NationStates Jolt Archive

Chapter 1, Finding Luni

Toophian City, Western Borders

"Welcome my brothers and sisters, King Luni came to me and he told me to find him in the lands which pass through the wilds." There were around 100 in number standing below the platform of the Prophet of Luni, he smiled looking down on his fellow countrymen.

"The journey will not be easy and our faith will be tested to it's very limits." The voice of the prophet boomed out across the square were the loyal had met, some of the less faithful were looking upon the group with hateful eyes, some were spitting at the feet of the Pilgrims.

"And now the journey begins, with these first steps we break through Goblin and Frozopian rule and into the eyes of Luni!" There was a cheer as the group made it's way out of the city, the group was excited to finally be leaving from many decades of slavery.

Mount Luni, 20 miles West of Toops

The mountain had taken it's toll on the people, 20 had died and another 30 were left at the bottom from exaustion, the Prophet continued to promise that "Luni will protect the faithful." but faith was wearing thin as more died or became sickly.

The Prophet demanded that the Mountain will be climbed and not bypassed, this way Luni could promise the faithful would be truly rewarded, of course this was not easy with the steep inclines and frequent landslides, it was also just before winter and the cold was getting to the people, there was only so much that could be stood even for the most hardy of people.

Mount Luni, 10 miles from Summit

"Luni will protect us, he will see us through!" The Prophet mumbled to himself, the loyal gathering had shrunk to 20 and those only the ones who had gone mad from the lack of oxygen, Prophet was kneeling to the skies and praying for some respite, some of the group heard him cry from the torture.

There was a great bolt of thunder and the skies opened, the group stared in disbelief at their own joint halucination, Luni walked down beside the Prophet and spoke in an ethereal voice "Prophet" he said, the group were stunned by the perfection of the voice "Prophet, tell these holy men to journey with you to a land that I have had marked out for you!" The Prophet looked up in shock and nodded.

Western side of Mount Luni

The skin of the survivors was blackened, the group were happy they had found a purpose and had thier faith returned to them, they all eagerly watched the Prophet as he chose the next direction in which to pass, they had to move quick, the Siberian winter was closing in and all of them doubted that even Luni could protect them.

The Frozopian cavalry had watched the Toophians depart the lands, heading distantly towards the west and into the mountains.
"Will they return?" Asked one of the younger men, a new Toophian recruit to the Frozopian armed forces.
"More than likely those mountains will kill them." Spoke the veteran officer of the group, in a very rough Toophian.

The horsemen watched the departing group.
Good bye, the last true Toophians.

Chapter 2, The Winter

It seemed that just as the brave men left the Mountain they were hit by Luni's testing once more, A large snowstorm had driven them to seek shelter in a cave, patience was wearing thin, 6 men remained with enough food for 1 mans breakfast.

The Prophet was seeking guidance and finding none, the people were getting testy and were contemplating killing the Prophet for food, through the dense field of snow outside the men could see a faint blur of movement, a beast of sorts.

As the creature came closer the men realised the beast was a Black Bear, a cub probably months old who had become lost, the men rushed out into the cold and slaughtered the animal, they took it's carcass inside and feasted off the inards, they knew the meat would not stay fresh, they took the hide to warm themselves in the coming few days.

Chapter 3, 1,000 Strong Army and the Goblin King

3 men remained, it seemed greatly likely that those left would die soon, by travelling South they had limited the amount of casualties but were still suffering from fatigue, hunger and severe frostbite, the Prophet had taken point and was searching the horizon for anything remotly food-like.

Finding nothing the group settled at the base of a ridge, they were awoken by the simualtaneous clunk of spears suddenly pointed down at the travellers, the people were grubby and wore the hides of many Black bears, they spoke to eachother in a very primative dialect, none could translate.

The men were bound and dragged off to the village from wence the peoples came, the Prophet who was dressed in decadent clothing was bought before the King, the Prophet looked upwards to find himself bowing down to a Goblin who grinned in pure tortorus glee, the Prophet was suddenly overcome with anger he stood and spat at the Goblin King.

The Prophet was taken down into a pit were he would remain until his death, the two Pilgrims who remained were intergrated into society, or so was wished by the Goblin, in the next two months the Prophet was fed and watered secretly by the two pilgrims who studied poisons and quietly tested the peoples loyalties, time passed and soon the whole village was quietly grumbling about the Goblin King.

Pilgrim Krobbels was chosen to do the deed which had been set out, he snuck onto the roof of the Goblin's cabin and reeled down a thin piece of string, some poisons had been made by the local herbologist and were dripped down the rope and into the Goblins mouth.

The next day was full of rejoicing, the people cheered the release of thier peoples and the Prophet spread his word amongst the loyal, a new King took power and 300 men and women joined the crusade to the lands granted by Luni.