowed down to serve him, for even I could see that he would lead our nation to greatness. And, that is exactly what he did, leading his armies, and the people themselves, to unite us as the People's Republic of Spyr.

But, he cannot rest, for though he has brought prosperity and happiness to the people of Spyr, he wishes to spread them to others as well... spread them to you. That is why I am here."

Taran considered this man's words. He did not seem to be trying to deceive them, indeed, his conviction seemed strong.

"If this could be true...," he thought to himself.

"General Takamori, would that I could believe you. There have been some through the years that have tried to declare themselves an ancestor of Lyong-ti and rightful ruler to all the lands under the sun. They have brought the Wan-zoku to war too often, tribe against tribe."

Taran paused and looked back, beyond the gate, to the Dragon helicopters and the troops.

"But if this man, Stephen Strain, is indeed who you say he is..."

He turned back and continued through the ring of the standing stones. Behind the stones Itsuhide could see the Mai-zoku warriors, crouching down and clutching their weapons, ready to defend the sanctity of the Shrine.

"You can see General, we have become a solitary people, have disconnected ourselves from the world. But if the true descendant of the Emperor has indeed been given power by the people, again...then, perhaps..."

Taran looked that the warriors, painted in the blue which was the colour of their tribal land. They would fight...yes...and well, but for how long? How long could they stand alone...the Tribes against the foreigners. How long could each tribe fight all alone before they were blown to the wind?

"I would like to meet this Leader of yours."

Argus stopped his horse at that last point, he was struck by it...
Argus: "your words are very poignant...if you'll excuse me"
Argus rode up to his men and said a few word to them, they then collected the bodies, and Argus headed out with 50 knights towards the forest, they went around the shrine. When they reached the forests edge, they started to dig 15 six foot holes in the shade of the trees. They buried the missionary corpses there and held a small service, using their swords as grave markers.
He returned to his host
Argus: "We ride!"
The host was saddled and off within twenty minutes, and their trek out of North Yaman began jsut as the sun began to set.

Takamori smiled.

"Im sure the President would be delighted to see you. I could take you to Sithin this very moment, by helicopter, if you wish."

--------------

The platoon officer watched the Tordians depart, then walked slowly to the graves and knelt to pray for the buried missionaries. As a christian in Spyr, he worried about Tord's oft-belligerent attitude, and the bad reputation it had earned the faith. He hoped that his words had some sot of impact.

"To ride the Dragons...Yes. I think I would like to meet this Strain as soon as possible."

The group was silent as they approached the top of the hill and the elder cheery tree. The ritual was performed in silence, with the only sound coming from the labour of the crusaders to bury their martrys and the whining of horses from outside the ring of the eight gates. The group bowed to the ancient, then Itsuhide Takamori approached it and tied the prayer cloth into one of the lower branches. The cermony over, the group stood watching the sun fall into the west, behind the now safe lands of the kari-doma.

"Also, you should know General, the Jesus-zoku and their Ba-ki are not the only foreigners in this land. There are others..."

I hope Heaven reads this prayer... thought Takamori, and grants the unity I seek.

He turned to the priests.

"Others, you say?"

"They move through the fields and forests...trailing the Jesus-zoku for a time, at a distance. They are not the same as us...the Mai-zoku who spotted them thought them to be spirits. But I'm sure the messages I received from the Sawa-zoku didn't describe spirits...more like..."

Taran looked to the helicopters.

'Those there, the machine dragons..."

Damn! thought Takamori, They arent ours, nor from Kaioken or Dawi Grung... Tord probably wouldnt support a cavalry force with choppers either. The border nations were rater small and nonagressive, so who could it be?

Misdirected units from the Sino-Japannese war?
unlikely... Japann seemed to be falling to enemy forces, and neither side would have any reason to enter Lyong airspace.

Other Pacific powers? Naori had landed colonists south of China, Roania was certainly not to be dismissed, but he could not think of a local power that could gain an advantage here...

Thelas? They had already driven themselves deep into the Spyran phere of influence once before, and the Spyran High Command was certain they planned to return... but what reason would they have to be in North Yaman?

Regardless, there was little time...

The General turned to the priests.

"If you would be so kind as to accompany me to the helicopters, we can be on our way to Sithin."

"Yes. The sun is setting on our time...but first I must attend to the Wan-zoku." Taran turned to the priests assembled.

"Shuri-lan-ki, I want you to talk with your brother, T'aejo. Convince him to keep the army together. Tell him...no, tell the Mai-zoku of what happened here today. They have always been very religious, it will spur them on."

"Aluri-ki, I want you to travel north and into the Taka-doma. Contact the tribes there...Kuma-zoku, Geren-zoku and the Mekura-zoku you can find. Have their representatives gather at Mt. Bektu, above the Shi-Daoken."

"Ika-ki, I want you to send out ravens to the tribes east. The Kalasu-zoku can contact the Karimoru-zoku and the Man-zoku. Have the representatives of the tribes of the east gather at the Taka-doma fortress city of Michi."

"Zong-ki, I want you to ride South into the Hiku-doma with the Sawa-zoku cavalry when they arrive. Ride to Arentaka and bring back the Sawa-zoku representatives."

"Lastly I want you, Dwalasi-ki, to talk to the Okami-zoku. See if they can have one of their gatherings of the packs and elect representatives."

"Then we shall gather the representatives at Mioka-ro. Now...O-Rendo-ki, you will come with me. General Takamori, we may leave when you will. Also, will I be able to bring honour guards? I owe the Douwushi and the Mai-zoku for gathering here today."

"You may each take two honour guards with you... if I divide you between the helicopters, and bring along two fire teams of soldiers in each as well, in case we encounter difficulties. The other men will, with your permission, set up camp here and await orders... their removal from the choppers will grant us greater speed."

"Certainly, your warriors may stay. Shuri-lan-ki, see to their accomodations and food. O-Rendo-ki, gather four of the most reliable warriors from among the Douwushi."

"If you wait a moment General Takamori, I wish to say goodbye to the land..."

Taran walked away from the gathering, as the priests went to their errands and Mai-zoku Douwushi and archers began moving from their hiding places towards the forest, with the exception of the honour guard. Taran bowed once to the setting sun, and then once more to the ancient cherry tree.

"You are safe once again, ancient..." he whispered.

Within minutes, most of the supplies had been offloaded from the helicopters, and the passengers strapped in on board.
The rotors of each helicopter began to spin, faster and faster, stirring up the grass and leaves around them, until at last both craft rose into the sky.

They hovered there for a moment, as if gazing down upon the Mioka-ro...

Then, they turned and sped away, towards the south-east.

OOC: Well, its all on you now Spyr...I have no idea where we're arriving, or what's what in much of Spyr.

----------------------------------

The Raven flew east from Mioka-ro, over the fields and marsh, over mai-zoku villages and towns. The raven watched as the mai-zoku attended their fields and crops, saw them scurry about their business in their earth huts. Down there, word was spreading quickly of a great happening at Mioka-ro, the armies of the Mai-zoku clashing with the Jesus-zoku, of defilement of corpses and great impurity, of the return of the Dragons of Heaven.

Eventually the land started to rise into forested hills. Here, the black birds of the Kalasu-zoku called out to the raven, but their calls went unanswered as the raven flew past the tree villages of the tribe. Once the raven spotted a rare sight, of a tent village of the Karimoru-zoku. Shoushi noticed the passing bird and wondered what news it brought to the Taka-doma.

The pine forest started thinning out as the land continued to climb and climb. The raven took to one of the long river valleys that ran down from the highlands. Quite suddenly, the valley ended and the walls of the valley rose up, with a trickle of water visible, coming from a cave entrance at the base of the rock wall. Into the cliff side was carved an ancient symbol, a great mountain god, terrible to behold. The raven flew straight at the wall, and into the mouth of the figure. It continued to fly through the cavernous mouth towards a light visible at the end of the tunnel.

Suddenly, the raven burst out of the cavern and into the sunlit valley, completely surrounded by tall cliff faces. On top of those cliffs were defences, ringing the circular valley. Inside the valley the raven flew, over the stone and rock bridges that connected the valley sides with the city in the middle of the valley. In the grazing fields below these massive bridges, goats and sheep moved about and workers toiled with the crops.

The city itself was made from stone and rock, in some places carved from the living earth itself. It rose high, in places higher than the encircling valley walls. To one of its many towers the raven flew, its journey now over. It had made it to Michi, the valley fortress and main city of the Man-zoku territory.

The two helicopters fly for hours upon hours upon hours, stopping on occasion to refuel before resuming their journey, full-tilt. Finally, they reached their final destination... Sithin, the home of the Dragon Throne, capital of the People's Republic of Spyr.

The North Yamani are whisked out of the helicopters and into a pair of waiting luxury cars, which set off at high speed towards the heart of the city. Parks and skyscrapers zoom by the windows, until at last the end of their journey comes into view...

... the Presidential Tower looms up into the sky, a rectangle of gleaming black glass rising from the ground where, a thousand years ago, the Imperial Palace had once stood.

Th North Yamani find themselves hurried up the broad steps and through the massive marble-tiled lobby, through several security checks which result in the removal of almost everything but the shirts on their backs (and, oddly enough, the blades at their sides, if any), and finally into an upper-floor waiting room, where they are seated on red-satin couches and served sweetened maple tea by a pretty young military officer, before being left alone, to wait...

O-Rendo was in awe...the sights, the flight, the towering city. Living his life in the lowlands, he had heard of places like this, gatherings of many peoples, but he had never been to such places. And now he was in the heart of an empire that controlled more villages and peoples than he even knew...

They had been finishing up a celebration when he arrived, something about how big the empire was, or how many peoples in controlled. O-Rendo hadn't even had time to figure it out, he had been whisked past the towers and the strange buildings. And now they were on the spot which had been the Imperial Palace...where Lyong-ti had made the center of his empire.

"Taran-ki, what do you want me...," O-Rendo started.

"You are here to listen and watch, O-Rendo-ki. This is why I brought you," The old man continued to drink his tea and left the young one to his silence...

"Atleast they have good tea," Taran thought, as he imagined what kind of ruler this man would turn out to be.

Finally, after over an hour of waiting, the priests, leaving their honour guard behind, are escorted by a pair of military officers, down a long hallway and through a large door, into what seems to be some sort of observation room, with several comfortable chairs and a low table. The entirety of the far wall is taken up by a massive, tinted window, through which a spectacular view of the city can be seen... parks and towers, cars and trains, as well as the banners and crowds still celebrating from the festivities (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=100361) declared earlier.

Standing in the centre of the room is Stephen Strain, President-for-Eternity of the People's Republic of Spyr. He wears the long, black dress uniform of the Spyran military, three gold braids marking his rank as Supreme Commander, while at his side can be seen an antique he'ron sword, showing his origins from the aristocratic bloodlines of Lyong.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-12/518112/prez.jpg

As the priests enter the room, he nods to dismiss their escort, then smiles warmly.

"Welcome, Taran-ki, O-rendo-ki. I am Stephen Strain. I trust your visit to our land has been comfortable so far?"

Strain motions with his arm, inviting them to seat themselves. On the table can be seen cherry blossom tea, carbonated ginger water, small sandwiches, and maple confections, an unusual blend of traditional and modern repasts. Strain himself opens a bottle of ginger water, and takes a drink.

"I hope you wont mind if I partake in a small bit of nourishment," he says with a grin, "but I haven had a chance to eat yet today. Please, join me for some refreshment!"

As the priests take their seats and look warily at the fizzing water and triangles of crustless bread, Strain begins to pace the floor in front of the window.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long... events upon the international scene required my immediate attention. Which is an unusual turn of fate, since such events are why I sent General Takamori to find you, and why it is so important that I speak with you here.

As you are no doubt aware, the world is changing. Men and metal fill the skies and seas; invisible lines, stronger than the tallest wall of stone, are drawn between the world's princedoms and tribal lands. The weak are absorbed, enslaved by the strong.

You have seen here in Spyr some of the glorious benefits of this, the new, 'modern' era, and there are countless more you can still see. If you can make your people ready to accept such things, then they too can partake of the joys of modernity... an end to almost all sickness, no more children perishing needlessly before their first birthdays, prosperity beyond your wildest dreams and fantasies.

Yet, the modern era comes with bad as well as good, though it is still not a choice between two ways. If you do not modernize... if you cannot envision 'borders', 'government', 'common culture'.... if you cannot transform your people from their traditional existance as disparate tribes and into a 'nation-state', then you will not survive.

Already other powers mass and shift nearby... the great tigers of China and Japann tear at each other mercilessly (http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=83581), while the evil realm of Thelas plots to enslave us all. If you do not modernize, you shall perish, and be lost to the cycle of Nature and the gaze of Heaven."

Taran remained sitting, and starred at his tea as he spoke.

"What you said touches me Stephen Strain. The Tsuchinoki have long known that the Wan-zoku had become to seperate, too unchanged. We tried to remain closer to Heaven, to share in its unchanging, perfect nature. And now we are too close, so close we are in danger of being burnt up.

We must now fall back to earth, before we perish in the Eye of Heaven. Even before you came, the Tsuchinoki were preparing. Many gathered at Mioka-ro to make it understood what we must do. It was there that I was elected representative of the Tsuchinoki. I speak for them, and they advise much of the Wan-zoku. Under my request, the Tribes are now gathering at this ancient site, where the Tsuchinoki can propose to them to work together and reach out to the rest of the penninsula's people, whom we knew so long ago.

But we need help in this work. The Tsuchinoki may be ignorant of this modern world, but we are not naive. We know that if we came out into the world, without any guidance, then we would be as the fish that comes out from his shade when the eagle is hunting, and is picked out of the pond for food. We were thinking of trying to find someone to the west, instead of heading over the mountains, but now we have found you.

Strain, you must understand something. The Wan-zoku are a very religious people. We have lived close to Heaven since we fleed the unrest of the Warring States, many centuries ago. We hold great respect for the gods and there mandates. And many think that Lyong-ti is now Emperor in Heaven, as the tribal peoples lived under the protection of his empire for so long. He is seen as a comforting, defending figure."

Taran now looked up at Stephen, looked him in the eye.

"But many over the generations have tried to claim a lingeage from Lyong-ti, tried to claim the title of Emperor over Nature. The Wan-zoku have suffered greatly, but the Tsuchinoki have always managed to prove the falseness of the claim. I am not questioning your claim as descendant of Lyong-ti, only trying to make you understand.

As a descendant of the Emperor in Heaven, your word will hold great sway over the people of the Wan-zoku. If you explained to them, if you helped them understand that they must come together, then the Tsuchinoki would be able to guide them towards this goal of a nation state you speak of. We would be in your debt and be able to help you ward off these conflicts you speak of. The Wan-zoku would be great allies of their brothers, the people under the descendant of Lyong-ti."

Strain paused for a moment, then spoke.

"I make no claims to the power or authority of Lyong-ti... he stands amongst my ancestors, if one were to trace back my bloodline, but I stand here today soley upon a foundation of my ideals. Yet, I understand the security such an association can bring to a people whose refuge from the fears of modernity is found within age-old tradition. If your people must see my origins before they will listen to my words, then so be it... It is my responsibility to share truth and knowledge with them, and I shall do all I can to assist."

Strain turnd to the table, and picked up several books.

"I offer these volumes to you so that, once your land has begun its transition, you may find yor way. One speaks of the infinite potential of human knowledge, one on the merits of free-market fasco-socialism... and the last outlines the Treaty of Lyong, a great assemblage of nation-states joined together, cooperating and sharing as in the bygone days of the August Empire... an assemblage which I trul hope you shall choose to join."

"Thank you for these gifts. The three will be held at Mioka-ro, where the Tsuchinoki may learn from them..."

Taran glanced down at the books for a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Something has been difturbing the Tsuchinoki of late. Something
I believe you may find of interest. These other realms of which you speak, like the lands of the Jesus-zoku, these 'nations'...would they have spent there own to the lands of the Wan-zoku? Like the cavalry that came to war on the Wan-zoku. Would others come too?"

"I only ask because of what happened just a few weeks ago. Mai-zoku and Sawa-zoku reported odd flying machines over the Hiku-doma, unlike those we had usually seen. And the Tsuchinoki have been getting odd reports from the Kalasu-zoku and Karimoru-zoku peoples west of Michi. Something moves in the forests of the eastern Taka-doma. Man-zoku, paranoid has they are, are marshalling for war..."

Strain's face took on a look of concern.

"As I have said, those who do no enter the modern world are consumed by those who do... and, at this moment, your lands are circled by hungry wolves, as many nations see your vulnerability. Yet, they underestimate you, for you are not sheep but bears, and a roused bear is a sight to behold.

We must go to your tribes, post-haste, and make sure that they are made to understand, and that when their armies muster, they do so to battle those who are the true threats to their lands.

With your permission, I could give the command to the great Sixth Army, whose headquarters is garrisoned at Yamaki-ro, to join up with the units of the chi-geren (dwarf) armies in your lands, so that no further rabid wolves shall penetrate into north Yaman."

The old man smiled at the worry in the younger man's eyes.

"Your help, along with the help of the chi-geren, would be greatly appreciated. We will have to work closely, if the people of the Wan-zoku are to ever enter this modern world. Presently, the representatives of the nine Tribes are gathering at our major population centers. Once they arrive, the Tsuchinoki will direct them to Mioka-ro, where we will inform them of what the Wan-zoku must do to survive."

Taran glanced at O-Rendo, who was sitting nervously in his chair.

"Stephen Strain, I would ask of you one more thing, though you have given us so much already. We, the Tsuchinoki, know that we have grown ignorant of our surroundings. We no longer understand the way of things. It is this we must learn, to teach to the people of the Wan-zoku. I would ask that my student O-Rendo-ki be allowed to stay in Spyr, so that he may learn something of the world we must enter. Perhaps, in time, he can return and teach others. Or, if allowed, other Tsuchinoki, young and old, may come to learn different things of this and other lands, and bring their new found knowledge back to their Orders and people."

Taran smiled warmly at the novice, who wore a look of confusion and shock.

"I understand if you do not wish for a novice priest to be studying in your lands, but I do believe it would be good for the people...and him."

"O-Rendo-ki, and any others who wish to learn, are welcome to come to Spyr. We have several universities, including the famed Nekogaku International University, which would welcome students from northern Yaman.

We also have the Spyran Military Academy... though not usually open to many foreign students, we invite you to send a class to learn about the modern ways of war. These could form the core of the officers in the shield of men you will have to construct to keep others out.

We can also send Spyran advisors with you, to train the basic troops, and to assist in drafting a constitution and political structures, so that you are made ready with great speed, and the newly-educated may return to take the reigns of a foundation, and transform it into a glorious nation-state."

Strain turned his head and gazed out the window.

"I have a tendency to say too much to my listeners, not leaving a chance to digest. If you require time to think, or just seek a diversion, I invite you to tour the city at your leisure... I can arrange for an officer to guide you.

Whenever you are ready, we may commence preparations for the return to Mioka-ro."

"We would be most honoured to tour this ancient city and view the changes that have taken place due to this new world. Unfortanely, I believe I shall nto be able to stay long here. The Wan-zoku will be looking to the Tsuchinoki to guide them and my duties remain at Mioka-ro. Your advisors are welcome to join us there, where the representatives of the Wan-zoku, and their honour guards, will be gathering. Also, with my return, Tsuchinoki and tribes people can be choosen for the great honour of learning of the modern world in your great nation."

"Once again, I thank you for your nations generous aid and support, as well as your time. May the gods, and the people of the wan-zoku, never forget it."

With that Taran and O-Rendo rose and bowed to President Strain.

North Yaman, con you check the other thread?

Strain returned their bows.

"I shall begin the arrangements for your return, with advisors to assist you. Until then, I'll arrange an escort for you and your guard, to tour the city before delivering you to the airport so you may return home.

The priests and their guards are reunited, and escorted to a waiting set o vehicles. They are taken through the downtown districts of Sithin, with the massive ministry buildings and towering skyscrapers, stopping to visit the National Museum and National Library. They pass through the outer residential districts, where traditional wooden housing still dominates the view, stopping at the outlying shrines, including Kioki-ro and Nari-ro.

Finally, they are taken past the immense fortificationof Fort Strain, to Sithin International Airport, where, amongst the rush of people and planes, they are loaded onto large transport helicopters, along with many Spyran military officers and unlabelled crates. The helicopters, joined by attack craft escorts, rose slowly into the air and set off towards Mioka-ro.

[OOC: If you want any detail on locations/have more RP, feel free to interject. Otherwise, assume you land back at Mioka-ro after several hours]

OOC: Is O-Rendo coming back with him...I'll assume not, but we can always change it.

When it came time for Taran to return to Mioka-ro, he drew O-Rendo aside. While soldiers and workers busied themselves loading the helicopters, Taran and O-Rendo bowed and then locked arms, an ancient salutation of the Wan-zoku.

"O-Rendo-ki, I know you are up to this task. Remember what I have taught you, remember your own ignorance of the ways of this modern world and you shall find your way and hopefully, the way for the people of the Wan-zoku."

Taran looked O-Rendo straight in the eye and once again assumed the persona of the teacher, serious and to the point.

"You must get a feeling from these people, measure them up, so that we may know what kind of a people they really are and how this modern world has changed them. Then we can see whether they are trully still the same people that once populated the wide reachs of the August Empire."

"Yes, teacher. It shall be done."

With that the two Priests bowed to each other again. An officer, who had been waiting nearby, spoke up.

"Taran-ki, we are ready to go now. All is set for our departure."

"Thank you. Go with the gods, O-rendo-ki. May the gods show the way now..."

"And forever after. Goodbye, Senior."

O-rendo watched as the the helicopters flew off. He then waited for his escort and to find out just where he would end up.

[OOC: I think I really should begin calling the 'helicopters' tilt-rotor transports, as thats what they are...darned technological terms...]

As the tilt-rotors rose into the air and flew out of sight, a young woman came up to O-rendo. Though she wore the black uniform of a Spyran soldier, her cheerful expression seemed ill suited to a warrior. As she came up to O-rendo, she grined and waved... then, remembering tradition, she bowed deeply, coming up smiling.

"O-rendo-ki? I'm Ritsuko Yoshigawa, academy cadet first class!"

She reached out and took his hand, pulling him along as she looked over the tick wad of papers in her hand.

"Before we get going, if you have any questions, just ask me. Now, they decided to register you for some intro classes at Sithin University... plus observational study in the ministries and military drills and travel tours and..."

Ritsuko's excited chatter continued as they got into a car and headed for the main campus of Sithin U.

---------------

the tilt-rotors continued onward for hours, until at last, they reached their destination and set down near Mioka-ro.

The tilt-rotors slowly set down near Mioka-ro, and immediately, the Spyran infantry who had remained there emerged to meet them. Box after box was unloaded, under the watchful eyes of the black-uniformed Spyran military advisors.

As this went on, one of the advisors approached Taran and bowed.

"Taran-ki, we may begin our work as soon as you are ready... you must simply choose a hundred of those you see as the bureaucrats, and a hundred of those seen as military officers, and we shall immediately begin their education in Spyr.

In the meantime, I am aware that you must still endeavour to convince your fellow people of the need for unification. Perhaps we could begin your modernization, while also providing a demonstration of its merits to your assembled priests and tribal leaders. We could form a unit of your warriors... say, a hundred willing volunteers. Give us two weeks to arm, equip, and train them, and they shall be able to demostrate the splendour of a modern military machine."

O-rendo was feeling quite at ease. Ritsuko Yoshigawa seemed cheerful and trully interested in helping him adjust, as she explained different things on the way to Sithin University.

"If Spyrans are like this, I don't see why Taran-ki was so suspicious. Ritsuko seems nice and the black uniform really outlines her body, which is-." Taran stopped his thoughts and focused on what Ritsuko was saying. It seemed he has a great deal to do and see here. "I'm here to learn and if that is the duty my teacher grants me, then that is the duty I will fulfill."

Taking advantage of a break in Ritsuko's animated monologue, O-rendo spoke out loud...

"Ritsuko, what is happening in Spyr? It seems like something is hanging over everyone. Like a storm gathering, it is a shadow over all the happiness here. Taran-ki picked it up while we were touring Sithin, but we did not find out what was the matter."

----------

Mean while, in north yaman:

"It will take a few days to gather enough Tsuckinoki and other officials to send to Spyr. Each major tribe will want to send people, but it wouldn't take long for them to arrive, if they move with haste. And we will make sure they do."

"As for the demonstration, I will have someone find willing Douwushi. They should be prepared just before the representatives of the Wan-zoku start arriving here."

Very soon, messangers and novices were busy admidst the growing village outside Mioka-ro, filling out duties on the orders of the leader of the Tsuckinoki. Ravens once again flew out to the major population centres, to inform the major tribes to send military leaders and officials faster than their representatives.

Shuri-lan began organizing a feast for the visitors, in honour of an old friendships rekindled. Uta-ki were found to provide song for the occasion.

----------

T'aejo Mora grinned when he heard the news. With the support the Mai-zoku had provided to the Tsuckinoki and because of the proximity of their lands to Mioka-ro, it was probable that many being send to Spyr would be Mai-zoku officials and war leaders. And if he pushed his brother enough, he could probably make the Tsuckinoki send all of his war council for training, plus himself.

"Only in Spyr will I learn how to defeat the opponents of my people. Never again will we have to stand by while foreigners and their strange, bloody ways cross our plains!"

----------

Ika Chung finished getting the novice Shinenoki to send out the messanger ravens and sat down to think for a moment. Noone knew more than the Shinenoki that change brought many evils. Charged with the careful sending of the dead onto their next journey, the Shinenoki had seen war and destruction and all the effects of change. Tradition was what held people to the way of living correctly, and traditon was noq threatened. All because of their leader, elected out of a need for a unifying force in the Tsuckinoki.

"But how long will Taran Jidoshin-ki hold control? He thinks he sees much, but he may find that his own Order, the Michinoki, wouldn't support him if he goes too far in these changes, too quickly..."

On the plain below Mioka-ro, the ranks of green-uniformed volunteers attempted to wheel about yet again, under the watchful gaze of black-uniformed Spyran officers. There were over a thousand tribesmen engaged in the training exercise, arrayed in tight platoon blocks of men that flowed around each other. Observing from the hillside, the senior Spyran colonel watched as one of the platoons broke formation, wavering then scattering before being herded back into shape by their teachers... a sign that they were still not perfect. But, they were far more diciplined than the excitable tribal warriors who had first come to him, and they had begun to understand the discipline and cameraderie of a modern army.

As the excercise ended, the colonel nodded to his adjutant, who raised the signal fan and shouted a command. Hopefully they could pull off a flawless performance the twelfth time 'round...

The tribal troops finally stood straight, at perfect attention, their ordered ranks unwavering and steady, a far cry from what they had been mere weeks ago. They were eager to learn, dedicated to protecting their lands, and the Spyrans had taught them a great deal.

The Spyran officers paced the ranks, inspecting them and correcting posture and form as needed, before coming over to several of the supply crates that had been previously unloaded from the tilt-rotors.

Watched attentively by the recruits, the Spyran colonel opened one of the crates and pulled out a rifle.

"This is the Kyu-hi automatic rifle," he spoke, raising the gun into the air, "You have already seen demonstrations of the pulse rifles which we bear... while less complex than a pulse rifle, this armament can be maintained and repaired here in your lands, without losing killing power, and thus it has been chosen as the gun you shall be trained to carry into battle."

As he spoke, the colonel strode over to another crate, from which he drew an ammunition clip marked with a white stripe. He inserted the clip and chambered a round.

"In addition to stadard armour-piercing rounds, designed to penetrate body armour and light cover, this rifle can fire AP post-impact explosive phosphorous rounds... unleashing the very power of Heaven upon the foe."

Suddenly, the colonel spun around, bracing the rifle against his shoulder and firing on one of several painted wood-sandbag targets that had been set up nearby.

The bullet impacted aginst the target, piercing through the cloth sandbag. Then, it exploded, sending a cloud of sand and wooden splinters spraying outward. Where they landed, flames burst forth as phosphorous fragments set themselves alight. These continued burning for almost a quarter-hour, as the recruits, and the other tribespeople around Mioka-ro, stared in awe.

Then, the colonel waved to his adjutant.
"Bgin distribution of rifles, and commence firing drills. I want them proficient enough to do their own phosphorous demonstration while the tribeshold their meeting."

"Ritsuko, what is happening in Spyr? It seems like something is hanging over everyone. Like a storm gathering, it is a shadow over all the happiness here. Taran-ki picked it up while we were touring Sithin, but we did not find out what was the matter."


Ritsuko went silent, a look of worry flitting across her face.

"There are those who fear acknowledgment of the truth of Strainism, and who seek to oppress all parts of the universality beneath them. Against such people there is little hope of peace, for their shadows shall ever loom close, ready to strike at the weak and the innocent. In the name of all our comrades in the universality, we cannot falter in the face of such shadows. We must stand firm and hold aloft the light of truth, for all to see."

Her speech were soft and cold, lacking all of its usual energy. The words themselves seemed somehow unsuited to her, as if she was repeating an explanation she had been told sometime before.

After a moment, she grinned, and handed O-rendo a large package.
"There's some politics going on somewhere.... has the higher-ups concerned a bit, but nothing for you or me to worry about. Now, that package has some... more appropriate attire for you. Lets see if we can find you somewhere to get changed..."

The Spyran colonel looked out over the military encampment that had sprung up in the shadow of Mioka-ro, its ordered rows of green tents standing in stark contrast to the silk and wood shelters of the gathering tribal delegates. Outside the military camp, the echoing rattle of automatic rifle fire sounded constantly, as the nort yamani troops went through their rifle drill rotations.

Tilt-rotors had already begun to carry other volunteers to the schools of Spyr, were they would be educated in modern governance, tactics, and the merits of Strainism. In a few years, the Spyran officers of this training regiment could be replaced with natives... by that time, he hoped it would have been joined by several more regiments, which would mix soldiers from different tribes and regions into a single, national whole.

After all, these people were the cultural brothers and sisters of Spyr, and it was his responsibility to assist them in realizing their own identity, and place within the co-prosperity sphere... and the greater universality...

PRS Science Directorate Research Facility,
underground in the vicinity of Shando

a dark control room, lit only by the blue-green glow of computer screens and control panels

"Systems ready?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Begin turbofan lift."

"Everything reads green, we have lift."

"Ground-effect?"

"Cushion formed... minor fluctuations. The stabilization mechanisms seem to be preventing flip, as was expected."

"Magnetic coil status?"

"Online and green. As usual, fluctuations and instabilities in the repulsion field."

"Projects are in the works to deal with that... maglev transport 'research' will recieve funding that should allow further corrective research."

"Ma'am, we're reading a problem in the core... the test model's fusion power is proving insufficient for full implementation.

"We may be able to secure funding for that as well. Attempt to cmpensate with directed jet thrust."

"Too late, ma'am, we have spin.... ground effect lost."

"Full shutdown of all test systems, lieutenant... and get a repair crew in there..."

The green-uniformed soldiers of the the new North Yaman Spearguard watched from their elevated position, through night-vision binoculars. Nearby, hidden by brush expertly arranged by the Yamani troops, rested a Spyran mobile RADAR system.

Both the observers and the RADAR crew were a mixed lot... a few Spyran officers, training promising young Yamani NCOs in the use of modern equipment for observing the foe.

As one of the Yamani observed his RADAR screen, he noticed a minor variance a few kilometers away. He quickly motioned to a nearby Spyran officer.

"Sir, contact in quadrant two."

"Course and type?"

"Unknown type, sir, the contact is unstable. Could be a large bird, or interference. However, course seems roughly south-southwest, from Michi towards Helekar."

"You know what to do, corporal. "

The Yamani quickly radioed a message to the visual observers. Normally, in Spyr, a central network would have collated visual, RADAR, satellite, and other data into a clear picture of the target, but the Yamani had no such network... the Spyran officers training them had been forced to set up simpler procedures.

Through his telescopic scope, one of the observers trained in on the object. It was a difficult task, as the object moved quickly, and blended in with the night, but eventually the grainy, green form of the object came into focus. He relayed visual details back to RADAR control.

As the Spyran officer in command heard the description coming in, he recognized it from one of the frequent threat briefings that had been flowing out from the high command in Sithin.... a Thelasian dropship.

Signalling the Yamani to continue observation, the Spyran picked up a nearby radio reciever and sent a rapid communication to his superiors...

Along the western coast of the Lyong Penninsula, a thousand electronic eyes watched intently. RADAR, SONAR, and oceanic study sensors coordinated with satellite images, following the projected course of the Thelasian vessel. If Kaioken had posessed the integrated networks of the Lyong Treaty, they likely would have followed a craft of their own.

As it was, in the High Command bunker deep below the PRS capital of Sithin, first one, then two, blips moved quickly across a computer screen, before suddenly dissapearing into a small patch of garbled signal.

Suddenly, the patch expanded outward, rippling across the screen as data from the various sources was recorded. The disturbance began to move slowly southwestward,and then ceased to be altogether.

[OOC: Hrmmm... I feel kinda lonely on this thread...]

(OOC: this post is merely to resurrect a bunch of posts that were deleted earlier this week, so that anyone involved can stay up to date.)
Tord

At this Joan's eyes narrowed, she made a small smile, tilted her head and put her hand to her cheek as if in deep thought.
She studied Taraguin for a moment, then responded.
"I should like to see what this "leader" of yours has to offer, we shall accompany you to see him, I hope for your peoples sake he has something to contibute."
Joan then turned on her heel and walzed off back Towards her host, her guards still keeping hands near hips, eyeing the riders warily.
Joan then stopped and turned her head back towards Taraguin
"And should you try anything, "she gave a full smile. "You, your men, and your people's burning corpses shall light the night sky, by the grace of God."
She then turned back towards her host and started to give orders to head out, following the Helekarians to their destination.

Tord

In Sol Sanctum, the Capitol of Tord, there was an even less pleasant meeting, if that was possible.
Glenn was sitting in a brightly lit stone room, with a bare stone table in its center.
"Standing" wasn't the right term for it; he was slouching while encased in a non-spiked iron maiden.
He hadn't been too uncomfortable so far, he heard his guards talking of branding him as vile traitor, others about drawing and quartering him, but it had been decided the Queen should speak to her brother before anything was decided. He wasn't sure whether to be thankful.
The pilot from Kaioken stood next to him, uninhibited by any constraints, this was the only person's company Glenn was glad of, he couldn't understand this outlanders loyalty to him...no, loyalty wasn't the right word, certainly no one owed him loyalty, especially not this proud people, he was...a sort of honour that kept the Kaioken pilot near.
Pilot: "I shall leave you know, I can hear your visitor coming, best of luck to you, Glenn."
At that Glenn finally noticed footsteps getting closer to the door, a Tord knight opened it, the Knight motioned to the pilot, who nodded his head to Glenn and then stepped out of the room, the knight then announced:
"Queen Patricia the first of Tord."
He then bowed low as Patricia entered the room, followed by two Paladins. Glenn caught a glimpse of a Spyran uniform just outside in the hallway, but the Spyran did not enter, "small blessings" he thought to himself.
Glenn had been both excited and dreadful about this inevitable meeting, as Patricia, the rightful Queen Patricia, he had finally realized, his dear, dear sister, looked every bit the ruler of Tord. The sunlight gleamed off her robe, and dust motes danced about her hair, her majesty seemed like that out of fairy tales.
The knight made to close the door behind him, but Patricia raised her hand.
"No-" She sounded different from last he talked with her...which had been after he had had an argument with her in her office just after she was crowned, she sounded stronger, completely in charge, a far cry from, what he had thought to be, sounding like a frightened little girl no even a year ago... "-I will speak with him alone." She sounded colder now too, the warmth that he had always heard in her voice seemed diminished, muffled by the heavy metallic mantel she was forced to bear.
Her escorts looked uneasy about leaving her alone in the room with such a dangerous traitor, but they made their bows and left, closing the door behind them.
She then floated over to the opposite end of the table, placing her hands on its stone surface; she stood there, they just looking at one another for awhile.
Glenn lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes, though he noticed they were glistening before he looked away.
Patricia: "Have they hurt you brother?"
Brother....BROTHER he thought to himself, after all that he had done, she referred to him as brother, he had been expecting more for something like traitor, or dog, he deserved it, he WANTED it, but yet she called him brother.
Glenn remained silent
there was another silence
Patricia: "If you have been mishandled in any way-"
Glenn: "Your knights have done nothing but treat me with the honour and dignity becoming of a true knight, of which I do not deserve, you should have me killed, and be done with it."
Patricia: "DO NOT.....Do not say that brother, I have no desire to have you killed."
Glenn: "And yet kill me you must, you know what will happen if you do not."
Patricia: Giving a slight, sad laugh "Oh brother, maybe you have not yet learned your lesson, I am Queen, my word is law, come what troubles will if I let you live, God will protect me, will protect us."
Glenn: *shutting his eyes tight after giving off a muffled sob* "I am so, so sorry sister, perhaps you are right, you are queen, and what you say is the will of.....Patricia, God is not always there to protect, God's power is not...infinite..."
Patricia: "Brother-"
Glenn: "Please, dear, dear sister-"
Patricia felt a pang in her heart as Glenn said those words, he had always used those words, "dear, dear" whenever emotions were running high, as a child, he had accidentally pushed her off a tree branch in the royal garden right after teaching her how to climb, he had leapt down after immediately, he did not deny the wrong he did, nor was he afraid to face judgment, but he was cut by his own guilt and the hurt he had caused her, he rocked her gently, while repeating "I am so sorry, my dear, dear sister" Until her weeping had subsided, she suspected he wept as well, though never where she could see.
Glenn: "For my crimes against Tord, I must die, for my wrongs against humanity, I must die, I have started something that, dear god, I don't think I can stop....Sister, I have hurt and been hurt, I have no joy on this earth...please, let me rest."
tears started streaming down Patricia's face as he said those words, after which he too started to weep, more openly and strongly than he had ever wept in his life. He had grown up thinking it was a sign of weakness, something his sister should never see him do, but down he wept, muffled echoing sobs in the iron maiden.
Patricia swept around the table and put her arms around him, an embrace perverted by the iron maiden.
Patricia: "No one deserves to die, especially not you, dear, dear brother, I know you, you have a good soul, a kind heart, you know you have done wrong, and will pay for it yes, but not in death, you are yet young, you have much left to do, if anything, you must live for my love for you."
Glenn: "Sister, it is your love for me that you must let me die, others will see it as a weakness, and you must be strong, as I know you are, show the world you are strong, I do not fear death, I yearn for it, my very existence will act as a symbol for heretics to try and overthrow you, for outside forces to move upon you. Death is what I need, it is the only thing left for me, by leaving me alive, you are making act the part of the traitor that I am, or at least was, by having me killed, you let me die with what honour and love I have left, should you let me live, I will rot in the public eye, and die hated, defiled....ending my torment is the greatest boon you could deliver unto me, one that I do not deserve, but what must be done..."
Patricia:"...I know Glenn, I knew all along, but I would not admit it...I do not know what has happened to you Glenn, but...I will grant you this boon, my dear, dear brother, know that I love you, just as God does, I will always love you, and know that I will see you among our ancestors and friends in heaven."
Glenn burst into tears once again, unable to say another word, his sobs sounded relieved, he felt not happy, but peaceful for the first time in what seemed a long, long time.
Patricia held back her tears long enough to go back to the door.
She knocked on it, and the Knight bowed to her, she demanded the keys in a strong and forceful tone, behind the knight, the Kaioken and Spyran could be seen watching, distracted from a conversation they had been having. the Kaioken had a look of worry, the Spyran a look of earnest concern.
The Knight looked dumbstruck, but gave the keys to Patricia while bowing aqwardly.
Patricia then shut the door quickly, and broke out in sobs as she strode over to the Iron maiden. She unlocked it, and sister and brother embraced for the first time in too long, weeping into each others shoulders.
They sat down in a corner in a patch of sunlight, the dust motes drifted slowly down around them, as if the room itself were weeping.
They rocked each other for a long, long time, it looked out of place, an angelic figure in celestial robes cradling a bedraggled prisoner, both oblivious to the world but for each other.
Patricia: "I am so sorry, my dear ,dear brother....my dear, dear brother....-"
The setting sun cast a red pallor on the figures, it swept upwards from their sleeping figures, they hadn't moved since they had sat down, leaving them in the darkness that surrounded them.

[OOC: As has been noted, we lost one of the main Lyong-centered RP threads a few days ago, due to server error. A basic summary of events:

-Prince Glenn of the Kingdom of Tord attempts to usurp the throne from his sister, the newly crowned Queen Patricia. He is assisted by the Star Empire of Thelas.

-The People's Republic of Spyr aids Patricia in gathering her loyalist forces and marching into Tord, where the vast majority of both population and military reaffirm her position as monarch.

- Glenn attempts to overthrow his sister directly, but after defeating the senior knight of Tord, Grand Templar Nicholas, in a sword duel, he realizes the sinful magnitude of his treason, and accepts exile.

-The supporters of Glenn are imprisoned in the penal monastery on the Judas Isle. A few of those most loyal to him accompany him into exile.

-Templar Joan, an ambitious and psychotic knight, rapes Glenn, so that she may use his child to claim the throne. After landing on the coast of Kaioken, Joan strikes a deal with Thelas, who will equip her forces when they attempt to overthrow Patricia. Joan depars for Tord, leaving Glenn behind.

-Spyr enters Kaioken and proposes that nation enter the Lyong Treaty. They are turned down politely, and come away only with tentative nonagression agreement.

-Thelasian scout troops deploy into Kaioken, and across it into North Yaman (as seen in this thread).

-Glenn meets with the priests of Kaioken, before realizing that Joan is returning to Tord, and is carrying Tord's former stockpiles of biological and chemical weapons. He is returned home via a Kaioken fighter jet, so that the Tordians can be warned.

-Dawi Grung sends emissaries to the nations it has become allied with through its signing of the Lyong Treaty.

-Thelas secretly moves a large gravfleet underwater, taking up a position off the coast of Helekar, in preparation for imperialist invasion of the penninsula once Joan commences her coup in Tord.

-Joan lands in Helekar and heads southward. She is intercepted by Helekaru horsemen, with whom she is currently engaged in bilaterally belligerent negotiations.

-[Thelas, in another thread, announces the witdrawal of all his assets, in the face of Menelmacari pressure. This includes the fleet off the coast of Helekar, as well as the scouts in both Kaioken and North Yaman].

Tord managed to salvage the last page of the thread due to computer backup memory stuff, so the story shall continue from there. Please, everyone, keep the Glenn arc and the Joan arc going in this thread, as well as the current Modernizing North Yaman arc.

's all good.]

[OOC: Yay, the other thread is mysteriously back! Since we can keep posting there, disregard all the previous chatter concerning it in this thread, and lets get back to the matter at hand].

The Spearguard, as the defence forces for the northern Yaman region had been dubbed, had evolved over several months, from a group of tribal volunteers into a true national army. Several junior officers had recieved commissions from ranks as NCOs, and the force now had access to support equipment and infrastructure. The Spearguard Headquarters, constructed one kilometre from Mioka-ro, consisted of a large concrete fortification in standard Syran style, surrounded by extensive training grounds, firing ranges, and a nearby airport facility capable of recieving international traffic. Factories to produce materiel such as helmets, guns, and ammunition had sprung up nearby, along with apartment buildings, schools, commercial enterprises, and other trappings of a modern community... if one didnt pay close attention, one might almost think one was in a small township in Spyr.

The Spearguard itself had grown into a large body of troops, totalling six regiments, led at the upper levels by Spyran officers. Five regiments were infantry, each of 2400 men (of which 1440 were combat troops), and the sixth was a support regiment, operating 60 mobile RADAR sites (480 crew, 960 support staff) that had been scattered around the area. The troops were organized, and their Spyran commanders had begun agitating the High Command for a chance to let the Yamani show what they could do...

[OOC: Time to rekindle this business...]

*Three months have pasted since the return of Taran to North Yaman.*

North Yaman: Mioka-ro

Many changes had taken place to the ancient gathering place of the tribes since the coming of the Spyrans. The hill itself was now surrounded by a growing town, put together by peoples of many different tribes who now saw profit and oppurtunity in the changing ways. A ceremonial wall had been constructed to create a sacred grounds surrounding the hill and behind this wall structures were being built to house the Council of the Wan-zoku. The Council, consisting of representatives of the different tribes and the leaders of the Orders of the Tsuchinoki, had meet fully few times. These meetings had only seen to the formalities of tribal assembly and discussions on Council rules.

Some tribes appeared to be strongly anti-foreign and fearful of change. Indeed, the Reformers, lead by Taran Jidoshin, only had the Hiku-doma tribes to count on-Mai-zoku and Sawa-zoku. Other tribes perferred to discuss it in length among themselves, like the Man-zoku and Mekura-zoku, both of which seemed to only need time to get used to the new ideas and new orginization. The rest of the tribes, much smaller than the other four, were -by and large- against the changes and progress wasn't being made in their lands.

Chief among the Dissidents was the tribes of the Okami-zoku. With no central leader, the tribes had send a small council themselves, but it matter little as the Okami were all of the same mind. No insults spilled outside of the Council chambers, but it was obvious that they wanted nothing more than for spyr to pack up and leave the Wan-zoku lands.

The Tsuchinoki, the master minds of the gathering and the Council, were themselves starting to see cracks in their unity. Even the Michinoki didn't seem to be united in the changes, and far too many priests talked quietly of replacing Taran with a more conservative leader, one who would preserve the traditions, someone like the young Dwalasi Unri...

Juxtaposed to the slow council was the rapid change occuring throughout the lands of the Wan-zoku. Construction has begun on the Northern Rail Line and the Northern Highway Network and plans are being drafted for the N.Y. Central Road Network.

With the demand coming from Spyr many towns and villages are grouping into larger communities focused on trade and expansion. These communities, with their mix of tribal peoples, are throwing the long held natural borders between the tribal lands out of order and have councils without connections to any Tribe. These merchant community councils have strong ties to the Tsuchinoki however, as the Priests connect them to the Spyran supply routes. A primative taxation system, set up by Spyr to fund different projects inside NY is spreading quickly, though it is not much noticed in communities only now starting to see actually profit(as before there was only bartering between villages).

Not all, however, are willing to lie back and let change tear away all they've ever known...In a corner of the Mioka-ro sacred grounds a light was burning in one of the Shinenoki temples. Inside, behind a heavy wooden door, two priests sat and discussed...

-----------------------

"So, the Okami will never support the union of the tribes?"

"Never...I saw to that while I was there. Juni Chian, that old hag they all see as a Tsuchinoki and more, promised it to me. Why, if I pushed her enough and showed her enough support, they'd even fight."

"It can't come to that, Death is no answer to this situation. And who's to say we'd win too? Have you seen that monstrous facility they put up for the Reformer army? Have you been to one of the "demonstrations" they put on for the people? I'm almost sure that's why we have so many people living here now...just to see that Army march."

"Ha! If we can convince the Mai-zoku to side with us we could have that massive force sitting out in the woods to deal with the Dissidents. Have faith, if we get rid of Taran the devoted tribe of the Mai-zoku would do whatever I ordered. Only the Sawa-zoku, those damn merchants, would still be with the dissidents."

"What about Zong Kuza-ki? He is formerly Sawa-zoku."

"What are a bunch of healer going to do? They'll heal any and all Wan-zoku...and their traditions haven't been changed yet, so they need permission to heal outsiders. We can-"

I'm not done! Not all of the five small tribes are Dissidents. That woman, Ber Zhang of the Karimoru, seems convinced that Spyr and Reform are better than other alternatives and for all her youth, the Hunter's elders respect her talent. Seems she saw other foreigners, ones that would bring change to the land anyway. And then there are the rumours..."

"If you're referring to the Mekura-zoku, then forget about it. The servants of Yamani-ti locked themselves away in the mountains long ago and there they stay...I'll hear no more crazy stories about servants of a god, servants who have not been seen in millenia!"

"Fine...but what of Taran's lapdogs, the inseperable Shuri-lan-ki and Aluri-ki. Don't forget, Shuri is the brother of T'aejo, who is training in Spyr as we speak. And Aluri seems a true devoted Reformer. Even now those damn Utaki are spreading songs and stories of the mighty Spyr nation and the "Judges"(slang for Kaki) are changing the traditions and laws as fast as they can."

"Don't worry so much...I have more support within the Michinoki than you know. Seems the elders don't much like Taran not giving the Michinoki special status after he was elected. All we need is the right time..."

Soon, the two figures finish their talk and depart from the small lodge, quickly disappearing into the over cast, dark night.

------------------

Meanwhile, in Spyr, O-Rendo had settled into his new life as best he could. Switching the priest novice robes for regular student apparal, O-rendo had been thrown into the life of a student. Much catching up had to be accomplished, but O-Rendo had proven to be brilliant in his study, dedicating himself to understanding concepts that had never made it into North Yaman. Throughout his struggle, Ritsuko had cheerfully helped him overcome his cultural and mental blocks, making him socialize with people that were wholly different from the farmers, priests and villagers he had grown up with in the Hiku-doma. It was she who had given him his affectionate nickname, "Ren" and encouraged him when he found something he never even imagined could be...
[OOC: I'd really like to continue this story arc, but what O-Rendo has done in the past three months should be up to you...so, I just put this little thing. I'm also thinking that Ren(it's easier to write at three thirty in the morning) can help out some other students with basic stuff, like T'aejo Mora and his cohorts, who I would like to establish a story arc about.]

OOC...AGAIN! So, that's all for now, need my four hours of sleep. One question...has Spyr announced the Japann war to the North Yamani?

and now I'll leave with a NY quote...

"Yes, we can ignore change. Yes, we can drive change from our lives. We may even be able to arrange for neighboring peoples to stay away, by and large. But this is not the Way of the Gods. The Way of the Gods is in community and the uniting spirit of followers of the Way. Even Heaven, in it's long eternity, can stay unchanging but remember! Our lands are not Heaven..."
-Taran Jidoshin, elected representative of the Tsuchinoki and leader of the Reformers

[OOC: Over his stay, Ren wouldve been dumped into the regular routine of student life. He would have been given full leeway in terms f course selection, and Sithin U. is a massive institution, with around 30,000 students and almost 2,500 faculty, so class sizes for Ren's entry-level courses will be huge, and available in almost any discipline from Anthropology to Sociology, including sciences, social sciences, humanities, and what have you (there are fine art/theatre courses studying plays and art forms academically, but no acting, music or fine art courses).

Likely he would be enrolled in a specal English language course, with conversation tutoring done by Ritsuko, and encouraged to take courses on Lyong History and Political Science (which, obviously, presents things with a slightly Strainist tint). Other than that, its pretty open... whatever he wants to take, he likely can.

Extracurricular activities are also numerous, with various student associations and clubs. There is no 'sport' at the university in an official sense, but there are gaming clubs for informal play in many sports, including swordplay and ken-lie(Lyong 'chess'). There are no 'parties' as we understand them.. binge-drinking, or any drinking at all, being pretty much unheard of. But the atmosphere of parties, with snack foods, music, and general foolish fun, can still be found. Generally students will gather in residence common areas, or for 'study groups' with classmates. Techno dance clubs are also popular with students. Likely Ren might consider wearing a crucifix.. theyre very trendy with the youth, though no one actually attends Christian church services.

As for events in North Yaman... the army is looking very impressive (intentionally... lots of parades and fire drills for the public). Also, many speeches by Spyran officers and civilian administrators, extolling the virtues of modernity. A modern hospital has been built, and the Spyran doctors are REALLY hoping to get some ii-ki to arrive and start learning modern medicine.... since a lot of the medications are based of traditional herbs, at first itll just be a matter of "dextrametaportenol. its... its the healing powers of a Gavakara root, pulled right out of the plant so theyre closer to their pure form"..etc, etc...

Well, thassal fer now.]

OOC: damn it all, I just lost that post...must remake it.

IC: In a dorm room at Sithin U:

O-rendo was sitting on his bed reading over his latest English project when Ritsuko burst through the door. She was flushed from running, but seemed the most cheerful since the start of the second Japann war.

"Hi Rits-"

O-Rendo was cut off by Ritsuko pulling him up and throwing her arms around him. During the quick embrace, and over the next few minutes, she quickly explained the good news.

"Oh Ren, it's great! There's going to be a ceasefire and the wars ending and the negotiations are going to be in Tokyo and Japann is being rebulit and Spyr's going to help out! It's great and just today the President said that..."

O-Rendo let her continue and thought of all the lives that would be saved by this turn of events. Everyone knew what had happened to Red Tide and no sane person wanted to have that happen again...

Taran Jidoshinki has released a statement to be spread by word of mouth and messanger Ravens in North Yaman. Runners, mostly devoted Priests but also tribesmen and women, have also been sent out with papers to post in as many villages and towns and cities as they can get to.

Taran walks out of the Mioka-ro inner santuary, the hill and ancient cheery tree at its top framed in the background. Behind the wall, wooden structures are continueing to rise, kept low so that the hill is still visible, but grand in their appearance. Taran walks to a landing in the middle of the road, made specially for this announcement, and turns to face the crowd. In the crowd can be seen priests of all Orders and many towns people of various origins and villagers form near by Maizoku communities. In the front, the Spyran military has set up a camera to capture the announcement.


Taran bows to the crowd and smiles, his face warm and his eyes gentle. The old man glances over the crowd, nods and begins.

"Peoples of the Wan-zoku, our friends...no. Our family, the people of Spyr, have gathered the tribes together like in a council that has not occured for over a millenia. With the generous help of President Strain, we making headway to becoming a modern state. Roads are being built, military might is being gathering, goods are being traded. But we lack something...and that is solidarity. We are many peoples, we have many different councils and tribes and factions. But we must realize our connections and, our potential to live together harmoniusly."

"We have tried, in the past, to stay unmoving, unchanging, letting the rest of the world shift around us while we lived closer to harmony with Heaven, the unchanging. Yet this is not the Way! I say this to you now, we must preserve our ways, but change to adapt...or we shall be lost."

"Long ago, we ran from change when it reared its ugly head in the Warring States Era. Since then we have been living alone, a hermit in a valley, surrounded by commmunity. It is this community that we MUST return to! We must return to our brothers, so that we may help each other when the time comes. Do you not stand beside your family when forces threaten them? And if our family, our Lyong community, falls...well, let Heaven keep it not so. I do not wish to see all our traditions blown to dust, or all our ways lost."

Here he pauses, seeming to consider the gravity of what he has said and then he continues, calmer. Inside, Taran hates the innocence he must now destroy to save his people...

"I want to tell you a story I have heard, of a people who lived in a land far away. The land's name was Red Tide. Nothing remains of that land. It is gone, struck down, not by Heaven, but by the power of modern man. And it was destroyed because it's friends betrayed it and it's family turned on it because of it's own ignorance and evil ways."

"Think...what if that was your land...what if that story was a story of Our lands. In a flash, everything gone. Only a reflection left. I will not have this as our fate. To save ourselves from the power of Modern Man we must adapt, we must change so that our traditions can live on..."

Once again Taran pauses, this time to let the words sink in.

"People of the Wan-zoku, our time is now. Our time to change, and to make new friends, possibly even out of old enemies. Our tribal age must come to an end and we must enter the age of Nation States. So, I now announce the formation of the Council for Unity, a council which will disscus a possible Constition for the Wan-zoku, a merging of the tribes into one whole. May the gods be with you all and to the people of Spyr, I thank for this opportunity."

With that Taran bows again and turns away to various positive and negative cheers from the crowd. Soon the cheering settles to generally chatter, many in the crowd curious and surprised by the announcement. But by then the elder priest is already gone, followed near by his aids.

Sithin U. Campus

Two rival student political organisations engaged in a heated debate after a joint march. One group is in favour of finding peace in the recent conflict with Bonstock, since continued war would cause hardship and division between the members of the greater Universality. The other supports continuing the war nto Bonstock itself, seeing that nation's imperialist government as an enslaver of the Universality for its own selfish ends, and thus requiring eradication.

The debate is fascinating to watch... while emotional, the students remain open to other points of view. Each point is followed by a quote or reference from one of the political/philosophical essays of the President, with both sides seeking justification within the Strainist ideology. In the end, the students agree to disagree, though a slew of historical examples from the Revolutionary Era seem to bring the pro-war group out on top.

[OOC: Feck...I lost that postage, oh well...better make a shorter one.]

The people of North Yaman are responding to High Priest Taran Jidoshin-ki's announcement as the message reachs the far corners of the country. It is apparent that many small tribes are quite oppossed to any change and only support the Reformers because of their religious backing. Many, however, also understand the idea Taran has and these Tribe-less are gatehring in greater numbers at trading outposts being established in many different regions. The large Tribes are remaining silent on the matter, but it is widely whispered that they are gathering elders and making contact with the elders of the other large tribes. Michi Council has even announced a gathering for representatives of the Man-zoku city-states at the Palace of the Sun.

Also, the Mekura-zoku tribe has begun discussing opening the Underway to reconnect with the ancient Kingdom of Dawi Grung. Messangers have been sent out to find Dwarves that could get a message to the High King.

Diplomatic Communique to all Lyong Treaty powers

Due to difficulties in assertion of central authority within the territory of north Yaman, the PRS reccomends that all Treaty powers avoid making any specific arrangements or relations with individuals, groups, or tribes, which do not bear an official letter of mark from the Yamani Spearguard Command at Mioka-ro. Such a letter marks a traceable line of authority hich Yamani government and authorities shall recognise with all appropriate licenses and legal considerations. Any relations with groups not holding such letters are highly illegal... all involved parties, Yamani or otherwise, shall be fired upon with deadly force by the Spearguard.

[The communique has been forwarded from Yamani Spearguard Command, through the offices of the LJDC, and bears both the seal of the YSC and that of the LJDC (confirming its legitimacy)]

News is coming out of the Council that a constitution is being argued out. Many dissidents seem content to see how the whole thing plays out and judge the agreement once it is formed. Tensions between the ancient enemy Houses of Sawa-zoku and Man-zoku are dying down as both realize the benifits of a united whole. However, not all are happy with the progress of the Reformers, and many delegates from the
Okami-zoku have left the council, declaring that it is pointless to challenge millenia of traditions...

Across North Yaman, Spyran influence is being noted. Developement projects continue and many different peoples continue to flock to the Spearguard, with adventure and dreams on their mind. Taxation stations have been set up to funnel moneys into coffers for use on developement projects.

With great fanfare, the first Armoured Regiment of the Spearguard rolls through the expanding streets of Mioka-ro. As they pass near the sacred hill, their turrets turn in unison and let loose a salute of blank shells. The roaring sound echoes between the tents and houses, audible to all, reminiscent of the rumbling thunder that marks Lyong-ti stirring in Heaven.

A light snow fell on the inner grounds of Mioka-ro as the Council finally ajourned. This session had lasted twelve long hours after the delegates from the Okami-zoku had left, and tensions had run high. However, with the main visible leaders of the Dissidents gone, Taran had been able to rout the remaining Dissident tribes and figures to a point where they were neutral to the idea of a High Council of the Wan-zoku. This council would look after the creation of a unified nation state and the bureacracy needed.

Taran walked out from the Council hall, a vast building of beautiful wood. Its design unique to the halls of North Yaman, the Council hall was circular, but extened deeper into the ground, creating an almost spherical structure. Tunnels ran off from the building and a circular balcony overlooked the seating area for the delegates. All this Taran had seen built, as he was now seeing the structure of his country being built.

So it was with a smile and a light step that Taran Jidoshin-ki, first among the Tsuchinoki, walked from the South door and into the blades of his assasins.

It would later be revealed that the offenders were Okami-zoku guards, who after their delegates had left the Council had pretended to be waiting to leave Mioka-ro. The Douwushi guards had never suspected any attack and by the time they reached the body of their spiritual leader the massacre had spread to the other delegates who had surrounded the elder. Zong Kuza, at seeing his age old friend fall to the swords, attacked with his barehands, in true Dancer style. He was the second to fall. Shuri-lan Mora went down with a cut to his arm, and he was not the only one. The brutal Wolves fought to death in fanatical fervour.

They say that all through the night the snow continued to fall, but the ground infront of the South door remained red with the blood of weaponless politicians and priests.

[OOC: Reposting stuff here from a smaller, faster forum, on behalf of NY as well as myself.]

The Mai-zoku rested in the shadow of the western forest. Just north of Mioka-ro the army had set up it's camp and waited for orders. No one knew who was in charge after T'aejo and his commanders had left to Spyr for modern training. Now down to thirty thousand, the army was content to rest and relax, though many who wanted more had left to join the Spearguard.



At this point the snow was falling so think that the sentries didn't even see the wolves. Massive beasts local to the Penninsula, the wolves rushed their prey and tore them to pieces. Following in their wake, silent and painted for War, the okami-zoku warriors finished what the wolves did not...



From Mioka-ro a distant sound of great struggle could be heard, which faded to screaming and then quickly silence, the only sound the wind and the only sight the white snow.

The streets of Mioka-ro were silent, but the Hill was in chaos. Mai-zoku warriors rushed to secure order, but affected more chaos as they searched for more Dissident forces hiding within the sanctuary and then the city. News travelled quickly and the populace closed up their doors, or took to the streets in search of more Wolves. Tribal peoples from the west were driven from the city or sought shelter at the Hill, where they were taken into custody by the Mai-zoku.



In short order one person emerged in the chaos and saw to the ordering of the town and the forces within. Dwalasi Unri-ki, head of the Michinoki, took charge and soon the orderly search of the city began.

Mioka-ro

The Spearguard were everwhere, squads marching through the streets and taking up stations around the hill itself and throughout the community. Their green uniforms, interspersed with the dark grey of Spyran officers, stood firm in the cold wind, looking confident and unshaken. But inside they seethed with frustration... they, who could have stood against such an atrocity, but were held back by the millstone of tradition that weighed their whole nation down. They were familiar with the tales of the older Spyran officers, telling of the Revolution. It semed that north Yaman, too, would only enter the modern era through a purge of blood and fire.

Near the Kari-doma

The massed numbers of the Spearguard were arrayed in straight rows and columns, lines of rectangular blocks marching towards the treeline that marked the beginning of the realm of the Okami-zoku.

Mioka-ro

As the Spearguard took up station around the city the Mai-zoku forces grudgingly stand down and release Dissident prisoners to Spearguard command. Many of these peoples are revealed to simply have been in the wrong place at the wrong time and were taken in unjustly, as the Mai-zoku forces were not used to such large scale policing action. Spyran officers, however, are and see to the transfer of prisoners(known former Okami-zoku and militant Dissidents) to the Spearguard Command.

The location of the remaining Council members is being held secret. It is believed that they were transferred to the Spearguard Command centre near Mioka-ro and are being protected there.

Kari-doma

As the Spearguard approached the encampment of the Mai-zoku they behind to see the remants of the slaughter that took place there. Many of the Dancers didn't even have time to get out of their tents and retreat; and those who did were run down or died of their wounds. Survivors, few as they are, are gathered and transferred to medical outposts.

Spyran officers, already trained on the tactics of the western tribes, know that quick hit and run techniques are the norm. The attack on such a large group is an exception and must mean a large group of semi-organized Okami-zoku tribes working together.



West Road, Mioka-ro

As the Spearguard pour into the city from the east, several Shinenoki dismiss the Mai-zoku warriors guarding the Western Road. When the Spearguard arrive at the Roadway, it is found unguarded and abandoned, with the snow fall covering the tracks of a men on the hunt...

The Hill, Council Chambers

On the balcony, a figure is leaning over the chambers, looking at where Taran declared the creation of the High Council not five hours before. It was not the declaration that had sealed his doom, but it had been important to both sides none the less.

"Our priests, they secured the Western Gate?"

The figure seemed to be speaking to himself, but from the shadows below a voice replied.

"They did. Those dogs will not find their occupation of our sacred site so easy."

"Don't be a fool. Those infiltrators will be torn apart. The best we can hope for is a little Arson. Their job is a distraction, while we turn the rest of the priesthood. And then we shall see who controls the High Council."

"High Council? But...it must be destroyed! What of the Traditions? What of the old ways...what have we been been doing if not stopping the change."

The figure stirred and looked into the shadows below, in the seats of the council.

"Change can be good. It all depends WHO is in charge. Now go....you and yours shall have much work to do, I'm sure."

At this the figure turned and walked away, joined soon by his guards. The other was left in the dark, wondering at what had really been changed by this shift in power. Suddenly, some new thought occured to him and he saw the fullness of the scene, the lessons the gods had arranged for him.

That night Ika Chung and quite a few of his Shinenoki disappeared into the dark night and the swirling snow.

Several hundred meters back from the treeline, having cleared the remains of the camp and evacuated the survivors, the Spearguard slowly reformed, rectangles moving from their marching columns into stiff firing lines encircling a wide frontage of the Kari-doma. Then, they stood ready, staring forward at the trees in silence.

In the air above the clouds, the black triangular shapes of Spyran tactical bombers cut through the air, invisible to those on the ground below. Satellite data met laser signals in the Spyran high command. GPS coordinates were fed into targeting systems. And then, the bombers let loose their payloads.

Thousands of small objects fell through the air, carpeting vast tracts of the Kari-doma. as they pierced the tree canopy, they shattered, unleashing clouds of green gas through the forest. The gas was a garlic-based compound... the only NBC weapon in the Spyran arsenal, but its potency was severe.... anything that breathed it in began to choke, as their lungs erupted in burning pain. Their eyes burned as well, as did nostrils... temporary blindness resulted after mere moments of exposure, and prolonged exposure could lead to severe consequences... especially in animals which are highly reliant on scent and visual senses... humans and wolves.

As the gas began to diffuse through the trees, trapped within the forest by the foliage, the Spearguard waiting outside fixed bayonets, and continued to wait.

[OOC: A note on numbers... the spearguard at the Kari-doma number about 1500, 500m back from the treeline and along a front of about 15km. The gas starts to be dropped 1km back from the treeline, and proceeds towards the edge for about 750m, with the goal of forcing anything in the first km to flee out of the trees, and to divide forces further in from coming to support.... also, the wolves in the area will panic instinctually, and likely turn on their human compatriots in the confusion, since they identify by scent, and without scent, they wont recognize anyone.



The tank division is waiting a bit less than 2km back, thus capable of reaching LOS in about five minutes, but out of sight currently.



Some remaining Spearguard are deployed in 'Mioka-ro', with about 4000 near the hill proper and another 4000 at their base area, supported by about 1500 Spyran troops and several tilt-rotor wings.]

Kari-doma

The Wolves had been ready. Under the leadership of their matriarch and shaman, Juni Chian, the Wolves had gathered together a pack like none before. Represented by various tribal packs, the White-tails, the Night-runners, the Howlers and many of the more primitive tribes of the Okami-zoku that hailed from the deep forest, far to the west, all had come to defy the Reformers and keep the traditions.

They had been prepared. they had brought with them packs and packs of native Lyong wolves, massive and feral. For quite some time they had been making elaborate traps, setting up ambush sites and were ready to hold the Kari-doma, and take many warriors down with them.

They had not been ready, or prepared, for what did come. The forests came alive with tendrils of green mist and Heaven rained its punishment down from the skies. Massive wolves, ready to rip the flesh of the enemy, turned on their human companions as the gas confused their senses. Many tribesmen, who had grown up with a wolf at his side his whole life, now had them turn on him and move on to attack again. Panic erupted as man and beast began to break whatever sense of order they had had. Soon the forest was a riot of teeth and blades, with the Okami-zoku running from friends of yesterday. Few ran further back into the forest, into the the thick of the mists. Many ran towards the forests edge, and away from this vengeance of the woods. This lot fell right onto their own traps.

Spiked holes, elaborate nets and snares slaughtered and maimed many, and enraged the already confused wolves. Pits and crevices were the death traps of an army running from itself. As chaos mounted on chaos, scared warriors took to a rage, a fury in which they killed on sight and their weapons, some with Fire Toad poisons on the metal, bit into their brothers of the Hunt. Cries of Pain and terror echoed on the edge of the Land of the Hunt.

Few of those gathered reached the forest's edge...

Mioka-ro

Members of the renegade Tribe, the Okami-zoku, were reported to have been seen inside the city. Once alerted, the Spearguard were ready for their arson attacks and local firefighters had few problems, after many of the known marauders were attacked by Douwushi or hunted down by the Spearguard.

As the first tribesmen staggered from the treeline, one of the officers glanced down the Spearguard line, then towards the Kari-doma. There was half a kilometre between them and the forest's edge... plenty of time to wait for more rebels to be forced out before retribution began.

The officer drew his sword, and shouted a command.

"Parashike!"

The Spearguard line echoed with the sound of rifle bolts sliding into place.

Spearguard Command Centre, Near Mioka-ro

The remaining Council have gathered to interpret the last vote that Jidoshin-ki passed before his assassination. The vote, vague in the extreme, called for a High Council of the ten thousand tribes, who would all be known as "North Yamani's", after the common name for the area the Wan-zoku roughly inhabit. The specifics of the High Council were going to be hashed out the next day of the Council, but with a need for a voice for the region and the crisis which is resulting from lack of central control, the Council has laid down rules which shall apply to this High Council, which will be assembled as soon as possible.

The High Council will consist of nine members, and shall be appointed(non-elected) by Elder Councils from their representative areas or groups. The first four seats are from the four largest gatherings of the Wan-zoku(Mioka-ro, Shi-Daoken, Arentaka and Michi) which roughly represent the four major tribes(Mai, Mekura, Sawa and Man), or "Houses" as some progressive and informed members have taken to saying. These seats will represent their cities and one of four equal regions, dividing the countryside.

Another member shall be the representative of the five "lesser tribes", those living in rural settings, or nomadic tribal units. The four remaining seats are for four of the Tsuchinoki councils, excluding the Shinenoki. The reasons for the exclusion of the Shinenoki are obvious, as they are a small priesthood and can't bring anything to a progressive council, as their job is solely in the dealing of the dead.

Each member shall have representation in commitees dedicated to the running of NY as a Nation State. These commitees shall oversee regional elected councils which in turn will control the everyday workings of the Public sector and policy in general.

[OOC: Okay, don't attack yet, I did this at four in the morning and my sore throat is killing me. Specifics are NOT set in stone yet, this is just a general preview. The gathered Council has just made a group of people that will eventually(hopefully Very soon) rule this country. It might even change entirely depending on factors which effect the current declared rulers of this Land. The way I think is High Council as federal, Regional Councils as provincial and then Elder Councils on municipial. The Elder Councils are currently elected in most of NY, and this seems to be the general trend that will be adopted universally. The Elder Councils then appointed(by majority within that council) Regional Councils, who then appoint the four seats from the four Regions. The "fifth seat" of the people is then appointed by the rest of the High Council. The Tsuchinoki run the other four seats, with their elected Elders as members. This way I have a semi-dictatorship, the High Council is appointed by appointed members of the Regional Councils, the elections only taking up the very bottom rung...in addition, voter turn out is usually very low, as the Elder Councils used to be elected by the elders of an area. This tradition as been destroyed most everywhere, but the people still follow it.

I'm sure it all sounds stupid and complicated, I'll figure it out later. This is an aside from the thread, really. And Stephen, please tell me some of the things the Spyran advisors would suggest to this rush decision by the gathered Original Council, as their input would be well respected.]

The only surviving member of the gathered Original Council to remain opposed to the new High Council is the young Dwalasi Unri-ki, now leader of the Michinoki in name with the passing of Taran. From the Hill, in Mioka-ro(he was the only member not evacuted or lost), he has declared that Taran meant for the leader of the Michinoki to have absolute control over the High Council, as they have traditionally been the leaders and teachers of NY. His "suggestion" has been ignored, as the Traditionalists see it as against equal member elder Councils and the Reformers see it as against the spirit of Taran's mission. Currently, the Spearguard is investigating Unri for connections to Dissidents.

The Spyran advisors encourage that the government be established quickly, and its powers be outlined clearly, so that who provides services, makes rules, and collects the various taxes is set out. The Spyrans also encourage the central authority to maintain a secure power base, including the spearguard and foreign policy.

Each of the council members recieves a signed copy of 'Free Market Fasco-Socialism', hardcover, wrapped in black silk, marked with a hand-illuminated sigil of Spyr.

Kari-doma outskirts

The Okami-zoku, blessed with release from their ancestral forest, stumbled out into the blinding snow. Their eyes continued to tear from the gas and the terror they had just been through. As their vision cleared they held witness to a line of the enemies, and their strange weapons.

Some, seeing the useless long spears of their opponents, and the growing number of surviving Wolves, begin to ready for battle...

Mioka-ro

The Spearguard were effecient in their clean up of the city. Soon the remaining Dissidents were rounded up and kept at gun point until their transfer to the Spearguard Command.

Kari-doma Outskirts

"Mikyushike!"

Mioka-ro

A request is put in to the council, asking them to quickly outline a code of justice so that the Dissidents may be tried in military court and dealt with.

The Spyran advisors reccomend making the punishment serve as a symbol of the power of the new nation-state, and while Spyr does not support the death penalty, lenience at this point would destabilize the birth of the nation.

Near the Kari-doma

The Okami-zoku begin rushing at the lines of the Yan-Heshi, as the orderly soldiers pick their targets. Already outnumber, the Spearguard still remain relaxed and disiplined.

Mioka-ro

Dwalasi Unri-ki has been taken into custody by the Spearguard for "association with Dissidents". Some Tsuchinoki and Douwushi have been taken in as well, in addition to the Okami-zoku already held.

Near the Kari-doma

The Spyran colonel calmly sipped from the cup of tea held in his hand, then turned to his Yamani adjutant.

"The men are arrayed in a firing line five hundred meters out... why did I select this tactic?"

"The firing line was made obsolete by the machine gun, a weapon that the okami-zoku do not posess. As the troops have used this formation to train in coordination, it will increase their confidence, and combined with automatic rifles at their optimum accurate range of 500 metres, the whole fire arc will be saturated."

The colonel took another sip of tea.

"Correct. Now, the enemy is advancing, closing the distance rapidly, well within range, and yet the order has not been given to fire. Why?"

"An AP bullet fired in an automatic burst may pass through or around its target. By waiting until the okami-zoku have advanced far enough that they all lie past the 500m mark, you ensure that bullets which fail to stop a front-line target pass onward to strike a second-line target, or a third, and so on... complete area saturation."

The colonel smiled, finishing his tea and signalling to his subordinate platoon commanders, who raised their swords into the air.

"Very good. We'll make officers out of you yet, yan-heshi."

The Wolves were in a frantic charge now, barrelling towards the raised guns. The falling snow blinded them and whipped in front their faces. With determination the tribesmen rushed towards their doom.

The war cries and charging enemy did nothing to affect the discipline and training of the Yan-Heshi. In the face of the enemy blades and screaming warriors of the forest, the Spearguard sighted their targets and aimed.

Mioka-ro

As many suspected, Otojiro Yakuta has been chosen for Michinoki representative on the High Council of the Socialist Federal Dominion. The members are not waiting for the recovery of Shuri-lan Mora, cut down in the asassination, before continueing on their development of the North Yaman nation.

The colonel watched the okami as they charged forward. The sight almost brought him to tears... the spirit of the wolf was a spirit well attuned to a modern army, a pack of wolves working in unison to bring down their prey when they were most vulnerable. Under other circumstances, he would not have been able to strike down tribesmen who followed such a noble spirit... but they had slaughtered their fellow Yamani, and had refused to take their place as yan-heshi, as was the will of Heaven.

The colonel looked to his adjutant, a Yamani formerly of the Mai-zoku tribal army, who had seen the true path and come into the Spearguard. He had been experienced in leading his fellow warriors, and had taken to modern tactics quite quickly, casting aside traditions more quickly than many of those the colonel had dealt with. The officers trained in Spyr would soon return, but they had gone through an accelerated program... perhaps leftenants at most... and so they would need a knowledgeable officer to guide them, in addition to the Spyrans who filled the senior ranks.

The colonel detatched his sword from his belt, and held it ut to his adjutant, who looked at it in slight confusion.

"By the power I hold as senior field officer, I hereby promote you to colonel of the yan-heshi, and transfer to you command of the Spearguard 1st Infantry Regiment."

The adjutant blinked, then nodded solemnly and bowed, taking the sword. The Spyran colonel returned the bow, then extended his hand. The two men shook, before the newly-promoted Yamani colonel turned towards the approaching okami-zoku and drew his new blade, raising it to the sky.

The Spyran colonel turned his back to the Spearguard and began to walk slowly away. By now the tanks and infantry reserves would be sweeping around to take up flanking positions to ensure obliteration of the enemy. It would be a battle that would be painfully quick, and he had no desire to watch it.

Behind him, he heard the voice of his former adjutant.

"Kataashike!"

The flash and rattle of machine gun fire erupted from the Spearguard line, drowning out the screams of the okami-zoku.

[RP CHARACTER PROFILE]

http://sirpent.hp.infoseek.co.jp/ETC_56.jpg

Name: Yoshigawa Ritsuko/Ritsuko Yoshigawa

Nationality: Spyr-tohnoken/People's Republic of Spyr

Occupation: Spyr no getaishi-in-ah no shogo/ Spyran First Army cadet

Sithin no ehugaku no igizho no michi/ Sithin University Diplomatic Program

Ritsuko is a young woman currently training to become part of the Ministry of Diplomacy, under as scholarship that is part of a military Officer Training Program. She is a friendly, social person, eager to make friends and help make the world a happier place.

Politically, her beliefs are most certainly Strainist. Like many Spyran idealists, she has come to believe that Strainism is the best solution to the problems of the world. Part of the reason she joined the Spyran military when she decided to study foreign relations was that she felt it would give her the best opportunities to travel abroad and bring Strainism (and thus happiness) to the downtrodden.

The battle, total and entirely one sided, ended in the early morning. What Ii-ki that could make it from the shelters for Mai-zoku survivors of the slaughtered army tried to care for some of the Wolves, but when they got there the bodies were long dead from wounds or the exposure.

The newly appointed Colonel was giving out orders for the reforming of the Spearguard back to Mioka-ro and the command post when he spoke to the assembled platoon commanders and soldiers.

"This is over. Those response for the actions at that Council Chambers gate, now stained red with the blood of the wise elders, are dead and their power smashed. The Mai-zoku Douwushi army has also been avenged. Let this days blood shed become history, not a war. We will some day be patrolling and looking after the tribes out there closer to Nature, and sometimes they will be hostile. Some times, we will have to use force, but not to the excession ordered here. Focus on helping, but do not forget this night...and its red gate..."

The soldiers quickly begin referring to the incident as the Night of the Red Gate, a name which sticks when Spyran reporters interview Spearguard.

When Ren heard of the assasination and the slaughter afterwards, he left his room and walked the Sithin U. campus, contemplatively sad, until he found shelter from the blowing snow in the library.

-So my mentor is gone, Ren thought. How will his plans come together now, with those who only knew parts try to recreate his glorious plan? What will come of me...-

Deep in the corridors of the library, Ren found a place to sit and quietly mediate on his teacher and guide, now pasted into the cycle of rebirth. Soon Ren's wish to move and breate cold airoverpowered his focus and he found himself on the path back home, where he could write a prayer for the newly departed...

Taran-ki's death had unusual results on the campus of Sithin U. The priest had been seen as somewhat of a revolutionary hero by the students, and some of the faculty, a confirmation of the Strainist ideal that they could teach people the benefits of Strainism and modernization. Sometimes it seemed that they attributed more Strainist ideology to him than he had ever had a chance to show.

A day of mourning had been declared in Spyr when news of the assassinations had reached the President, and the whole city had taken on a solemn mood. The shrines around the city lit incense pyres, the scent of sandalwood and cloves filling the air. As the smoke rose into the sky, it could be seen that such a display could not help but get the attention of Heaven.

Most unusual of all were the students. Orendo had come to know them as a group of cheerful idealists, having left behind the traditions of their forefathers. Yet, they walked with bowed heads to the nearby shrines, memorial prayer cloths in hand, and stood with their elders in ritual supplication.

It was after the day was over, when the students had returned to classes, that the questions began in earnest. There was great uncertainty and consternation, for it seemed that the Strainists had difficulty understanding how anyone could oppose a man who sought understanding and modernity. Some, including Ritsuko, seemed to believe that the okami-zoku were simply ignorant... that it was all a horrible mistake, and that the Dissidents simply needed to be sat down and talked to. Knowledge, after all, overcomes all obstacles.

Other students saw the Dissidents as counter-Revolutionaries... people who knew the truth and sought to keep it from those they had enslaved, and thus people who had to be overcome. Perhaps the Yamani needed to go through their own Revolution to purge such elements.

But some others, a minority but not insignificant, went further... Yamani attatchment to tradition was to blame... it fostered ignorance and counter-Revolutionaries were able to rule the populace because of it. Only through true Strainist rule could the people be taught, and recieve the happiness that modernity offered.

Within 48 hours of Taran-ki's death, the first student demonstrations occured, demanding Spyran military occupation of North Yaman.

OOC: I'm tired of always searching for this thread. Now I've posted, so it should show up in the stuff I've posted in. And, Dr. Zoidberg-on-a-pogo-stick, KG, you are in a kerfuffle. ^_^

Spyran Embassy, Mioka-ro

The Spyran 'embassy' in Mioka-ro was a massive affair, a walled subcompound within the outer perimeter wall of the Spearguard HQ. Originally constructed to house the experts and administrators, as well as materials and equipment, it contained extensive barracks and officer's apartments, as well as a large public theatre for speeches and films, a television station rebroadcasting from Spyr, and broadcasting NY programming, as well as extensive diplomatic facilities.

With the Red Gate crisis, the facility had been filled with Spyran troops from the 6th Army, pulled from the Ogawa security line... thousands of infantry and support staff, as well as numerous armoured vehicles, now bolstered the already-present air regiments, and the infantry regiments training the Spearguard (all carrying LJDC authorization papers). The Spyran troops united with the Spearguard, keeping up thorough twenty-four hour patrols of Mioka-ro, the nearby countryside, and surrounding communities. A number of Spyran lower officers, leftenants to captains, issued field promotions to their best Yamani subordinates, or the newly-returned Yamani officer trainees, and returned to their units (though most colonels remained in place, as few available were trained enough for regimental command).

As with the troops serving in Tord and Helekar, the Spyrans in NY are a friendly and helpful lot, volunteering their time for social programs and organizing Strainist youth groups, while talking about the benefits of Strainism and modernity. They also engaged in frequent parades in various communities, with their Spearguard comrades, to bolster local morale in the populace.


Spyran armoured divisions being inspected after arrival at the Mioka-ro embassy (http://www2.lnet.ne.jp/~aaa/TNK0001M.jpg)
[posting the picture directly fugs the thread...]


[OOC: NY may be in trouble... but little more than Helekar, which also sticks to traditions. There were even student marches to occupy Tord, though they only had a few hundred participants as the student pop. was quite low. Now, there are millions of students. In the Japann war, there were marches... about 20,000 for withdrawal and peace, almost 200,000 for defeating imperialist forces, and around 26,000 for turning Japann into a Strainist republic.

The same sort of group, around 30,000 are marching in favour of occupying NY. Its really a negligible number, but it brings up some of the ideological dissagreements present in Spyr].

http://www.gluckman.com/Chao42b.jpg
7th Army infantry attempt to convince student protesters to clear the streets in Sithin. A debate ensues over duty to Strainist law and Strainist action.

http://www.mikesnewsquips.freeservers.com/ph4,10,01stickguns.jpg
Sithin U. levy units practice with wooden 'rifles', after volunteering for frontline duty in North Yaman

"THe Spyrans are embroiled in a war," Foreign Minister QIao reported to Premier Chai and Vice Premier Park as the two women, accompanied by Premier Park's husband, sat beneath the shade of a palm tree in Hu-kasa's Imperial Palace.

"What's the cause?" Premier Chai asked, sitting up. Park looked up, interested, and put down her cup of tea.

Qiao shook his head. "Something to do with barbarians," he replied.

Chai nodded. "I'll go talk with them personally," she said, making her way to the phone.

Chai had called the Spyrans wihtin an hour, and inquired as to the nature of their problem (ooc sry i cant write a lot now, lotta work, so i'll post more later)

"THe Spyrans are embroiled in a war," Foreign Minister QIao reported to Premier Chai and Vice Premier Park as the two women, accompanied by Premier Park's husband, sat beneath the shade of a palm tree in Hu-kasa's Imperial Palace.

"What's the cause?" Premier Chai asked, sitting up. Park looked up, interested, and put down her cup of tea.

Qiao shook his head. "Something to do with barbarians," he replied.

Chai nodded. "I'll go talk with them personally," she said, making her way to the phone.

Chai had called the Spyrans wihtin an hour, and inquired as to the nature of their problem (ooc sry i cant write a lot now, lotta work, so i'll post more later)

Recieving the East Islandian call, President Strain of Spyr attempts to explain the situation.

"The nation of North Yaman actually has its origins in several tribes which dwell to the north of Spyr. The Spyran people have been a modern nation-state for some time, and we have a strong belief that it is our duty to bring the benefits of modernity to our neighbours as well. Thus, Spyr has been actively assisting the Yamani in building their own nation-state. We have attempted to provide education for a new core of government officials, and have trained and equipped their national army.

Unfortunately, not all Yamani appreciate our efforts to help them... a minority are so firmly grounded in their traditional ways that any change is seen as a threat. These 'dissidents' have recently engaged in rebellion against the fledgeling North Yamani state... they assassinated key modernist figures in the government and slaughtered a government-loyal tribal army before retreating to avoid retaliation.

The Yamani national army, with Spyran support, has responded by efficiently shattering the core of dissident military power, and the new central government has begun to solidify. Matters seem to be stabilizing.

However, here in Spyr, there is some ideological trouble. Spyrans believe it is their duty to help other peoples, and our role in North Yaman has been highly supported by the populace. Thus, especially amongst the young students of the nation, there has been concern over the presence of dissidents, and over wether they still have influence. Some students, few but vocal, believe that Spyran annexation of North Yaman is the key to the future prosperity and security of the Yamani.

As our laws allow freedom of nonviolent assembly and speech, the students who desire annexation are free to make such statements as they wish, but we, the Spyran government, do not believe that such a measure is neccessary, and have moved forces into North Yaman simply to ensure that their new state is not destroyed as it attepts to mature. We expect that eventually the student protests will die down, just as the dissident presence shall fade away in North Yaman. We are certain that open war is not a possibility which will ever arise, and that no additional assistance is required.

The people of Spyr are most gratified by the concern over our national safety expressed by our East Islandian friends. Should we ever face an insurmountable challenge, we know to whom we shall first turn... and hope that you would do the same."

"Well, we trust you to prevent another Tiananmen Square incident," Chai replied. "Good luck with your situation, and if you need help with logistics, training, or at worst, direct intervention, you know who to turn to."

With the end of the dissident army, the High Council has given the Spearguard the go ahead to begin instigating a massive recruitment and training program. Setting up Command centers in the major settlements of Yamani and spreading federal influence from these centers is a priority to the Social Federal Dominion.

The treasuries of the Four Houses of North Yaman have been combined and placed under the control of the SFD. With these coffers, the North Yamani plan to contribute their share in the recent projects approved by the Lyong Treaty, supplyng the 1.002 billion Sen that is the required of NY.

The Spearguard Officiers, trained in Spyr, have returned and been placed in their positions. The LJDC representatives are already in place at Fort Lyong, with only nine Spearguard officiers due to the recent officier training program and the lack of Spearguard officiers.

The Twelfth Fire Support Regiment is losing seven hundred and fifty soldiers, who will be divided and sent to Fort Gochu(five hundred) and to supplement Helekar-Kaioken troops guarding Ogawa ferry terminals and defences(two hundred and fifty), as per the request of the LJDC. The Twelfth Fire Support regiment will begin training recruits to refill their ranks, but is disbanded as a Spearguard division and will stay so until further notice.

In Mioka-ro:

With the Red Night not a week past the people of Mioka-ro welcomed a boost to spirits with a farewell parade to the Third Assault Infantry Regiment, three thousand and fifteen Spearguard soldiers are scheduled to set out for Naisho, to supplement defence due to LJDC requests. The regiments of the Spearguard were arrayed in orderly ranks in the field between the city and Spearguard High Command, as the Third Assault regiment marched loaded into their Guar trucks. The seven hundred and fifty Fire support troops departed with the Third Regiment, to the cheers of the Mioka-ro crowds and the silent brotherhood of the assembled Spearguard, showing their respect with the salute, fist to heart.

Farewell Parade to the Third Assault Regiment and members of the currently disbanded Twelfth Fire Regiment:

The Mioka-ro crowds waved and cheered as the trucks began rolling away. Throughout the crowd priests could be seen, praying or simply watching the event. Missing are the usual quiet Shinenoki, who would usually to be warding off evil from the departing troops. With the disapearrance of their leader and the loss of any official capacity within the modern government, the Shinenoki now exist only within the non-governing body of the Tsuchinoki.

All this political wrangling doesn't seem to dampen the spirits of the crowd, who are ready for fun and excitement after a nearly a week of quiet reflection and prayer on the death of Taran and the resulting violence within and without the city proper.

At the front of the crowd, beside a Utaki, singing out the song of Good Departure, a little girl stands beside her mother. This family is a prime example of the new North Yamani, with the father and mother working shifts in the factories set up near Mioka-ro. The conversation is repeated in different ways and with different opinions, but the Yamani modernists are of very similar opinions.

"Mommy, where are they all going?"

"Well, they're going away, some to be with our neighbours and some to be in Spyr."

"Where is that? Why would they leave mommy?"

"Chiaki, I've told you of Spyr. It is the land to the east, where the people follow the Dragon Emperor. There, in Spyr, where Strain has taught the people the way of his fore father, who rules in Heaven. Come Chiaki, father should be home soon..."

Just outside the Kari-doma

The Spyran colonel stood in silence on the ground where the dissident okami-zoku had been cut down. The ash of funeral pyres had been covered by fresh snow, and the whole area seemed pristine... no sign of the carnage remained.

The area of the Kari-doma gassed by the Spyrans... where Nature had 'risen up'... was silent, devoid of animal life. The gas would have settled over everything, and in the quantities used meant it would be well into the rainy season before it stopped burning the senses of the animals.

The colonel looked down to what lay in front of him, a small pile of stones arranged in a circle around a larger boulder. Looking back to his jeep, he nodded to the two soldiers who had accompanied him here. They were both a bit bemused by his actions, but an officer was an officer...

The colonel climbed into the jeep and signalled the driver to turn back towards Mioka-ro.

As they drove away, the soldier sitting in the rear of the jeep glanced back at the central stone, and the ideograms hand-carved upon its surface.

tohwan da yeongjiyu'ta sigo'ha sunshi okami-ti