NationStates Jolt Archive

Pnakotus.
An island long forgotten by the Hyperboreans, the entire island had once been a library city. Now...who knows had become of it. Uabbhatll had been chosen by King Yith himself to lead an expedition to Pnakotus, and he would not fail him. He would bring 250 warriors of the finest quality with him. He watched as the ships (http://www.eduardovillacis.com/ev/images/GALLERY/AZTEC_naves03.jpg) were readied. Cannons were loaded, supplies brought aboard and foodstuffs were hauled on. Whale meat, thought Uabbhatll, nothing but whale meat. He heard a clicking behind him, and he swiftly turned around. It was his first mate, Ligu-ugog.
"The beings are ready my liege. Shall we set sail?" Uabbhatll looked towards the sea, offered a prayer to Dagon, and squished towards his flagship.
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4 ships, 250 men, enroute to Pnakotus (http://www.bugbog.com/images/maps/iceland_map.jpg). The ships, unlike most things in Hyperborea, were new. Thier designs were inspired by the dreams of an insane captive King Yith had encountered in the Frozen Wastes. Some of his crew had been afraid to board the ships themselves, so striking were they. Now they had grown use to the designs, and those who had nothing to do sharpened thier weapons. Why so many weapons? What does the King know?

Uabbhatll shook his thoughts away, focusing on his map. It was a copy of a rare map of Pnakotus, drawn during the days of the Hyperborean Empire. Cities were clearly marked, although he doubted they still stood. Wizards had theorized that Pnakotus would be cold, but no where near as devestated as Hyperborea. He read the paper he was given on the subject.

Considering the location of Pnakotus, its climate is much milder than might be expected, especially in winter. The mean annual temperature for Reykjavík is 5 C, the average January temperature being -0.4 C and July 11.2 C. The annual rainfall on the south coast is about 3000 mm, whereas in the highlands north of Vatnajokull it drops to 400 mm or less. The weather in Pnakotus is on the whole quite changeable and depends mostly on the tracks of the atmospheric depressions crossing the North Atlantic. The passage of a depression some distance south of Pnakotus causes relatively cold and dry weather, especially in southern districts, while one passing northeastward between Pnakotus and Hyperborea brings mild weather, moderately dry in the north. Coastal areas in Pnakotus tend to be windy, gales are common, especially in winter, but thunderstorms are extremely rare. For two to three months in summer there is continuous daylight in Pnakotus, and early spring and late autumn enjoy long twilights. The really dark period (three to four hours daylight) lasts from about mid-November until the end of January.

"What in the hells does 'C' mean? Or 'mm'?"
"What my liege?"
"Nothing...go about your work." Uabbhatll cursed the wizards. Did everything have to be dictated in such ancient tongue? No matter. It would be 2 and a half days, if the wind was good, till they reached the shore. What mystereries and suprises the ancient island held could keep his mind entertained until he reached those mythic, forgotten shores...

"Land!"
The crew stirred from thier work, turning thier heads towards the southeast. There it was....Pnakotus. The legendary mystical isle where the secrets of Hyperborea were held. In the days of the empire stone automations guarded the island, and it was said that even Atlantis could not destroy them. Uabbhatll wondered if he might not see them.

"My liege! There are structures! Like nothing I have seen before!"
"What?" Uabbhatll focused his four eyes ahead. Yes...strange structures...smoke. Had King Yith known life existed on Pnakotus? Uabbhatll was unsure who they were. Perhaps long lost Hyperboreans? It was all so exciting. His military training took over, and he ordered his men to arm themselves. The slipped thier cleavers and axes over thier claws and sailed the ship towards the settlement.

Uabbhatll pulled out his spyglass. What he saw shocked him. "By the moons of Eros! Man!" Humans on Pnakotus? How dare they! Uabbhatll peered closer, and recognized them as the same people's who had landed on Hyperborea two generations ago! "Beings, we must not make the same mistake as the White Demons did so long ago. Prepare the cannons...we shall make them pay for defiling Pnakotus!"

The warriors let out a cheer, and the ships swept closer to the town. The Hyperboreans put on their helmets and cone-cases and clicked in anticipation. The cannons were loaded. The crew watched as the first explosion sounded. They clicked in glee as a structure was sent flying. They could hear screams as the cannons of the five ships fired, as explosions ripped apart the village.

Warriors from three ships climbed onto thier smaller craft and paddled towards the town as cannonry sounded overhead. "Death to man!" they shouted, "Praise King Yith!" they bleated, and "For the eternal glory of Hyperborea!" they roared...

The smaller ships reached the shore quickly, and the warriors disembarked, carrying their cruelly curved swords, moving with a speed uncharacteristic of the Hyperborean race. The much chittering and clicking they fell upon the humans, cutting them to pieces. A few tried to fight, thinking such creatures weren’t capable of feats of strength. How wrong they were. Their swords, called Khopeshs by men, were ideal for slicing through bone and tissue, while still keeping their jabbing capabilities. No human was spared from the bloodshed, as children were hacked apart with complete disregard.

The village was small, perhaps 50 people, and the massacre ended quickly. Uabbhatll called the rest of the warriors ashore, and they began to explore. Outside the village they could see ancient stones jutting out of the land, and inscriptions on the stones revealed it to be the remains of the city of Husavik. The human buildings were burned to the ground, and construction began on a Ziggurat to house the beings. It would be made of wood, rather then stone, but only for the moment. By the end of the day it had been finished, and three of the five ships were sent away for supplies and more troops. A meeting was called to discuss what to do next.

Uabbhatll laid his map upon the large table in the central room. “Beings, we have landed in Husavik. We have been blessed, for it is remote and fertile. Here we can create our central core….our main base. But…we are miles from another ancient city. Mountains separate us from Akureyr, the closest settlement, mountains that are quite high indeed. What then, shall we do?” The troops were quiet and looked over the map. Should they move on, and if so, where? After nearly 6 hours of debate, a choice was made. After another 750 warriors landed, in two weeks, and Akureyr had been made into a functioning way station, the army would march to Aldeyjarfoss, with a ship cruising into the fjord, so a combined assault took take the city. There was strange sense of nostalgia, like they were reliving the old days of empire.

If they had their way those days would come again.

It had been a week, and not a human in sight. Husavik was looking more and more Hyperborean, and the original ziggurat was now constructed with stone. 3 others were going up, and smaller ziggurats housing blacksmiths and other shops had sprung up. A stone wall had even been constructed to protect the fledgling colony.The climate was quite enjoyable, and more civillians were venturing to the island. King Yith had declared any being with a trade or service deemed useful to the re-colonization effort could ride for free, and nearly 600 of them now clustered around Husavik.

Uabbhatll had been praying in a temple to the Gods-Who-Were-Not-Gods when a warrior interrupted his silence. "My liege! Human warriors have been spotted near the city!" Uabbhatll rose from his praying position. His claw reached for his weapon and he left the temple. The sight that stormed his eyes brought a flitter into his many chambered heart. All aroud him warriors were asplender in armor, and tradesmen were showering thanks in The Old Tongue. It was as if they were once again fighting the atlanteans, as if they were once more living the anceint empire.

"Beings! Nock your bows! Gather your Khopeshs! Today blood shall be spilled in the name of our empire!" A loud chittering was heard from around the city as warriors took thier defensive positions. They could see in the distance the bearded, half naked humans advancing upon the outlying area. They carried no missle weapons, only huge claymores. They wore no armor as well, perferring battle paint and thier own skin. The Hyperboreans watched intently as each minute passed, as each step brought the humans closer.

For a moment Uabbhatll imagined them having blue skin, golden armor, and gills. He imagined tall gleaming spires around them, raptors in the air, and flying machines buzzing everywhere. But he was quickly faced with the truth: they were not atlanteans. They weren't even Lemurians. They were simple ape-men who had no idea about what the true history of this island was.

The humans were getting close now, thier banners of animal skin waving in the cool air. With a flick of his claw Uabbhatll signaled the attack, and 300 arrows flew through the air, bringing down a large portion of the opposing force. After being hit, the humans made a mad dash towards the walls, screaming as they ran the names of thier vile and primitive gods. Uabbhatll was all to willing to send them to whatever hell they wanted.

Another volley of arrows, and even more humans fell. His warriors were growing impatient, wanting to join in the bloodlust. Still, a battle with no losses was something to be venerated. The humans scratched and clawed like rats now, fear in thier eyes. They tried to break the ancient stone door, to knock down the walls, but could do nothing. Uabbhatll quievered with joy at the blood now soaking the ground.

A third volley was launched, and this time the humans broke and ran. Many left thier weapons behind, so quickly did they depart. Uabbhatll signaled his archers to cease and go about thier bussiness, and return to normal guard numbers. The warriors returned to thier barracks. Just another day in the Empire.
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2 weeks had come and gone, and now Uabbhatll had 1,500 troops under his control. They, along with 1,000 tradesmen and transformed Husavik into a Hyperborean city. Ziggurats were everywhere, trade was flourishing, and it seemed the Hyperboreans had a new lease on life. Still, they had a job to do, and it was time to march. 500 warriors would stay to guard the city, and the rest were to march on Aldeyjarfoss. They would load in the ships, and disembark outside of Aldeyjarfoss. From there, the warriors would assualt the city as the ships fired upon it. Aldeyjarfoss would be thier no matter what the price.

As they watched Husavik dissapear into the horizon, they became more intent to add to its glory.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

Uabbhatll was quite shocked to only find ruins and the massive remains of what once must have been a large automation. No humans were to be found, and no trace of thier kind was seen. It appeared Aldeyjarfoss had been untouched since the fall. Indeed, the city still had tapestries hanging on some walls.

The warriors moved silently through the ghost city, looking at the colors the walls had been painted in. They could pick out what buildings were what. There, a breeding vat; to the left a barracks; that pile there, a guard tower. They even found centuries old wrecks of thier beloved flying machines. True, it was impossible to repair, but the signifigance of the find was huge. Aldeyjarfoss seemed ravanged by time, but seemingly by nothing else.

Uabbhatll sent a few troops back with the remains of the flying machine, and commanded the rest to begin salvaging the rubble. Word would be sent to Hyperborea another city was to be founded, and Uabbhatll would ask for 5,000 warriors to claim the island. He knew the civillians would follow, and already the Husavik breeding vat was creating Hyperboreans who had never even seen the icy wastes of thier homeland.
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To, his lord of the highest calibur, second only to the ancestors, King Yith

A month has passed from our initial discovery of Aldeyjarfoss, and the eastern half of the island is fully under our control. Our cities have sprang up upon the sites of the old, and younglings are being bred everyday. The climate seems to make the beings more fertile, and the population has greatly risen.

The humans no longer rule the west, but are in thier final days. They are on the run, living like nomads, as thier cities are burned wherever we find them. The human population has been cut in half and another half and it is my opinion that by next month they will not only no longer exist, but we shall have a city in each of the ancient sites.

I have searched and have not found the lost library, but have located some records as to where it might be. Apparantly the ancestors his the library under one of the larger mountains on the island, and bred a race of slaves to guard it. I am unsure if these beings still exist, as I have seen nothing fitting thier discription. These "ghols" are a swift beast which drags its knuckles as it lopes along the ground. Their speed makes them incredible scouts, and although they are relatively weak they can dash up a hill and hack a group of archers to pieces before they have a chance to react. The Ghol wields a cleaver longer than its own lengthy and muscular arms.

So far the troops have reported nothing of the sort, but we have yet to sclae the mountains.

If I may stray from my subject, I thank you for appointing me Protector of Pnakotus. I have come to enjoy this island, and see it as the jumping pad for our empire to be reborn. Your sending of your own personal masons is gift beyond words, for only they have been able to fully recreate the essence of anceint Hyperborean masonry. My fortress is foreboding indeed, and my scouts tell me the humans consider to be an extension of thier hell.

As to your question of where to go next, I pose a question: Do you prefer fertile or closer?

The frozen eastern islands are close, and seizing them would create a barrier between us and the great sea. From the eastern islands you could always travel southwards, where the maps indicate it shall be much warmer. However I believe that more fertile lands could be searched for on Europa, if it still exists, but those are far away indeed, and we are still unsure of thier existence. The most logical answer would be to colonize the eastern islands after Pnakotus and move southward.


Not dead nor dreaming,
Uabbhatll