NationStates Jolt Archive

Torrents of time drifted through the cosmos colliding against sentient life that inhabited its endless domain. All were effected by this powerful as there were none that could withstand it. Life would bend to its will and pay homage to time that changed all things, healed wounds, levelled mountains, and made strong men weak. Not even the elves of majestic woods of Caeralfar or the dark elves of the Underdark who both lived well beyond the days of men, were free of time's grasp for not every life is pleasurable because of long life.

Only from the mind of those with high ideals about freedom and the well-being of their people can create something that would stand against the test of time. In life, all wanted to be free to live their lives as they please and seek to improve it by their own merits. To raise children without the fear of what will happen to them once their parents sleep the long sleep. Creating life without the fear of opression was something embedded in the hearts and minds of every being in order to live a better life. At least so say the Myths.


Winter had come in full force to Mythrandir with the bitter chill of frost in the wind. Snow had fallen lightly in the capitol city near the coast leaving the thicker, heavier white flakes to the northern reaches of the continent. Already the Northmen were on the move in pursuit of the wild game that migrated with the winter. Come and passed had the winter festival celebrating this frigid time of the year. Now the bustling activity of the large city had slowed considerably leaving people to prefer their homes over the cold temperatures. Still, the heart of the city would not be slowed by any of nature's forms. Commerce continued to flow within the city, families continued to grow, and the poor were cared for.

Up in space, the scene was much more livelier with military vessels constantly patrolling the space around homeworld and other worlds within the system. The Forge Moon, refurnished, orbited the planet in quiet contempt to have more traffic flowing into its space docks than ever before. Civilian and military transports paid it equal attention as travelling to the Aero System was becoming more popular and the resources from its main planet were crucial to construction efforts within the Forge navy. Despite the best efforts of hostile aliens, the Forge had repaired itself back to status quo and even expanded. Now the defense network of the planet was unseen by the naked eye to keep prying eyes from gathering any more information about a nation that preferred to keep to its self.

Back down on the planet, Elder Sebastian finally awoke from his long nights sleep. The large window doors to the balcony had been sealed tight against the bite of winter and the last remnants of a fire in the hearth slowly died letting the glowing ashes give off a cozy, warm glow. Furs covered the young Elder and his wife as they had slept the whole night through and finally awoke late in the morning. Sebastian could still feel the heat from his wife's body and the glowing fire along with the softness of her skin against his own bare flesh.

Sebastian peeled back the multiple layers of covers and finally set foot down onto the bare floor. Reaching up to the ceiling, the Elder stretched out his muscles and yawned. Sarah, his wife, pulled the covers up around her chest and sat up smiling at his back.

"You slept well last night."

Sebastian scratched at the thin beard that was growing along his jawline before walking over to the dark oak wardrobe along the wall. "It's been awhile since I've been able to sleep that good. The days have kept me busy and away from you."

Sarah shifted her weight in bed as she watched him pull on a pair dark brown trousers. "There is no need to apologize unless you were deliberatly avoiding me and our bed."

Laughing and shaking his head while pulling a white shirt over his head with ruffled cuffs, "I would never even think about doing something like that. Besides, you've been busy as well. Feeding the populace and making sure no one goes cold this winter. If anything, I've spent a few nights alone myself."

Crossing her arms and harrumphing, Sarah narrowed her eyes at him. "You are certainly getting ready in a hurry," just as Sebastian finished clasping a long blue cape around his shoulders.

"Todays is the day of the ceremony so you might want to get prepared as well. Brad will be up here soon to fetch us."

Sarah had almost completely forgotten about the promotion ceremony. After the battle with the Tannelorn military, there were a few Myth warriors that had distinguished themselves in battle and were receiving well deserved rewards. "Oh! I had almost forgotten." She threw off the covers, not thinking about how she would look, and quickly retrieved a special dress for the occassion.

Once the Elder and his wife had finished preparing for the ceremony, they made their way downstairs. Brad, Captain of the Guard, was waiting to escort them. Thumping a fist to his metal plated armor, the tall burly man bowed respectfully. "Good morning to you both; Elder, Lady Sarah."

"Good morning Brad. I trust you and your men are keeping warm and the barracks and you have already eaten breakfast."

"Yes Elder. The men have eaten enough before their duties and they stay warm on patrol." Sebastian's house guards waved hello at the young couple as they walked through palace grounds and out into the streets of the city. Four more guards came up to escort them along with Brad.

Sebastian hooked an arm around his wife who had a fur coat draped around her shoulders to shield her from the temperature. "What do you have on the agenda for today?"

Brad scratched at the thick mop of black hair on his head while collecting his thoughts. "SIREN finished its transmission informing the scheduled diplomats where to arrive and of their current weather conditions of the city. No word on when they should arrive."

"Diplomats? I was not aware that we were having guests."

Sebastian nodded. "Hopefully it will mean growth for the Diplomatic Palace and a greater understanding of this universe. Only through this way can we ensure that everything we hope and stride for will be preserved. The more potential allies we have here, the less likely our homes will ever suffer the taint of tyrannts stretching out their hands to take away our freedom."

Resting her head on his shoulders, Sarah looked up at the sky. Clouds kept the suns rays at bay while only allowing a dreary appearance to fall over the stone city that sprawled out into the distance. Only the White Tower at the city's heart threatened to pierce the thick canopy. "I wish we could have had them visit in the spring or summer when the weather is much more accomodating. The city is so much more beautiful during those seasons and it would have made a better impression on our guests."

The group continued to walk down the marble stone laid streets towards the city's center. Sebastian patted the leather bag at his side, reassuring himself that its contents were still there. "Don't worry about the weather dear. This city still has much to offer that goes beyond scenic beauty. Now let's hurry to the Tower or we'll be late, and I hate it when Alurial nagges at me. If I didn't know any better, the War Mistress and her are probably already at each other's throats."

(This storyline is for those that were interested in a diplomatic thread with my nation. However since I do not normally deny anyone entrance into a storyline that I have created, others are welcome to join as long as you send me a Telegramed message or by my IM and inform me that you are interested.)

A familiar friendly face is worth a dozen concessions. Personal relationships inevitably bleed into professional ones, a fact that can promote openness and compromise in negotiations. Since their meeting went so well at the D'Haran summit, the Socialist Republic has dispatched Ambassador Ątşuşe Umahąrą to meet with Mythrandir's authorities again, this time on their own turf.

Having arrived on the planet, Umehara is taken directly to the Tower. By fortune or good planning, he arrives at the same time as Sebastian and his entourage. "Elder!" the ambassador hails him with a wave, hustling over to meet him. "I am happy to see you again, and fortunate. I do not intend to intrude, but could you tell me where I am supposed to go? Not being familiar with this place, I could quite easily get lost without direction."

It had been some time since Brother Duncan had been called to the capital from his post in the northern territories. Even more unusual, he was not called to the Temple but to the Citadel. It was clear this was not a regular evaluation or meeting, however the true purpose alluded him.

Inside the Citadel Duncan made his way through the busy hallways and rooms. The polished stone building reminded him of the Temple though instead of being illuminated with soft white light that gave the Temple a warm ethereal feeling, the Citadel made no attempts to hide the masterful masonry or carved pillars and archways. On large walls and vaulted ceilings holographic stained glass scenes played out stories and legends from Tidan's past.

He was seated outside the Royal office about ten minutes. He played over in his head some of the recent incidents he had dealt with in the city he protected. He thought things were going as well as could be expected. There was that horrible kidnapping of course, what if someone thought he should have been able to find the young girl sooner. It was a thought that haunted his nightmares lately, Father Taal had come for the funeral personally to offer his condolences and display the Order's complete faith in him. The Patriarch had offered him words of encouragement.

You did everything you could Brother. The brighter the light, the sharper the shadows. These things happen. Evil cannot be vanquished merely by strength of will or spirit. The darkness seeks only to turn the lights that hold it away. If you can pick yourself up and continue the fight, you will have won. This is the true battle, the one inside us, and it my friend is the hardest of all.

They had helped a great deal, but from time to time the nightmares found him. And now as he waited to enter the room, they tore and clawed at him like rabid dogs.

The man seated next to him had been staring for the last 3 minutes. He had been too lost in thought to notice, but now it was becoming extremely annoying. Duncan closed his eyes and breathed deeply, calming his nerves and easing his spirits. Finally the secretary tapped him on the shoulder and led him inside.

Inside the room Duncan was led to a desk where King Kerain I sat. The room was rather bland for what one might expect of a King, but Kerain had after all been a General before his selection by the Clans and prefered the simpler things of life. Behind him stood the Patriarchs, Father Kygn, Father Taal, and Father Ultan. The three leaders of Duncan's Order behind his King, quite the intimidating sight but Duncan swallowed his fear and bowed to speak.

"I serve those who have not a servent and protect those who cannot protect themselves. What would my King and my Fathers ask of me?"

Kerain smiled and gave a quick glance to Taal. "You may rise son. I would like to commend you for you dedication to your oath. The Fathers have told me how you conduct yourself in the north. I wish I had a few dozen men like you in my staff, or even in the House of Clans." The King let out a loud laugh and the Patriarchs smiled at the joke. It was no secret the kind of me that politics usually drew, and the King had had his fill of manipulation games lately. Duncan nodded and continued to gaze at the floor. "Come on, cheer up. This is not a repremand. You are here because I have an offer for you. Tell me, have you heard of a place called Myth?"

Duncan appeared to gain some confidence and did cheer up some. As for knowing the place he did not.

"Well I hope that will soon change, either way. They are a nation quite similar to us in some respects and quite different in others. We first became aware of them some time ago but during the recon mission our agent there died during a seige of the planet by an Imperial force. Since then we have come into formal contact with them and I would like to send an ambassador to them. Of course the Clanlords want to send someone of their influence, but I think that our best foot can be set forward by sending a member of your Order. The Patriarchs agree, and that is why you are here." The King paused to let it all sink in. "We want you to be our ambassador. Of course you don't have to answer right away. Take some time and think it over, but I look forward to your decision."

Duncan's mind was racing, he didn't know what to make of it yet. In truth he was shocked at the offer. Yet for reasons he did not fully understand he heard himself answer. "I live to serve the people. If they would have be represent them then I shall seek to uphold that trust with all my strength."

Kerain smiled again. "Very good. I see you have chosen well Fathers. Brother we will send for you in the coming days. You have to be educated in the matters of state you do not know and what is expected of you. Then my friend you will begin your life in Myth."
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A few weeks later Duncan arrived on Myth. The weeks had passed in a blur for him, he still couldn't understand why he had volunteered. Perhaps he sought the change of scenery that would free him of his painful memories, or perhaps the confidence his mentors had shown in him had infact given him the strength to move on. Whatever it was that did it, the nightmares had all but gone and he felt better than he had in a long time.

Walking through the main port terminal he watched the crowds weave together in a kind of ordered chaos. A Shield Knight rarely opted for special transport, he felt at home amongst the people he was sworn to protect and serve. Even now as a representative of a whole nation he really did not want to appear different in any way.

He was supposed to wait for an escort to take him through the city to the diplomatic palace or something of that nature and even though he figured he could find his way there alone, he decided to wait.

A light dusting began to fall as Sebastian and his entourage came to a hault outside the grand tower. The many fountains in the courtyard that normally burbled loudly with flowing water, were now silent during winter's onset. Greenry was snuffed out replaced by the white flacky material or the dorment brown bushes lining hedgerows. Only one plant bloomed during this time. A white flower suckled at the frost in the air and roots thawed water crystals in the ground to absorb moisture. The winter rose was all that remained of the natural beauty of the capitol's gardens.

On each side of the tower itself stood the monsterous sentries that had been created after the war. The towering mechanized units shadowed the encroaching figures as they stood resolute with their great golden capes dancing in the wind. Metallic bodies looked imperbious to anything that nature could throw at them. Sebastian was looking up at the enormous figures guarding a corner of the tower when he heard the call.

Waving back, "Good to see you again ambassador. Well if you are lost then please stick with us. You seem to have arrived just in time for a little ceremony. Come inside and out of this weather. I'll show you to your home away from home after this is finished."

Looking around Sebastian noticed two vehicles parked outside the door. One was the ion powered motorcycle that War Mistress Shizra had personally constructed herself from the ground up. The other was Elder Alurial's flying chariot complete with flaming stallions that hovered a breath off of the ground. An impressive illusion by all accouns even as they pawed at the frozen earth.

Two guards peeled off from the back and ran up the side, armor clanking as they trodded up to the great oaken doors and heaved them open. Once inside, the vastness of the White Tower opened up to them. Being the base of the tower, it was the largest of all the levels and thus turned into a grand audience chamber. At its center hovered four tear drop shaped chairs. Two of them were already occupied. One by a fair skinned elf with long brown hair braided with golden leaves. Her robes flowed over her body in greens, browns, and other earthen colors. Her eyes darted out to the human Elder like daggers already accusing him of something or other but visibly relaxing once her sharp green eyes fall on the ambassador. The other chair, occupied by a burly dwarf with a long braided blond beard. His feet barely dangled off the edge of his seat though they were propped up by the handle of a massive iron warhammer engraved with multiple runes. The size of weapon would have been nearly impossible for any man to lift let alone wield effectively.

To the side of the four chairs stood the most provocative figure in the whole room. War Mistress Shizra of the dark elves stood in what seemed to be her own personal uniform. Black high heeled boots accompanied with a black leather miniskirt and a leather jerkin that was sleeveless with a low cut. Her two scimitars were, to Sebastian's relief, still in their sheaths with leather thongs secured just under her breasts. The errotic woman flipped her long white ponytail back just as she heard the door open. Behind her were lined a number of figures that seemed to come from all parts of Mythrandir representing every species in the kingdom. Each one stood resolute and at attention with their eyes fixed forward.

"Punctual as usual. At least Elder Raigar has the excuse of traveling from a different planet."

Sebastian smiled a disarming smile at the restrained elf hovering over the floor in her chair. "I would like to introduce Ambassador Umahąrą from the Socialist Republic of Xanthal. He will be staying here for a time."

Turning to Umahąrą, Sebastian swept his arm out to the three figures directly ahead of them pointing at each one as they were introduced. "Ambassador I would like to introduce to you Elder Alurial, Elder Thrandur, and War Mistress Shizra. We are still waiting on Elder Raigar who should be here momentarily but this effectively the governing body of Mythrandir representating the peoples of each race."

"Welcome Ambassador. I am afraid you have the misfortune of witnessing a slightly tedious ceremony. Rest assured, it will be over as quickly as possible." Words coated with honey from a woman that had already displayed a small fraction of her ire. Sebastian had come to the conclusion that they were merely mood swings.

Sebastian let out a soft sigh. "It is not tedious to reward those that have faithfully served Mythrandir and a public display does not hurt either. The people need to know that they have heroes. Heroes that are here to protect them against any danger."

"Rewards for their prowess in battle would not be necessary if you had been so rash in your agreement with being a part of an alliance."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "An argument for another time Elder. Try not to ruin the day with your constant reminders."

Before anymore retorts could come from the elf, the dwaven Elder spoke up for the first time. His voice was thick and gravely, booming off the walls of the tower. "Enough. Da bird comes. Let's git on wit da ceremony."

As if on cue, the doors swung open again followed by the guards announcing Elder Raigar's entrance. The griffon lord stood as one of the tallest in the crowd measuring near seven feet tall. The brown and red feathered griffon beat his mighty wings and closed the distance from the entrance to his chair. Seating himself comfortably, the griffon turned his attention back to the front.

"Ah, I am pleased you could make it Elder. Elder Raigar, I would like to introduce Ambassador Umahąrą from the Socialist Republic of Xanthal."

A red jewel hung by a thick golden chain over a large patch of red feathers on his chest. Pulsing with light from within, it gave off an eerie glow.

Welcome.

Sebastian leaned over to Umahąrą to better whisper in his ear. "Oh I almost forgot. The griffons do not speak our language and you can barely hear a noise they make. Something to do with their vocal cords I believe. Anyways, the jewel on that chain is our translators. Just in case it ever comes up again."

The young Elder turned back to the rest of gathered. "It looks like we can begin now."

From the top of the ceiling fell a black orb that looked as if its surface was constantly moving and remolding itself. The little object hovered around the room, consequently feeding the video feed throughou Mythrandir.

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The space port in the mountain side was the only one on the planet. Since travelling not mainstream, one port on the planet made it easier to manage traffic along with who entered the planet. Luthien had been sent to look for ambassadors that were due to arrive today. Seeing someone dressed differently and looking loss, the elf had no problems picking him out of the crowd.

"Excuse me but you are Duncan correct? My name is Luthien and I am head of the diplomatic division in Mythrandir. I have a shuttle waiting for you if you would please follow me."

Through the throngs of people milling about and heading off in different directions, ships coming and going out beyond the protection of the sound proof glass, a vehicle was parked outside the port. A golden teardrop shaped chariot that had no visible driver or means of travel. Still, it hovered just outside waiting for its passengers.

a Pelican dropship landed at the spaceport after leaving the Thunder Child a Imperial Isan Navy Emperor Apocalypse class battleship and lowers it rear ramp

"you six stay with Pelican and it crew and I'll take what i'am wearing and carrying and my four shadow wolves and fire wolf"said a man dress in full combat gear to six other dress like him as they walk out of the dropship

Duncan patiently watched the busy crowds as he waited for his host. There were people from all walks of life and from all the different races of Myth as well as some that were clearly from elsewhere in the universe. He watched a group of soldiers walk past absorbed in their conversation, appearing to have just been released from duty from the pleasant faces and energy in their step.

They drew his eye along until he noticed a tall woman walk past them coming directly towards him. His attention was perked as he anticipated this may be his contact. As the woman drew closer he realized that he was in fact not a woman but an elf.

"Excuse me but you are Duncan correct? My name is Luthien and I am head of the diplomatic division in Mythrandir. I have a shuttle waiting for you if you would please follow me."

Duncan bowed to the elf and extended his hand to clasp the elf's forearm as humans were prone to do during greetings. They usually did this with little thought as to whether other races enjoyed this ritual, but then social habits could be very difficult to overcome.

"Yes I am Duncan. I am pleased to meet you Luthien. Please lead the way."

Umehara tags along with Sebastian's group.The entire city seems like something out of a fantasy, and though his businesslike exterior remains unbroken, its beauty and majesty is not lost on him. He acknowledges everyone in turn as they are introduced, wisely avoiding involvement in the apparent argument between Sebastian and Shizra. He gives a deliberate nod in response to the explanation of griffon vocalization abilities, then settles in for whatever is to come.

(Hmm, I need to remember to better label names during conversations. Oh well, my mistake.)

Luthien smiled at the man. Her long black hair fell behind her pointed ears and cascaded down her violet robes. A deep rich color that matched the life in her dark orbs. She hooked an arm through Duncan's own arm and escorted him through the controlled chaos and out into the falling snow. The golden hovering chariot stood out in stark comparison to the white background of the mountain valley.

Once inside, the cold chill seemed to evaporate with the internal heating. No driver was to be found but the cushioned interior would most likely comfortably suit four people. Luthien sat across from Duncan as the door closed behind her, sealing them inside.

"The White Tower please."

Apparently voice activated, the engine began to hum as the shuttle came to life. It's sleek shape turn around and headed towards the capitol city of Mythrandir. A wooden console separated the cushioned seats in what could be assumed the front of craft. The front panel slid open revealing a holographic video display. A woman's voice reporting on the event came to life along with images from what appeared to be the main chamber of the White Tower. Already key officials could be seen and a close look would even reveal the Xanthal ambassador.

The war between the Myths and Tannelornian knights is now over but it is important that we do not forget those that have protected our homes and freedom with great steadfast courage. Today we honor...

Luthien looked at the holograph quickly. "It seems the ceremony is starting."

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

With Sebastian and Alurial's debate set aside, it was time for the Elder to take his own seat hovering between the dwarf and elf. Kissing his wife on the cheek, Sebastian marched off and eased himself down. His eyes scanned the room and took in everyone, his image sent to the far reaches of the kingdom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of our great kingdom, proud members of the Forge, and foreign guests; I am proud to present a few of the fine warriors that fought on the plains outside our wonderous city. The victory was not won by a handful of fine warriors but a unified effort by even the citizens within our own walls. We are here today to only honor a few that have stood out among the rest."

His chair turned to the line of warriors standing at attention. "Captain Lukien, if you'll please step forward and take recognition."

From the head of the line closest to the War Mistress, and elven knight regalled in bronze armor and red cape stepped ahead. His short brown hair accentuated his pointy ears and handsome face. Alurial's voice took over the commencement. "Captain Lukien distinguished himself with the defense of the city and aiding the War Mistress with plans for the counter-attack on the plains. With his help, our forces were able to quickly mounter an effective assault and slay many of their soldiers. To comemorate this achievement, the Elders and people of Mythrandir present you with the Ring of Mannelorn."

War Mistress stepped up and presented Lukien with a black felt box. Once opened, its contents were visible to the elf and those looking on through the news feed as the design of the ring was magnified. A green leaf brooched by a silver loop.

Elder Raigar took over the ceremony with his pulsing jewel never ceasing to radiate light. "Commander Bruenor, please step forward and be recognized."
The diminitive dwarf with a large battle-ax strapped to his back still managed to stand tall despite the imposing figures around him.

"Commander Bruenor was left behind enemy lines on the Forge Moon while battle raged in space. Alone, he managed to hold off a superior invading force from reaching the depths of the moon and gaining a hold of the network that aids in the construction of our naval vessels. By discouraging their advances, Commander Bruenor was able to save our resources and in so doing allowed us to rebuild our military capabilities in quick succession. Commander Bruenor, you are being presented with the Ring of the Phoenix and promoted to the rank of lieutenant."

Shizra moved down to the dwarf. Each race received their promotions in accordance with their own customs. For the dwarves, Bruenor's new rank was marked by three golden cords that were placed on his shoulders which wrapped down across his chest and back up his back. Shizra than gave presented him with a similar box on this contained the golden phoenix ring where the phoenix appeared to be chasing its own tail. Two red fiery gems were placed in its eyes for a more ornate and majestic appearance.

Now it was the dwarf's turn to present. "Lieutenant Bregger, please step up lad. For yer valor on da battlefield and prowess in commanding troops, we haf agreed te permote ye te da rank of Captain. Yer skill on da field help beat back da invading armies of dem Tannelornian bastards."

Sebastian cleared his throat and leaned over to the dwarven Elder. "Remember, this is public so try to use some tact."

Shizra moved down the line to the human man standing tall and proud in his silver armor and crimson cape. A winged helmet rested in the crook of his arm. The dark elf removed the man's breast plate and rested it on a table off to the side. She returned with a dark red breast plate instead with an engraved phoenix on the chest. His gauntlets, helmet, pauldrons, and iron boots were all replaced with similar red pieces. Each one was expertly fastened and latched onto Bregger's body as he underwent his transformation. Once completed, he was completely encased in his new red armor.

Now it was Sebastian's turn to speak on their behalf. The man hopped out of his chair and walked over to stand before the remaining Forge officers. "Captains of the Forge navy: Frylann, Drulgar, Heorot, Sky Scream, Genji, and Haldir; all of you please step forward."

The great line of humans, griffon, elves, and dwarf all stood forward at the Elder's bidding. "All of you cannot be thanked enough for the job you did in space and over our planet. You ensured that the fight that the enemy received would not be one that they will not soon forget. While we lost many great men and women during the battles in space, you saved countless more here on the surface. For that you have all of our thanks and so, it is my pleasure to present you all with the Ring of the Phoenix for going above and beyond what was required of you."

Shizra walked down the line presenting them all in turn with a box containing their rings. Once finished, Shizra stood to the side of Sebastian.

"The last part of this ceremony has been saved until now. One person managed to collect our scattered patrols and bring them together under one banner to fight off the invading armies. He then formulated a plan of attack that was so effective that it brought down many of the enemy's ships before there was even a response. His leadership kept our Myths fighting well past their own bodily energy. We hereby promote Captain Haldir to the rank of Admiral."

Shizra unwrapped a golden curved blade from a crimson fabric. It's blade was etched with numerous runes and the pommel molded into the head of a phoenix. Sebastian took the blade from Shizra then turned it over to Haldir. "Continue to lead the Forge navy with honor, Admiral."

The elf took the sword with a smile on his face, obviously trying to hide the emotion behind it all. He bowed his thanks and kept the blade at his side.

Sebastian turned to the audience that was up in space or nestled in at home. "This concludes our ceremony. Thank you all for watching and thank you, warriors of Mythrandir."

As the progression began to file out into the cold winter, only a few remained. Mostly the Elders, the War Mistress and Captain Lukien. Sebastian made his way back to gather up his wife and then towards the ambassador.

He smiled warmly. "Well what do you think Umehara? Ready to see where you will be staying for a time?"

(Imperial Isa, I have not forgotten you nor am I ignoring you. I simply ran out of time but will respond to your arrival in my next post.)

"Certainly," Umehara says with a bow. "I should warn you, though, my assignment here is temporary. I am to establish the basis of the relationship between our countries. Once I am confident we have built a solid foundation, an embassy will be assigned to Mythrandir and I will return to Xanthal."

(oops sorry about that, I assumed and I was confusing her with Lukien. All fixed now)

Duncan managed to pull his gaze from the elf to take in some of the ceremony. Duncan typically viewed these kind of events as some what tedious and awkward personally, he and many of the other Knights prefered to perform their duties outside of the public spotlight. He felt the gratitude and respect of his fellow townsfolk thanks enough, however he understood the importance to moral and so had attended many such occasions. This time though he found himself awestruck by the details and atmosphere. Much was familiar and yet it all somehow seemed fresh.

As the broadcast wrapped up his attention returned to his beautiful hostess. He was not accustomed to being in the presence of ladies of such status and it likely showed. Back home he was usually on the bottom end of the chain of command, he handled himself locally in the northern villages and towns but anything higher up was handled for him by the Order. It was perhaps as simple a life as a Shield Knight could lead, devoted totally to his oath to protect and serve, without the burden of politics and publicity.

As this all ran through his mind and the reality of his new life began to sink in, Duncan couldn't help but wonder why they had chosen him for this position. Were they trying to rid themselves of him? That seemed unlikely given the importance of this mission to the leadership. Perhaps they saw something in him that he could not. Or perhaps his was simply the kind of attitude and character that the King and the Patriarchs wished to display to the Myths on their behalf. It seemed that just as poor Duncan was riding himself of the regret of one life the worry of another began to haunt him.

And as though the turmoil inside was not bad enough Duncan suddenly became aware that the whole time he had been contemplating his own fate he had been silently staring at Luthien. His short beard and medium length rusty hair nicely framed his bright red cheeks as the realization swept over him.

"Oh. Maam, I am so very sorry. I was lost in thought and my journey was very long. I did not realize... I did not mean to... I hope I did not offend or make you uncomfortable in any way." This was not exactly the kind of first impression he had hoped to make, and with the diplomatic leader no less. Duncan quickly tried to think of something to change the discussion to but all he could think of was "Are there any things I should know about Myth as an outsider here for the first time?"

a Pelican dropship landed at the spaceport after leaving the Thunder Child a Imperial Isan Navy Emperor Apocalypse class battleship and lowers it rear ramp

"you six stay with Pelican and it crew and I'll take what i'am wearing and carrying and my four shadow wolves and fire wolf"said a man dress in full combat gear to six other dress like him as they walk out of the dropship

In the space port ring around the Forge Moon, there were a number of guards patrolling the station to ensure that everything went smoothly and to discourage petty theft. The space port itself was perhaps the most modern looking facility in Mythrandir. Attendants sat behind desks checking in passengers along with security checks along the way.

When the foreigners arrived at their check station, a woman with short blond hair smiled up at them. "Welcome to the Mythrandir space port. If you will please have your belongings set to the side and prepare for a quick scan to ensure that there are no weapons or harmful substances on you, then you may be on your way."

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Sebastian frowned slightly even as a bit of snow was blown in from the open doors. "I see. That is unfortunate but I will not argue with your government's decision to send another."

The room was now quiet with only the Elders, Captain Lukien, War Mistress Shizra, and Sarah still in the great room. Everyone else having vacated the scene for their duties, left the rest to their own desires. "Well, would you like a tour or to simply get right down to business?"

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Luthien had spent much of the ride to the city watching the news about the promotion and award ceremony. She was happy to see her brother get the Ring of Mannelorn. With the video transmission finished, the display retracted back into the wood console putting the armrest back into place.

The elven woman smiled at the man's embarrassment. "It is quite alright. Even the people of Mythrandir sometimes stare at us elves so do not fret about it."

She paused for a moment to look out the window. "It looks like we're coming up onto the city now." Outside, great white walls rose up towards the heavens. Their supreme mason work gave the wall a smooth shine. Ancient, they had stood for centuries protecting the city's inhabitants from all sorts of threats. Crenulated towers and guard citadels dotted its defenses and appeared to be a muscular arm encircling its children. Even as the shuttle passed under a stone archway and into the city proper, guards patrolled the stone walls in their various armors and carry a wide assortment of weapons. Their carriage took to the main fairway passing many of the stone shops and finer homes of the city. At the heart of the sprawling city stood a great tower that cast an imposing shadow over all of the land.

Easing back into her cushioned seat, "Things you need to know about Mythrandir? Well let's see...I don't know how much your superiors briefed you on our planet so I'll start with the basics. This planet is called Mythrandir itself and it is the same name as this city. On our homeworld we have a number of races comprising of dwarves, humans both Northman and Southerners, and elves that can be divided up by light and dark elves. I myself would fall under the light elf category. Don't worry, the distinctions are easy to see as you will soon find out. The only other planet that is inhabited by our citizens is in the Aero system. The major planet there is dominated by the griffons but we do have a few settlements of other races there as well. Travel between the two planets is not restricted so you may travel there at your own discretion though you will be given information on what to avoid and where not to go. Also a palace guard will accompany you should you decide to leave the planet.

But anyways we were talking about this planet. Like I said, this city is called Mythrandir and it is the capitol of our homeworld but there are a number of other major cities that you should be aware of. The dwarven mountain stronghold is called Hammer Hall. Their home lies deep within the Khrone Mountain range which is the dominating landscape to the north. Caeralfar is my home city and that is the home of the elven population deep within the great forest to the northeast. The last city is the Underdark, home to the overwhelming majority of dark elves. I do not recommend travelling there but perhaps a formal tour could be arranged at a later time. I would suggest contacting Elder Sebastian for that. Coincidentally, it is also the home to the Warrior's Institute where all of Mythrandir's Warriors are trained and home to the War Master or Mistress. The current head is War Mistress Shizra whom you will most likely meet. The city of Mythrandir itself houses a variety of all races so you shall get a chance to meet them all. There are a number of fortresses and smaller villages throughout the countryside but nothing to boast either one of the four cities' population. If you should need to travel through any of the forest's at night, please have a palace guard escort you for your own safety. Beyond that, our library contains tomes of our history that you may read up on but you will find that the vast majority of the population is quite welcoming."

(Actually I was referring to the small debate between Alurial and Sebastian. You were not technically wrong in your assumptions as it was my fault for not specifying a gender when I introduced you to her. So I made two mistakes with gender and names.)

In the space port ring around the Forge Moon, there were a number of guards patrolling the station to ensure that everything went smoothly and to discourage petty theft. The space port itself was perhaps the most modern looking facility in Mythrandir. Attendants sat behind desks checking in passengers along with security checks along the way.

When the foreigners arrived at their check station, a woman with short blond hair smiled up at them. "Welcome to the Mythrandir space port. If you will please have your belongings set to the side and prepare for a quick scan to ensure that there are no weapons or harmful substances on you, then you may be on your way."


"ha I'am wearing my only belonging which i bring which include weapons"said the Man as he pats one of the five wolves as the troops take up station around the dropship

"Whichever you prefer; I am merely a guest. And you should know, the Triumvirate has nothing to do with the temporary nature of my assignment," Umehara says with a chuckle. "I have worked in the diplomatic corps for nearly sixty years. After I finish here, I am retiring."

Sebastian shared a laugh with the ambassador. "Well then it sounds like a well deserved retirement. I can well imagine the stress and everyday struggles a diplomat has to deal with. But come and sit. We shall handle everything within the comforts of this room. No need to brave the cold elements."

The Elder looked at a few of the servants and instructed them to bring some chairs and few refreshments for everyone. As he made his way over back to his hovering chair, Sebastian looked up to the floating orb. "Change program from recording to holographic projections. Display detailed map of Mythrandir."

The inky black orb silently complied in its small internals. While large cushioned leather chairs were brought in, Lukien handed Sebastian and Shizra a few pieces of paper. Sebastian took the time to read over them then passed them along to the rest of the Elders. "Ah more reports. Everything seems in order Captain. Where are you housing the Kreels?"

The elf looked at the dark elf standing to his right first then looked up to address the Elders. "In the desert, Elder. Outside the ruins."

Both Alurial and Sebastian looked at the captain. "Hmm and you have guards posted along the perimeter? Switching them out every few hours or so?"

"Yes Elder. All precautions are being taken plus the desert provides the Kreels with ample hunting ground."

Satisfied with the answer, the Elders turned their attention back to the center of the room where the orb had displayed a large holographic map of Mythrandir on the floor. Land features rose and fell all around the city which was apparent with the great tower in its heart.

"Well ambassador, do you want the long version of the city or would you just like the broad over-sweeping inclusion of the major features?"

At that time a servant came by with a tray carrying cups of hot coffee or steaming cider.

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

The woman frowns slightly at the man. "I am afraid you will have to remove your weapons and leave them here. We do not allow weapons on the soil of Mythrandir. Anything beyond the scope of a standard blade is strictly forbidden. If your clothing must be replaced, we have an adequate wardrobe with which to accomodate you during your stay."

The woman frowns slightly at the man. "I am afraid you will have to remove your weapons and leave them here. We do not allow weapons on the soil of Mythrandir. Anything beyond the scope of a standard blade is strictly forbidden. If your clothing must be replaced, we have an adequate wardrobe with which to accomodate you during your stay."

"ma-am i'am wearing my stand Emperors gear which i wear ever day of my life seeing i'am the Emporer and with or with out weapon's i'am still deadly"

he said as he hand his Rifle, Handgun Sword bayonet and other small arms to a near by soldier

...Beyond that, our library contains tomes of our history that you may read up on but you will find that the vast majority of the population is quite welcoming."

"It is truely a wonderful world, and truely a shame that some would seek to destroy it." Duncan was gazing out the window at the landscape that was turning into cityscape now. "I'm afraid I have spent much of my life outside the influence of the galaxy, but I have heard of the recent siege. Do you know who it was or why they attacked? Is there any threat of the conflict continuing?"

The light snow fall reminded him of his home and made him a little homesick. He could not understand why anyone would wish harm on such a place, but then his life was dedicated to protecting the helpless and he never had understood why evil did what it did.

Umehara selects a cup of cider and sets it aside to cool. "I don't want you to waste your valuable time on my account, Elder," he replies. "Please, just an overview."

Her frown turned up into a small smile obviously taking into no account the man's standing in his own country. It appeared that all were accountable for the rules of Mythrandir regardless of their station. "That is all well and good sir but the rules are still rules here and we do not make exceptions."

There were a number of secure metallic lockers behind the attendant should there be any reason for anything to be locked up. "Thank you for your compliance. You may rechieve your weapons upon your departure. Please, follow the lit path and it will guide you to a departing shuttle for the planet's surface."

A message was sent through the SIREN network informing the planet below that another diplomat had arrived in the space port. This one appearing to be a leader of a nation. It was advised to have someone waiting for him in the planetside docks.

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

Luthien's dark eyes followed the man as he looked out the windows and thought deeply to himself. Such people that were genuinely innocent were always a facination to the elf. His musings and questions silently delighted her. "The tyrants that lay siege to our world were from the nation of Tannelorn. During our battle with them we were able to gather much information on their soldiers, their people, and even their location in the universe. Intercepted messages put their motives for the attack at merely keeping us tied up while an entity called the Galactic Empire could freely invade the nation of Asfaltum."

Sighing sadly to herself, "It is ironic how were attacked simply to prevent us from entering a war that we had no interest in from the beginning and now, many of the Forge leaders have grown hungry for vengence. With all of the information we were able to take, they feel we are now in a position to counter-attack them in revenge for what they have done to us. Sadly, I do not believe there is anyway to avoid a coming war that will be both long and terrible."

Her eyes returned to the man and fixed themselves on him. "We have watched the universe for some time now. Sending our probes to the farthest reaches, all to see what the climate was like. To see whether or not we could announce ourselves to the universe and peacefully coexist. Do you know what we found Mr. Duncan? Death. War. Genocide. Famine. Tyranny in the worst possible shapes. It was quickly decided that our presence in the universe should go unnoticed. Our allies would be few and well guarded, never giving our location. With all of the spatial distortions surrounding our system, we believed it possible.

Then all of this happened. Now, what peace we do have is temperred by coming storms that we will have to weather. We have seen battles across countless star systems with armies that were more numerable than the stars. Every ship we saw was identified and catalogued so that one day we would be able to tie the names of their owners to them. With each passing day, fewer and fewer of those warships are unknown to us."

The shuttle stopped just outside the White Tower. Already there were two guards running through the snow to come and open the door. "This is your stop. Inside you will find our Elders and I believe one other diplomat that has already arrived."

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

Alurial daintily lifted a the back of her hand to cover a small chuckle. "Oh I like this one. He is so polite. So much better than others that we have entertained."

Sebastian cleared his throat slightly just as Sarah walked up around the back of their seats to stand next to her husband. "If you don't need help with anything here, I'll check on the shelters and food kitchens to make sure everything is going alright. I will most likely be there for a while so don't wait up for me."

The young Elder nodded his head. "Alright." Sebastian looked out towards the door. "Brad! Escort my wife will you and make sure she is taken care of."

Clanging over to the gathering, Brad nodded his head followed by a salute. "Of course Elder."

Sarah bid Umehara goodbye then collected her coat before heading out into the winter cold.

Now that minor business had been addressed, Sebastian could finally get back to everything at hand. "Sorry for that ambassador. Now, you most likely recognize the city that we are all currently in. This also happens to be the capitol, not so original, called Mythrandir. It is the largest of the four major cities on our planet bursting with just about every race inhabiting the space within our walls. Here you can find public transportation, our library, bodies of government, sprawling markey places, and the diplomatic palace. Those are some of the more popular political points of interest. There are also the numerous gardens, fountains, and the harbor to the south. Unfortunatly the winter has hidden their beauty.

The other major cities include Hammer Hall of the dwarves, Caeralfar of the light elves, and the Underdark of the dark elves. Each one has their own fascinating aspects which you can explore at your leisure. There is also a second system that we control containing the homeworld of the griffons, Elder Raigar's people."

The holographic image quickly changed with the tour to show a system with four planets and a great asteroid belt encircling all of the system. Sebastian hand arced through the air and the asteroid belt lit up with his movement. "The Aero System which was discovered thanks to Elder Alurial's efforts."

There was a proudful nod when her name was mentioned. Sebastian continued on. "One of the largest belts we have seen, asteroid belt Jericho encircles the vast majority of this system keeping it hidden. Their is one inhabitable planet which is the second planet from the sun."

Pictures altered allowing the holograph to zoom in on the second planet. A colorful image of blues, greens, and violets in the atmosphere. "It is liveable but breathers are recommended for the human populace to ensure there are no side-effects. Something about a chemical agent in the air that we have not been able to remove without destroying the ecosystem. So, if you ever visit the planet just be prepared. Besides, our breathers are quite unintruding. Once on, you won't even notice."

Once he stopped talking the images faded pulling back to a much larger scale holographic image of both systems. "Any questions ambassador?"

Her frown turned up into a small smile obviously taking into no account the man's standing in his own country. It appeared that all were accountable for the rules of Mythrandir regardless of their station. "That is all well and good sir but the rules are still rules here and we do not make exceptions."

There were a number of secure metallic lockers behind the attendant should there be any reason for anything to be locked up. "Thank you for your compliance. You may rechieve your weapons upon your departure. Please, follow the lit path and it will guide you to a departing shuttle for the planet's surface."

A message was sent through the SIREN network informing the planet below that another diplomat had arrived in the space port. This one appearing to be a leader of a nation. It was advised to have someone waiting for him in the planetside docks.



"your not handling my weapons if you don't want to die best leave them with my troops who i hand them to seeing humans or other races touch they die a very mess death"said the Man then leaves with his wolves

Because of the war, the Coredians have been late in sending a delegate to Mythrandir, but send one they did.

A shuttle descended onto the spaceport and disgorged a young woman and her attendants. Lady Hinata Hyuuga-Uzumaki was the first and foremost of the diplomatic team. With purple hair and milky-white eyes, she was a strange sight, but she was human nevertheless. And certainly not blind as noted by her graceful movements. She wore a white and pink embroidered kimono with a pink bow. Men would love to have her, but she was formidable and taken, so no go there.

Attendant #1 was a droid by the name of Veepio, one of the VIP-0 droids that the Diplomatic Corps use. It had the cultures of over ten thousand civilizations in its memory banks, with room for many more, and a golden, shuffling body, like that of the Threepio series of droids.

Attendant #2 was a servant of the Hyuuga Clan. A young woman with a strange symbol on her forehead and a plainer kimono, she was Hinata's personal servant, bound to serve her master for life. Hinata disliked that part of her clan's strict laws, but she had to go along with them as her father, Hiashi was the patriarch and a traditionalist at that. Once she became Matriarch, she had vowed long ago that she will change the laws. But now was not the time.

These two attendants walked behind and to the left or right of Hinata, giving the hosts a clear view of who was important and who was a servant.

"I am Hinata Hyuuga-Uzumaki, the delegation from Coreworlds." She said in a soft and cultured voice to the delegate waiting for her. "It is a pleasure to visit Mythrandir at last."

The shuttle stopped just outside the White Tower. Already there were two guards running through the snow to come and open the door. "This is your stop. Inside you will find our Elders and I believe one other diplomat that has already arrived."

Duncan stepped out of the shuttle and turned to thank his hostess.

"Thank you Ma'am. You have been most friendly and your words very comforting to hear. I believe I will enjoy my time here very much. If the rest of your people are anything like you, then it would seem the Tidani have found a kindred spirit amongst the stars. I look forward to our next meeting."

He bowed and let the guards lead him into the Tower.

Once he stopped talking the images faded pulling back to a much larger scale holographic image of both systems. "Any questions ambassador?"

Duncan passed a woman on the way in and bowed his head in a respectful greeting as they passed. The guards continued to lead him into a large amphitheatre. Sebastian had just finished his presentation when Duncan entered. He quietly approached so not to disturb the conversation.

"Many, but nothing so pressing that it must be addressed at this moment," the ambassador says, not noticing Duncan's entrance. "I must say, this is a magnificent metropolis. I am deeply impressed."

"your not handling my weapons if you don't want to die best leave them with my troops who i hand them to seeing humans or other races touch they die a very mess death"said the Man then leaves with his wolves

With the last words spoken by the emperor, the attendant sent another message down to the surface world. This one informing the tower guard of their new guest. It was recommending that a pair of guards be present when escorting this new arrival.

The message bounced back with a received message just as the shuttle containing the emperor jetted out from the space port and made its way down to the planet.

"I am Hinata Hyuuga-Uzumaki, the delegation from Coreworlds." She said in a soft and cultured voice to the delegate waiting for her. "It is a pleasure to visit Mythrandir at last."

The planetside port was a place that one could easily loose themselves if they did not know where to go. It was perhaps the least regulated area of Mythrandir, for good reason. Space was limited within a mountain range. The general feeling of protocol in the area was grabbing your luggage and get out.

The Myths were not without their methods of locating people though. There were only three scheduled diplomatic arrivals and it seemed the last one had arrived. Similar appearance to her elven counterpart, Lady Murasaki had long raven hair and sparkling green eyes which matched her long flowing robes.

Murasaki offered a pleasant smile from her delicate frame. "Then welcome madam, to Mythrandir. I am Lady Murasaki, head of international relations for Mythrandir. There is a shuttle waiting."

Just as she turned to lead the guests out into the winter cold, three burly Northmen came bounding past her. Each one carried a massive weapon of their desire. At near seven feet tall, they towered over the woman but she still managed to fix them with a glare even as there bare muscles glistened in the light.

"Gentleman. What is the meaning of this? There is protocol to follow and we do not greet foreign guests with weapons. Wulfgar, what are you doing?"

The three looked slightly shaken at the possible accusation. Wulfgar, who seemed to be the one she was talking to with a wolf pelt wrapped around his shoulders, looked down at the woman. "Sorry but we received a message from the Forge moon space port that we have a foreign guest that requires an armed escort."

"Odd." Remembering her guests, Murasaki apologized for the slight distraction then bade them to follow her out into the blowing snow. Outside the cave entrance waited a similar tear drop shaped chariot that ferried Duncan to the capitol.

---------

Sebastian and noted the newcomers entrance. "Please sit. I am assuming that you are Duncan from the nation of Tidan. We were just finishing up a brief tour of the city."

A servant came over with similar warm beverages to offer the man just as Elder Sebastian continued on with his indoor tour. "Thank you ambassador. Your compliment means much to us all as we all care deeply about our cities. But I am sure one large city looks like all the rest after you have travelled enough."

Sebastian looked to Elder Raigar and gave him a solemn nod. Continually pulsating with energy and light, the grand griffon lord flicked his raptor gaze at the two ambassadors. His hawk eyes then turned to Umehara, reflecting the ambassador's image in his great eyes. "What small footsteps does your government wish to take? What is it that your people value in a friendship between starry kin?"

Strange words to simply ask someone where they would like to start in political talks but the griffon was the most diplomatic of the four, granting him prescedent in the preceedings.

With the last words spoken by the emperor, the attendant sent another message down to the surface world. This one informing the tower guard of their new guest. It was recommending that a pair of guards be present when escorting this new arrival.

The message bounced back with a received message just as the shuttle containing the emperor jetted out from the space port and made its way down to the planet.

"if the woman had open her mouth she would find the weapons are cursed to those are who not from there or have blessing to handle them"said one of troops watching her to another
"not good at her job is she now"another said back to him

"hey did they ever find all of that woman who touched the rifle"asked another one

"no ten year have pasted and they still not find all of her"said another

-----

"that be right for those with little under standing about gods" the man said looking at two people who would only just get in way

The planetside port was a place that one could easily loose themselves if they did not know where to go. It was perhaps the least regulated area of Mythrandir, for good reason. Space was limited within a mountain range. The general feeling of protocol in the area was grabbing your luggage and get out.

The Myths were not without their methods of locating people though. There were only three scheduled diplomatic arrivals and it seemed the last one had arrived. Similar appearance to her elven counterpart, Lady Murasaki had long raven hair and sparkling green eyes which matched her long flowing robes.

Murasaki offered a pleasant smile from her delicate frame. "Then welcome madam, to Mythrandir. I am Lady Murasaki, head of international relations for Mythrandir. There is a shuttle waiting."

Just as she turned to lead the guests out into the winter cold, three burly Northmen came bounding past her. Each one carried a massive weapon of their desire. At near seven feet tall, they towered over the woman but she still managed to fix them with a glare even as there bare muscles glistened in the light.

"Gentleman. What is the meaning of this? There is protocol to follow and we do not greet foreign guests with weapons. Wulfgar, what are you doing?"

The three looked slightly shaken at the possible accusation. Wulfgar, who seemed to be the one she was talking to with a wolf pelt wrapped around his shoulders, looked down at the woman. "Sorry but we received a message from the Forge moon space port that we have a foreign guest that requires an armed escort."

"Odd." Remembering her guests, Murasaki apologized for the slight distraction then bade them to follow her out into the blowing snow. Outside the cave entrance waited a similar tear drop shaped chariot that ferried Duncan to the capitol.
The lady assistant gave a small shriek of fear as the three...trolls appeared. Her mistress, however, showed absolutely no fear. Either Lady Hinata was a princess with balls, or she had the ability to KO the three of them without breaking a sweat. Guess the odds of either one. "Calm down, Kaede. They shall do no harm."

"I-if you say so, Hinata-sama." Kaede replied and fought to calm herself down.

"Lead the way." Hinata said as she and her assistant pulled out winter cloaks and wrapped them around their shoulders before following Murasaki out into the snow and onto the chariot.

"How poetic," Atshushi says, raising his cup in a complementary gesture. He stands up and turns to face the new arrival. "Let me add my greetings to Elder Sebastian's, and goodwill from one member of the Galactic Federation to another. It's a pleasure to have you join us."

Umehara remains on his feet until Duncan has sat down, then returns to his own chair and picks up where he left off with the Elder. "The Xanthalian government is interested primarily in peaceful relations and cultural exchange. The Triumvirate also offers you workers and resources to help complete Mythrandir's recovery. Military obligations are serious things not to be taken lightly, as I am sure you fully appreciate. In time our countries may become military allies, but for now Xanthal seeks friendship and cooperation with your Kingdom in purely peaceful pursuits to form the foundation of things to come: trade, tourism, and diplomatic access to name a few."

Murasaki tried her best to keep her hair out of her eyes but the wind had picked up, driving people to their transports in a hurry or weathering the storm inside. She quickly opened the door for the two women to enter in then tapped a button causing a ramp to extract. All of their shuttles were handicap friendly. In the case of the droids, Murasaki thought the ramp would make it easier for them.

Inside, the temperature drastically changed to a cozy warm sensation. Once everyone was in, Murasaki closed the door. "White Tower please."

The chariot rose higher off the ground then darted off through the mountain valley towards the capitol city off in the distance. Murasaki made herself comfortable in the cushioned seats afforded to them all. She smiled almost apologetically. "Again, I am sorry about the guards. It is not our custom to greet our guests so hostilly but it appears we had an unruly guest that arrrived in the spaceport and is now on the way to the surface. They are simply there to ensure everything remains peaceful. Now just so you are up to speed on what is happening, two ambassadors have already arrived and are currently in talks with the Elders. Those nations are Xanthal and Tidan. I do not know if you are familiar with them or not but from what I understand, there is plenty of room in the main chamber for you and your friends."

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

Alurial's painted lips pulled rolled back in a wide smile revealing her pearlly white teeth. "I knew I like this one for a reason. Already we have much in common."

"Elder Alurial, please." Sebastian looked the griffon next then nodded his head for him to continue.

"Such is the way friendship is truly born. No demanding attachments even though what we have heard about your people, would lead us to believe that a military alliance would not be a burden either. You are peaceful. That is good for that is what we desire. There is no reason to deny your government or your people any of those three. You should be warned though, that we do not allow weapons on our planets regardless of their station among your people. As long as that can be upheld, then we will welcome your people openly."

Sebastian smiled with approval. "I concur. We would also like to send a diplomat of our to your world as a gesture of goodwill and to strengthen our relationship."

Once Elder Sebastian had finished, Raigar took back control of the conversation. "What matters of trade are of interest to you?"

(Imperial isa: Just go ahead and assume that your shuttle made it to the port in the mountains. We can go from there then.)

OOC Mythrandir bottom part of my post is Wolf eyeing the two gaurds and i left out ooc saying the troops were talking in Imperial but posted it in common so you know they were watching

"It appears that we're not the only Galactic Federation member to come to Mythrandir." Hinata smiled. "Xanthal and Tidan are two of our strongest allies in the Federation. I, of course, have come to specifically represent my nation, but it doesn't hurt to have another represent our alliance."

"All citizens are equal under the law in Xanthal, and only on-duty police and soldiers are allowed to carry weapons in public. Normally we do have armed officers to police our consulates, but we will accept your protection instead. I do not believe it will be a problem. Before we discuss trade in more detail, clarify for me: is the entire diplomatic palace under Mythrandir's jurisdiction, or do the occupying embassies operate under the laws of their countries of origin?"

Embarrassing perhaps, but none of the Elders had ever been asked that question. Laws and security were in place for any eventuality that was foreseeable in their eyes, but jurisdiction for crimes had never been a problem in the past and had not been brought up for more consideration as the number of diplomats continued to grow.

Raigar handled the matter with supreme confidence and calmness. "The entire Diplomatic Palace is under our protection as the guards we supply are of our own ilk. The number and quality of protection is equal in everyway we can imagine it. Should nations become hostile towards one another in the galactic arena, we have arrangements for additional security to be placed around their housing and office areas for more security. Should there be a need for a neutral meeting area, we will also provide that as well.

If there is ever the unfortunate case that a crime is committed to an ambassador by another resident diplomat, then crimes charged and punishment will fall to the grieving nation if they so desire. We may handle the trial and sentencing if it is their desire, but we prefer to remain out of those situations. The nation of the accussed does have the right to launch its own investigation here to better prepare a defense. Trials may be held on Mythrandir or back on the home of the grieved.

Should a citizen of Mythrandir ever committ a crime against one of your ambassadors, we will delegate out a sentence to be carried out and a copy of it will be sent to your government. If the sentencing is not severe enough to your liking, then your government may request to have the accused transported to your nation. However, we will reserve the right to request the retrial be conducted here on Mythrandir or at least send an observer. I hope that answers your question to your satisfaction."

Sebastian looked over to the ambassador from Tidan. "Ambassador Duncan, do you have any questions or wish to add anything at this time?"

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

"Ah yes, the Galactic Federation or the GFFA is the acronym that I have heard often."

Snow outside the chariot began to lighten as they drew closer to the white walled city. Guards manned towers and the wall even as the ambassadors passed through the gates and into the heart of the stoned city.

"We have heard of a number of alliances in the galaxy. So many that they all almost seem to run together. Well, then you will at least have the comfort of being among allies during your stay."

Their transport came to a hault in the center of the sprawling under the shadow of the four mammoth Tower Guard armored units and the obelisk shape of the White Tower itself.

"Please enjoy your stay."

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

Wulfgar and his other two companions eyed the man with a quiet appraisal. They had already received their orders to escort the man to one of the chambers inside the White Tower. Northmen were not the most diplomatic people on the planet and their speech intended to be curt.

Outside a similar chariot to the two before it, was standing by waiting for its passenger. Unlike the previous two, this one would only be caring one person without the luxury of an attractive woman to keep him company. Standing around the chariot were three imposing Wyverns with their leathery wings folded in at their sides waiting to launch back into the skies.

Wulfgar lugged his warhammer onto the back of his shoulders. "Come."

To three Northmen lead the diplomat out into the snow and to his awaiting transport.

(Sorry I missed it.)

Sebastian looked over to the ambassador from Tidan. "Ambassador Duncan, do you have any questions or wish to add anything at this time?"

"I suppose Tidan is looking for brothers. Ones who will seek what is best for each other, and protect each other with little thought for themselves. In Tidan family and clan are the most important things, followed by Tidan. What is done to one clan member is done to all, and what is done to one clan is done to all. Few Tidani will break this honor bond, and we have sought to find others like ourselves amongst the stars. However, like on our old home called Earth, we realize that often this kind of relationship is not possible and even when it is these things take time. So to start we seek friendship through trade, open travel, diplomacy, and perhaps some partnership in different endeavors like research much like our friends here. From these more basic trusts perhaps we can soon move on to greater ones like security, defense, technology when friend becomes family."

Duncan smiled pleasantly at Umehara. "It is very good to see you as well. There is nothing more welcome than the face of a friend when far from home."

Then Duncan returned to Sabastian. "As you know Elder, Tidan and Xanthal have been allied for some time now, and perhaps it is a very good thing. My people are simple folk, warriors from a time long forgotten, we are adapting to a world where politics and diplomacy are very important. We are always glad to be allies because in times like this Xanthalians ((ooc: apparantly I am not that great of an ally since I am forgetting the noun for Xanthal, sorry Xan I hope this is right)) will always bring up matters that that must be cleared up, yet we would not consider or even care about such things until it became evident they were a problem. Xanthal has saved us many headaches over the years by reminding us of things that are also important. We only hope we will be as benefitial an ally to them some day." He bowed hoping his sincerity came across to his ally, and the benefit of befriending Xanthal to his host.

"I was told that I would need to surrender certain rights I am used to in Tidan with my position. Those of my weapons, my right to investigate that which I find suspicious, to arrest, and a few others. These are simply what an officer of the law must get used to in another's land, and I will happily place my safety in your hands."

"One thing was not clear when I was briefed and so I would like to ask now. Shield Knights of my homeland are given armor, it is of military quality but is of purely a defensive nature and carries no offensive components within it. We are encouraged to customize and personalize our armor to reflect ourselves. I ask only because it has become very special to me, more than just a uniform of my rank and status, but would I be permitted to retain such a posession here on Myth or stored away in my new home? I do not wish to cause an incident so I will accept your ruling."

"Other than that one concern," He paused for a moment. "Are there any other limitations on what we may do or where we may go on Myth?"

As the four Elders allowed what Raigar disclosed about a small part of their justics system to sink in with ambassador Umehara, their attention was turned to Duncan as he voiced his own thoughts. The griffon lord held precedent in the meeting but Elder Sebastian discreetly gestured that he would handle the man's concerns.

"We are not without our similarities good sir. Like you, and I imagine Umehara's people, we to value family and the friendship of others. It is not something that we take lightly and I assure both of you, that alliances with your nations are considered with the utmost care. We as Elders view these matters not only from the best interest of our people, but also yours as well. So while we may not exactly be family at this moment in time, we still look out for what the best interests of all parties involved would be.

Sebastian leaned back in his floating seat before moving on the rest of Duncan's questions. "We are not trying to be malignant here but some of this is for your own safety as well as the rest of the civilian population. If you were allowed to retain some of your responsibilities as man of law from your own world, you would run into customs that you are unfamiliar with. Consequently, you could find yourself in a dire circumstance simply because you had the best of intentions or were trying to fulfill your duty. I assure you that our guards are more than capable of handling any crime committed in Mythrandir.

Now I suppose we should clarify the meaning of 'no weapons allowed.' As I am sure you have both seen our guards carrying a wide variety of weapons albeit perhaps primitive in your eyes. We do not allow projectile weaponry, other than bows for hunting, on our soil. If you have a blade or something of that nature that shows rank or status among your people, then you may have it in your possession. You are certainly allowed to wear it as part of your formal attire or may constantly wear it in public. I would like to warn you though, that wearing your sword in public and not being a part of the military will not win you any favors. The typical weapon I've seen out on the streets would be a dagger. Simply for protection. Your armor is allowed here on our soil and you may wear it as you please, but if I may make a suggestion. I would try to refrain from wearing both your armor and a weapon while walking our streets. It's not that I am concerned about your safety, you will simply bring the wrong impression upon yourself if you are dressed in full battle regalia. Full armor and weapons worn would give you and your nation the impression that of a hostile intent. The only exception to this rule would be among the dwarves, who seem to have nosense of diplomacy sometimes when they bring weapons to a diplomatic meeting. I can't possibly imagine you having any problems among the dwarves dressed like that. No offense Thrandur." Sebastian's eyes glanced at the dwarven Elder and his warhammer being used as a foot rest.

"Bah, none tak'n lad."

Sebastian smirked, shaking his head. "But to answer your question, yes you may keep your armor and wear it freely as you see fit. Like all things, there is a time and a place for such full dress and I feel confident that you can judge that for yourself."

Sebastian licked his lips in anticipation then let his eyes quickly take in the two elves standing off to the side of the Elders. Both important to Mythrandir not only for their military service, but also as companions. Still, they were marked by a difference of skin color and the differences between their own races went deeper than the color of their skin. The young Elder decided to start our slowly.

"You may do as you wish while you are in Mythrandir within reason of the law and you may go where you wish also. However, I would prefer it if some of the palace guards accompanied you when you travel. This is not a law but we did give your governments our word that you would be under our protection. It would not look well upon us if something were to happen to you during your stay. Our people are relatively peaceful but once our borders open to travel, you will be among the first foreigners to set foot on our home. With the influx of foreigners arriving, we could experience a brief increase in crime until we are able to better monitor and identify foreign criminals. It is for that reason why we have guards posted around your housing and why you all have your own specific guards picked for your escort. Again, it is not a necessity and certainly not required at this time but we do recommend it. There is also some wildlife on Mythrandir and Thralk that are predatorial by nature. Until you have had time to read the information on them, you may want to have an escort if you decide to go outside the city walls for a walk at night."

Leaning forward, "I hope I've answered your questions ambassador. I'm not trying to frighten any of you off. I'm just tyring to be thorough with my explanations."

Duncan smiled and nodded. "As I would expect Elder. Do not worry, I have been able to adapt to many kinds of living conditions, and yours are far from uncomfortable. I understand your protection of jurisdiction, we do the same at home and I expected no less here. As I said, it is simply something I will have to get used to, and was also to point out I had been breifed on some of your laws and customs previously so the weapons were not a surprise. I am glad to hear I may keep my armor, but don't worry I have no intention of wearing it often. It is mostly for protection and formal occations. Since I am no longer an officer of the law performing my rounds here, I do not see the need to wear it as much as I did at home. I thank you for your consideration."

He looked around the room at all of them. "As I said to my hostess in shuttle, I believe I will like it here."

Wulfgar and his other two companions eyed the man with a quiet appraisal. They had already received their orders to escort the man to one of the chambers inside the White Tower. Northmen were not the most diplomatic people on the planet and their speech intended to be curt.

Outside a similar chariot to the two before it, was standing by waiting for its passenger. Unlike the previous two, this one would only be caring one person without the luxury of an attractive woman to keep him company. Standing around the chariot were three imposing Wyverns with their leathery wings folded in at their sides waiting to launch back into the skies.

Wulfgar lugged his warhammer onto the back of his shoulders. "Come."

To three Northmen lead the diplomat out into the snow and to his awaiting transport.

(Sorry I missed it.)

"Wyverns it be much faster if i just open a porthole then them flying me there and again i see why Dragons see them as slow"

"Understood," Atshushi nods, experimentally sipping at his cider. Finding it still too hot for his taste, he sets the cup aside again, looking over at the Tidani representative. "Thank you, Sir, on behalf of the Triumvirate for your kind words.

"Now then," he returns his attention to Raigar. "You asked for details of Xanthal's trade interests. The Socialist Republic has protectionist mechanisms in place in the form of tariffs and quotas, but most of those barriers only inhibit the importation of inexpensive foreign replacements for domestically-manufactured goods. The markets for foreign consumables, electronics, and media are particularly lucrative and minimally protected. Conversely, Xanthal exports a number of products, chief among them spacecraft, automobiles, and raw and refined materials."

Sebastian smiled and leaned back into his seat. "I'm glad to hear that. We all look forward to your company."

Relinquishing control of the conversation, Elder Sebastian was happy to sit back and listen while Raigar handled the rest of the details. "Your customs are an understandable guardian against foreign influences. Merchants can be some of the most hostile of the guilds in the universe it seems but they will be pleased to find that consumables and electronic devices are profitable in your markets. Those items happen to be some of Mythrandir's greatest resources. We would be happy to share them with you in return for opening up our markets to your raw and refined materials. Many of our structures on this planet may be of stone but it is not a reliable material in space. Your contribution to the mineral market will greatly aid us."

Alurial dangled her dainty fingers in front of her displaying an assortment of rings while pointing at the Tidani ambassador. "Mr. Duncan, please do not hesitate to speak up if you ever have anything to add."

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

Wulfgar smirked slightly as he mounted one of the wyverns. The great Northman locked his warhammer into place behind his back then snatched up the reins in his powerful hands. "The wyverns are for us to ride. That transport there is for you to ride in. Do not worry, these beasts are more than capable of keeping up."

Great leathery wings beat the ground, lifting the reptilian beasts up into the air. Their long snake-like necks craned to get a better image of the ground as they circled high in the air waiting for the man to get into the transport.

Wulfgar smirked slightly as he mounted one of the wyverns. The great Northman locked his warhammer into place behind his back then snatched up the reins in his powerful hands. "The wyverns are for us to ride. That transport there is for you to ride in. Do not worry, these beasts are more than capable of keeping up."

Great leathery wings beat the ground, lifting the reptilian beasts up into the air. Their long snake-like necks craned to get a better image of the ground as they circled high in the air waiting for the man to get into the transport.

"why must poeple fly ever where ,really you ever think i may like to see this land on the ground then from the air"

(Was going to wait for the other three to respond but I've kept you waiting long enough)

One of the Wyverns circling high in the air, seeing that the man had not entered the car, descended next to the chariot. Wulfgar was the rider that came back down to speak with the Emperor. The great Northman was growing tired of dealing with the man but he knew that diplomacy was required in these delicate situations.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken. This craft will keep you on the ground as you travel through the mountain volley and into the city. The only ones that will be flying, will be myself and the two others. Now, please get in the chariot so that we may be on our way."

After a long pause indicates the Tidani ambassador has no comment, Umehara looks back at his hosts. "I have nothing further at this time. Perhaps there is something of concern to Mythrandir that you would like to discuss?"

(Was going to wait for the other three to respond but I've kept you waiting long enough)

One of the Wyverns circling high in the air, seeing that the man had not entered the car, descended next to the chariot. Wulfgar was the rider that came back down to speak with the Emperor. The great Northman was growing tired of dealing with the man but he knew that diplomacy was required in these delicate situations.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken. This craft will keep you on the ground as you travel through the mountain volley and into the city. The only ones that will be flying, will be myself and the two others. Now, please get in the chariot so that we may be on our way."

Wolf moved in nanosec before the Wyvern had open his mouth

(oops)

"Tidan welcomes trade from all worlds who have not shown hostile intent. We keep some protectionist policies but these are dropped for those we have treaties with like the Federal Economic Community created within the Galactic Federation. If Mythrandir wishes to engage in a similar trade relationship, as soon as we agree to fair terms of course, Tidan will gladly welcome such an agreement. But that is something that can be worked out with the Trade Advisor."

"That will be sufficient for now Mr. Duncan, or at least until the time comes where we come together more like-how you say-like a family. Thank you both for your contributions. We will look forward to fruitful trading partners."

Raigar paused for a moment, allowing his talons to clench and unclench as he took a moment to relax. "Yes ambassador, there is one more detail that we would like to discuss with you before this meeting concludes. Over the years we have been gathering information on as many nations as possible and compiling our own bit of archives for future referrences. In time we have aquired details on races that we have not met yet. Our most interested area is with information on ships, particularly the category of war vessels.

Now, we understand the possible security hazards for disclosing information on your own military craft as well as that of your allies. What we are interested in are the details on war crafts from nations that are hostile towards you or have previously been at war with. Everything that you could possibly have on file, even the interiors of the ships, we would like to have. We are willing to compensate your governments for this information, and the more detailed the information the more we will pay. Though this is by your choice of course."

(Imperial Isa...what? The only thing that has opened its mouth is my character in yours. Nothing is trying to bite you or anything of that nature. So, what are you doing?)

"Ah yes, the Galactic Federation or the GFFA is the acronym that I have heard often."

Snow outside the chariot began to lighten as they drew closer to the white walled city. Guards manned towers and the wall even as the ambassadors passed through the gates and into the heart of the stoned city.

"We have heard of a number of alliances in the galaxy. So many that they all almost seem to run together. Well, then you will at least have the comfort of being among allies during your stay."

Their transport came to a hault in the center of the sprawling under the shadow of the four mammoth Tower Guard armored units and the obelisk shape of the White Tower itself.

"Please enjoy your stay."
"Thank you." Hinata said as she walked into the White Tower.

Some time later, she was escorted into the meeting hall. It was time to begin the diplomacy.

OOC: Sorry about the lateness. I had a lot of other posts to do, not to mention school.

Atshushi bows apologetically. "I am sorry, but it is the Triumvirate's policy to disseminate information classified secret by foreign governments only as necessary. What information I can have sent to you is already a matter of public record." He takes note of Hinata's entrance, but does not greet her. To welcome the newcomer before their hosts have done so would be impolite.

(Imperial Isa...what? The only thing that has opened its mouth is my character in yours. Nothing is trying to bite you or anything of that nature. So, what are you doing?)

OOC open your mouth to talk don't you like your guy has to ,so before he open his to talk wolf was seated

"That will be sufficient for now Mr. Duncan, or at least until the time comes where we come together more like-how you say-like a family. Thank you both for your contributions. We will look forward to fruitful trading partners."

Raigar paused for a moment, allowing his talons to clench and unclench as he took a moment to relax. "Yes ambassador, there is one more detail that we would like to discuss with you before this meeting concludes. Over the years we have been gathering information on as many nations as possible and compiling our own bit of archives for future referrences. In time we have aquired details on races that we have not met yet. Our most interested area is with information on ships, particularly the category of war vessels.

Now, we understand the possible security hazards for disclosing information on your own military craft as well as that of your allies. What we are interested in are the details on war crafts from nations that are hostile towards you or have previously been at war with. Everything that you could possibly have on file, even the interiors of the ships, we would like to have. We are willing to compensate your governments for this information, and the more detailed the information the more we will pay. Though this is by your choice of course."

(Imperial Isa...what? The only thing that has opened its mouth is my character in yours. Nothing is trying to bite you or anything of that nature. So, what are you doing?)

"Well I'm afraid I don't have that kind of information to give you." Duncan started.

"However if you wish to continue this line of inquiry you will have much more luck I'm sure talking to Eclipse, our Intelligence Community. They are the eyes and ears of Tidan and keep records of everything. They will know what we can give you."

Neither showing disappointment or displeasure, Raigar's raptor eyes simply stared back at the two, now three ambassadors. His feathery chest rose and fell with one great breath. "Very well. Such knowledge should not be freely given. If it had been given up so easily, the information would most likely have been worthless to us. We will be in contact with your governments to follow up our request but you need not concern yourselves with this matter anymore."

Elder Sebastian took a moment to look at the woman that had just arrived with her attendant. He studied her for a time while his eyes lingered with hers. By now the remaining Elders had followed his gaze letting four sets of eyes linger on the woman for a time. All had read the reports from Captain Lukien as he waited patiently by their side.

Finally Sebastian broke a smile. "Welcome ambassador. I am assuming you are Hinata of the Coredians. You seem to have caught the tail end of this meeting but are welcome nevertheless."

The elven Elder Alurial peeled her gaze from the newly arrived ambassador and looked to the others and their interests. "Ambassadors if there is nothing else that is pressing you, we can escort you to the Diplomatic Palace where you can rest for a time and perhaps eat. You do not have to sit here for the rest of this meeting if you do not want to."

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

Satisfied that he finally entered the transport, Wulfgar hefted his Wyvern back into the air. Everything secured, the chariot darted off through the mountain passes out into a snow covered field as the outline of the walled city of Mythrandir slowly rose into view.

Up above the three Wyverns quickly kept pace with the shuttle until it entered the city walls. The riders broke off away from the stone buildings and towers. They didn't regroup with the golden cart until it stopped within the gardens outside the White Tower. Dismounting, Wulfgar gave a quick look at the Golems standing guard around the sleek tower before waiting with his other two companions to finish their escort.

"As you wish, Elder," Umehara says, standing up and bowing deeply before turning to address Hinata. "It is an honor and a pleasure to be in your presence, Madame." He bows again, not quite so deeply, but still plenty to convey his respect. His social duties completed for the moment, he bends down once more, this time to retrieve his cup. Finding the temperature now more suitable to his taste, the ambassador drinks freely, attempting to finish the drink before they leave.

"Its an honor to meet you as well." Hinata bowed to the ambassadors before finding a seat for herself and her attendant. She began. "It is good to be here at last. I have heard good things about Mythrandir and hope that this meeting will come to a satisfying conclusion for everyone."

"Elder Alurial, why don't you escort the ambassador."

The elf's eyes narrowed at the human for a slight moment then relaxed. Alurial lowered herself from the hovering chair as her robes fell about the floor. "I suppose I can trust you as long as Elder Raigar remains in the chambers. Try to keep the young one in line. Oh, and do keep him from making any...unnecessary deals."

Elder Alurial collected her garments by hiking the hem line up above her ankles and gliding over to Umehara. Her painted face and lips looked pleasant enough for one of the elders of the elven race. Her smile was just as pleasing and intriguing. "Well Mr. Ambassador, shall we take a walk then?"

Sebastian sighed, closing his eyes while looking down at his folded hands in his lap. Alurial was a vexing creature at times but an important one nevertheless. "Brad, please escort the Elder and the ambassador to the Diplomatic Palace please."

A man decked out in armor stepped forward placing a hand over his heart. "As you wish Elder."

Elder Sebastian finally smiled and looked up. "Well madam Hinata since you have such high expectations, would you like to begin?"

Wolf gets out with the Fire Wolf ,both stand there not looking around or saying a word as the four Shadow Wolves walk out of a near by Shadow and join them both

(Hopefully this will get the attention of the others.)

As the guest exited his chariot, Wulfgar bade the man to follow him even as a number new creatures appeared seemingly out of thin air. Unperturbed, the large Norhtman escorted Wolf up to the main doors of the Tower. Guards on duty from Brad's brigade swung the door's open for him.

Wulfgar's fur shoes quietly padded against the mason floors as he entered into the main chamber. It seemed they had arrived just as the meeting was moving on to new phases with Elder Alurial up to escort ambassador Umehara and the rest still talking to the Coredian ambassador as well as the Tidani.

Clearing his thick voice, Wulfgar stood tall and proud with his bare chest out. "Sorry for the intrusion but you have a guest Elders. He wishes to speak with you."

Sebastian appraised the man from his floating chair while also taking quick notice of the wolves near his side. So this was the one that had caused so much comotion up in orbit. Leaning over to whisper into Thrandur's ear, "I believe this one is yours. Care to show him some dwarven diplomacy?"

The dwarf, Elder Thrandur, merely smiled a toothy grin.

Duncan extended his greetings to the Coredian also. Very quickly though his attention was drawn to the newest arrival, or rather arrivals. If the armed escort hadn't given him cause for caution, the beasts following behind did.

Waiting for some kind of cue from his hosts, he took a glance back at the Elders before returning his gaze to the man.

snip

Wolf stand there not saying a word he was not for going about saying who he was or saying it at top of his voice like most rulers who like to hear they'er name shouted

Sebastian nodded his thanks to the Northman. Wulfgar quickly bowed before them all then turned and left the complex. Back out to his Wyvern and the rest of the men that accompanied him, they flew back to the closest sanctuary.

War Mistress Shizra shifted her weight from one high heeled foot to the other while resting her elbows easily on the the pommel of her twin scimitars. Captain Lukien in his brilliant bronze armor studied the man hard under his elfen gaze. Being warriors of renown, they were on alert for anything the man did. At the same time, they were both relaxed allowing the conversations to continue on. Sebastian noticed both their moods but kept his attention on the man that had just arrived.

"Since you are silent, I will take the liberty of introducing everyone else in the room. Then perhaps you will be more inclined to loosen your tongue."

Sebastian's hand gestured out to the still remaining ambassadors and introduced them all in turn. "We have ambassador Umehara of Xanthal, Knight Duncan of Tidan, and ambassador Hinata of Coreworlds. They have all come to speak diplomacy and trade."

"Coreworlds the Force user ,as for others i don't have dealing with or the time , so lets not waste time with my full title, my name my only name as don't have a last name is Wolf "

Sebastian leaned his head to rest on his right fist. His blue eyes looked at the man for a time. A quick one he was. "I see Wolf. Then I would like to introduce Elder Thrandur to you." The dwarven Elder with his feet propped up by the handle of his great warhammer, merely smiled wider.

"You two have a room in the Tower set aside for your discussion. Since you are in such a hurry, you two and a few guards may go ahead and head there now."

Thrandur hefted his legs up off the handle and hopped down out of his chair. The three and a half foot tall dwarf lifted the mighty warhammer onto his shoulders with tremendous ease. "A'ight lad, it's me 'n you."

Two guards from the side came over to stand at the ready for escort detail. Alurial covered her mouth with the back of her hand as she laughed lightly. "What a pleasant duo you make. It only seems fitting Thrandur. Enjoy your talk."

Thrandur stretched his back and let out a roar of a yawn. "Bah, yer just jealous ye don't have a warhammer like dis one."

Sebastian mentally sighed wondering how they could act like this in front of guests. Alurial was baiting them on and Thrandur enjoyed any type of confrontation. The young man would have to remember to keep them under control. Some how.

Wolf did not move yet he was given order over his radio that was inside his helmet
"move the 4th fleet to handle it and tell Sky, Snow,Mira,Arya,Natasha ,Luck and Joy they have a healing test with my sister"said Wolf before falling behind the escort

Elder Sebastian finally smiled and looked up. "Well madam Hinata since you have such high expectations, would you like to begin?"
"I will. As you know, a few days ago, a meeting of allies was convened on our capital planet of Jurai and one of your members, Luken, I believe, attended on behalf of your nation. He has referred us to your Elders for talks of trade and alliances and it is on Coredia's behalf that I have arrived today to begin those talks." Hinata said. "I am authorized to discuss these matters and also to choose the best options that will benefit both of our nations. After that, the Senate will vote to ratify any treaty we sign. If all goes well, Emperor Masaki will sign it, cementing our treaty."

The two guards and Elder Thrandur lead Wolf out of the main chamber and into a hallway. Seemingly empty on this cold winter day, Thrandur and his entourage were relatively unhindered. The guards rushed ahead a short distance to a wooden door on the left. Both took up their posts on the edge of the door's frame and stood at attention in their Forge armor.

Thrandur turned the knob and eased open the oaken door. Inside was a small round table and a couple of wooden chairs with soft cushions on the seat. A pitcher of water, a bottle of wine, and a couple glasses had been set aside but otherwise the room was rather plain. Taking the seat closest to the door, the dwarven Elder eased himself in for the meeting. Pulling out a wooden pipe from his pocket, Thrandur fumbled around for some tobacco. Finally finding his pouch, the dwarf helped himself to a long smoke before putting it aside.

Finishing off a few smoke rings, Thrandur finally paid Wolf attention. "Well lad, what is it ye want with the Myth?"

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

Sebastian closed his eyes slowly remember Alurial and her tirade after she learned about the mission to Jurai. Shizra had taken the brunt of the blame but it still didn't prevent the elf from casting some of the blame his way. Lucky for Lukien, the warriors were afforded a bit more lenience. The young man looked over at the bronze knight standing next to curvatious War Mistress. "Is all this true Captain?"

Lukien snapped to attention when the Elder's gaze fell over him. "Yes Elder as was stated in my report." The bronze armor shone in the light of the Tower's chamber bringing out the emblazen phoenix on his chest and melding with the crimson cape around his shoulders.

Smiling, "Thank you Lukien."

Sebastian returned his gaze to Hinata. "Very well then, you may continue with your proposals. What is it you would like to discuss with Mythrandir? We have primarily discussed trade and travel up to this point."

The two guards and Elder Thrandur lead Wolf out of the main chamber and into a hallway. Seemingly empty on this cold winter day, Thrandur and his entourage were relatively unhindered. The guards rushed ahead a short distance to a wooden door on the left. Both took up their posts on the edge of the door's frame and stood at attention in their Forge armor.

Thrandur turned the knob and eased open the oaken door. Inside was a small round table and a couple of wooden chairs with soft cushions on the seat. A pitcher of water, a bottle of wine, and a couple glasses had been set aside but otherwise the room was rather plain. Taking the seat closest to the door, the dwarven Elder eased himself in for the meeting. Pulling out a wooden pipe from his pocket, Thrandur fumbled around for some tobacco. Finally finding his pouch, the dwarf helped himself to a long smoke before putting it aside.

Finishing off a few smoke rings, Thrandur finally paid Wolf attention. "Well lad, what is it ye want with the Myth?"


"i've been told Mythrandir specializes in agriculture productions as well as other things, but i'am more for agriculture productions something we don't put much work into sadly"said Wolf standing at Attention

A wormhole opened up, spewing a Pandarian battleship into Mythrandir space. As abruptly as it appeared, the wormhole disappeared, leaving the Pandora (http://www.shipschematics.net/yamato/images/edf/battleship_pandora.jpg)-class Battleship alone in the dark space, just outside the Mythrandir starsystem. The ships itself was massive, nearly as long as a colonial Battlestar although not as "thick". It had a lot more firepower and enourmously more agility, and it was a rather small battleship in Pandarian standards...

As soon as it entered Myhtrandir space, a message was sent to ground controll, asking permission to land/dock and also informing that they had an ambassador aboard...

"Ah den ye heard right lad. We produce plent' of grains and other food. We can set up a trade with our food products depending on what you haf to offer. What does yer people specialize in?"

Thrandur took another long drag on his pipe. "Sit down lad. Dere no need to be so formal."

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

As soon as an unidentified tear in the fabric in space was detected, Myth fleets went straight to alert. Crews stopped whatever they were doing and sprinted down ship halls ducking under low ceilings and avoiding random doors. Commanders and Captains began ordering their ships out from dock to head the intruder off before reaching the homeworld. Goblin Fighters were prepped for launch and downloaded with the latest flight data from previous battles. Weapon systems readied to fire as the Myth fleets began forming up. The Mythrandir planet wide defense grid hissed and groaned as it powered up ready to unleash destruction on wrongful invaders. Myths were not typically aggressive towards other nations but they were no push overs when defending their homes.

Then they received a message asking permission to land with an ambassador on board. Officers everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief. Crews were ordered to stand down and ships began to disperse.

"Permission is granted for a shuttle to land on the planet's surface. A flight path will be lit for you."

On cue, holographic lights resembling torches in space ignited revealing a path through the atmosphere and down to the planet's surface. As they entered the atmosphere and broke through the stratosphere, the path would split taking the ship to temporary drop off site outside the main city or it would lead them to the mountain space port like all other traffic.

"Permission is granted for a shuttle to land on the planet's surface. A flight path will be lit for you."

On cue, holographic lights resembling torches in space ignited revealing a path through the atmosphere and down to the planet's surface. As they entered the atmosphere and broke through the stratosphere, the path would split taking the ship to temporary drop off site outside the main city or it would lead them to the mountain space port like all other traffic.

The Pandarian battleship approached the planet swiftly, then came to a halt at a safe distance. A hangar bay opened up, and out flew three Naginata (http://www.3dactionplanet.com/lancer/images/starlancerships/TWA/naginata.jpg)fighters in arrow formation. They followed the highlighted path down to the planets surface and landed on the indicated platform outside the main city. The pilots disembarked, took their helmets off, and waited to be recieved. The leading pilot was obviously the ambassador, while the other two were his body-guards. The group of three pandaren bears looked rather odd as their towering furry figures made them stand out.

Ambassador Lee was feeling slightly annoyed. He always did feel anoyed when he was forced to quit a flight tour in the fighter-craft he so loved. His whiskers twitched slightly as he breathed in the crisp air...

OOC: Well, I'm off for the weekend... cya later...

"Ah den ye heard right lad. We produce plent' of grains and other food. We can set up a trade with our food products depending on what you haf to offer. What does yer people specialize in?"

Thrandur took another long drag on his pipe. "Sit down lad. Dere no need to be so formal."


"Killing Z'mos and Dark Goa'ulds" said Wolf as he place a Hologram disc on the table and pushing a button to show a short list


armour plating
ZPM powercells
building of Halo Installation world


"oh and tell you people that a Drone armed resupply ship will show up in known space next to my ship in three hours"

As Alurial and Umehara walk, the Xanthalian ambassador carefully observes his surroundings. The best way to learn about another culture, he has learned, is to watch what they do rather than simply listen to what they say. Every little detail, both in the speech and mannerisms of the people and the systems and structures they create, tells its own story. Atshushi, with an eye trained by decades of foreign visits and the analytical power of his xanthalian brain, misses nothing.

(I haven't forgotten you Coreworlds. I'll wait until you finish your post and then I will respond to what you have.)

Surrounding the elven Elder and the ambassador, once outside the gardens, was a blending of cultures into one single beacon of society to the rest of Mythrandir. This hub of trade, government, philosophy, and culture was the one source of peace and stability that all Myths could look at in be proud of. Even the untrained eye would only have to look at the architecture of the buildings filling the walled city to notice the craftmanship of nearly all races had been brought into one glorious display of engineering.

White stone quarried by the dwarves in their mountain homes were cut to precision. Each stone was specifically crafted to fit its neighbors and the swirling grey veins of metals would ensure that the buildings would stand for years to come under any onslaught. Wooden beams branched out from ceilings and were carved into intricate leaf patterns or the doors of many homes and shops had floral designs embroidered into the wood attesting to the craftmanship of elves and their fondness for all things natural. Not a single piece of wood was cut from a living tree but merely a product given up by the living forest so that both wood and stone could be brought together from feuding peoples to permanent structures.

All brought together by the hands of the humans. Humans who had gratefully accepted the help of both races to build this city as a new sign of their world and society that it was rise above old anamocities and become something more. Something that was better than the old world and all its problems. Here the humans built homes, shops, walls, streets, and monuments all for a better future. Amidst it all the greatest gift of the human race was that the capitol city Mythrandir was not home to humans alone but housed a wide variety of dwarves, elves, and griffons that flocked to this major artery. The only contributions not obviously visible were from the griffons or the dark elves. Looking up, a wary eye could perhaps spot a lone Wyvern and its riders one of the many contributions from the griffon homeworld and their own structural engineering was soon to come with their spiral designs and crystalline structures. The dark elves on the other hand remained ever elusive and secluded from the rest of the world. An achievement that they enjoyed along with many of the light elves. But one that troubled Sebastian. Unfortunately, Elder Alurial did not share that exact sentiment.

Everywhere Alurial and Umehara walked, there were either buildings, trees, or public activity. Mythrandir was unlike most natural building cities where the center held major business and industries and the civilian populace was left to sprawl along it outskirts. While there were indeed houses along the walls and the outskirts of the city, the vast majority of the populace lived close to the Tower itself. An achievement that the first Elders had guided themselves feeling that it was important for the people to be close to their leaders instead of the merchants. Alurial did not truly appreciate this arrangement, prefering to keep them all as far away as possible, but neither really voicing a complaint.

The walk to the Diplomatic Palace was not far, keeping both the Tower and foreign diplomats in the same vacinity made guarding both easier and more efficient. In its unique design, after reconstruction to accomodate more diplomats, the palace had taken on an architecture similar to that seen on the griffon homeworld with its many spires. Jutting into the air like teeth from the ground, the crystalline spires soaked up the meager sun rays to dazzle passerbyers with the many colors embued within the crystals. The Palace itself was one great spiral with the central point acting as many things. Whole wings were devoted entirely ambassadors for their formal use with hallways lined with living quarters for themselves, family, servants, or anyone visiting them who needed a place to stay. Guards were constantly appointed to this one building for its protection and the stability of its inhabitents inside. Two massive Golems, resembling the four guarding the Tower, stood proud guarding the great building that they themselves dwarfed.

Alurial came to a halt outside the main gate allowing Umehara to take in the sight of his temporary quarter. "What do you think ambassador? It is positioned on this hill here so that our guests have a view of the great ocean to the east as well as the Spine of Mythrandir to the north or otherwise known as the Khroth Mountains."

Ambassador Lee was feeling slightly annoyed. He always did feel anoyed when he was forced to quit a flight tour in the fighter-craft he so loved. His whiskers twitched slightly as he breathed in the crisp air...

Wulfgar and his two companions seemed to be getting the escort duty of late. It wasn't even two minutes after dealing with the ambassador of Imperial isa that he was called upon again to escort yet another arrivee to the White Tower.

High in the clouded skies, three Wyverns circled and descended where the three foreigners were waiting. The great lizard like flying beasts touched down in the coolness of the snow. Their reptilian eyes immediatly narrowed at the panda foreigners. It appeared as if a morsel for the beasts had been presented.

Wulfgar and his duo quickly wrangled in their flying monsters, signalling that this was not feeding time. Still, the Northman was surprised to see that there were aliens out there looking like some of the bears of the frigid north.

Remembering his manners, the barbarian quickly brought his hand over his heart and dipped into a short bow. "Welcome to Mythrandir ambassadors. If you will please get inside, we will show you to the Elders at the White Tower."

As if on cue, a golden tear shaped chariot just like all the others blasted from behind the city walls and out into the snow covered fields.

"Killing Z'mos and Dark Goa'ulds" said Wolf as he place a Hologram disc on the table and pushing a button to show a short list

armour plating
ZPM powercells
building of Halo Installation world

"oh and tell you people that a Drone armed resupply ship will show up in known space next to my ship in three hours"
Yesterday 11:48 AM


Relaxing to his fullest ability, the dwarven Elder propped his feet up on the table displaying a pair of muddied boots that looked well worn. "Well we're gonna need a bit mur infurmation on dat list of yers. Like wha each of 'em does and da likes."

Thrandur scrathced at his beard for a moment. "And wha is dis Droner of yers gonna be doin' while in Myth space?"

"Impressive. Opulent, even." Umehara doesn't let any disapproval enter his tone, but he is privately glad he won't be living here long. This type of grandeur doesn't suit him. "I must observe again how impressed I am with the archetecture of this city. I would very much like to tour the rest of Mythrandir, if that is possible."

Sebastian closed his eyes slowly remember Alurial and her tirade after she learned about the mission to Jurai. Shizra had taken the brunt of the blame but it still didn't prevent the elf from casting some of the blame his way. Lucky for Lukien, the warriors were afforded a bit more lenience. The young man looked over at the bronze knight standing next to curvatious War Mistress. "Is all this true Captain?"

Lukien snapped to attention when the Elder's gaze fell over him. "Yes Elder as was stated in my report." The bronze armor shone in the light of the Tower's chamber bringing out the emblazen phoenix on his chest and melding with the crimson cape around his shoulders.

Smiling, "Thank you Lukien."

Sebastian returned his gaze to Hinata. "Very well then, you may continue with your proposals. What is it you would like to discuss with Mythrandir? We have primarily discussed trade and travel up to this point."
"Very well. The Emperor has offered several packages for our two nations. Embassy exchange and the opening of our trade markets is just the first step. Secondly, the Emperor has offered this to Lukien but now we offer it to you. We have heard from him that the nation of Tannelorn has recently attacked you. We offer our support in your campaign against that nation, as undermining even one of the Empire's lackeys is a goal that will go a long way in restoring the Galactic Republic we have lost many years ago. Finally, and it may be a bit forward, we would like to offer you a chance to join the Rebel Alliance, of whom we are one of the leading members. It's platform seeks the defeat of the Galactic Empire and the restoration of democracy to the galactic stage. It also seeks to give aid and comfort to those nations struck by the Empire or one of its allies, granting a powerful humanitarian front to our cause. I will like to point out that it's not required to accept our proposal immediately, but it's certainly something to think about."

Relaxing to his fullest ability, the dwarven Elder propped his feet up on the table displaying a pair of muddied boots that looked well worn. "Well we're gonna need a bit mur infurmation on dat list of yers. Like wha each of 'em does and da likes."

Thrandur scrathced at his beard for a moment. "And wha is dis Droner of yers gonna be doin' while in Myth space?"

"the ship be resppulying food and ammunition that the replicator ammunition Magazine has not been programme into it yet"

push of the button changes the holo



armour plating used on ships
Zero Point Module or ZPM ,cylindrical in shape and derive its enormous power from vacuum energy, derived from a self-contained region of subspace time, and has a potential life of many millions of years used in ships , buildings and field power plants
Halo Installation world is a ring-shaped artificial space habitat/planet megastructure

With the Alurial and Thrandur gone, the two vacant seats were banished into the ceiling disappearing behind two retractable holes. Sebastian hopped out of his chair while his blue cape fell about. He took a moment to stretch out his back in order to better collect his thoughts.

"Yes, I was informed of this as well. Some of it is encouraging and some requires a great matter of forethought before a decision can be renderred. Your trade markets are a welcomed offer and we shall return the gesture along with an agreement for travel. The matter of joining your Rebel Alliance is what concerns me."

Sebastian began to slowly pace before the two remaining ambassadors. Raigar even gracefully glided from his seat to stand behind the young Elder as he thought over matters. Finally the young man stopped and turned to the griffon lord. "Elder Raigar, I beseech you to forget this conversation once we leave these chambers."

There was no word from the bird-like creature, just a nod of his feathered head. Taking solace in it, Sebastian turned around to address the two ambassadors. "With all my heart my lady, I wish I could lend you the full might of the Forge in your cause but I have my own concerns and limitations. For one, the Elders must agree to go to war to fully mobilize the fleets and troops but there are those that would avoid war at all costs for one reason or another. Another is that we do not have the military strength to embark on an offensive campaign against a whole alliance while maintaining a solid defense around our homes. My personal concern is what will our people become once we turn down the path of war. War changes people for better or worse and I do not want my people to live in fear or become something darker than the foes you fight."

"Still I am not ignorant to the methods of tyrants. Even if we did not help you, it is likely they would eventually turn their attention to our borders. They came once, they will most likely come again even if the beating they received the first time was not enough. I could contribute to the defenses of your own systems, but if I were found out I would have overstepped my boundaries of power. But...I am not without my methods of bypassing laws. Until I give my judgement, I would like to hear your opinion on the matter ambassador Hinata."

Smiling he turned to the Tidani. "As well as yours Duncan. I know the Tidani were at the meeting where all of this was discussed."

"Impressive. Opulent, even." Umehara doesn't let any disapproval enter his tone, but he is privately glad he won't be living here long. This type of grandeur doesn't suit him. "I must observe again how impressed I am with the archetecture of this city. I would very much like to tour the rest of Mythrandir, if that is possible."

Alurial was pleased at the compliment of the city's architecture. She was almost conceited enough to believe that the sole reason for the ambassador's compliments came from the influence of her own people. "Anything is possible here in Mythrandir Mr. Umehara. We can drop your belongings off in the Palace and then began your tour of the wider areas of this great planet if you wish."

"the ship be resppulying food and ammunition that the replicator ammunition Magazine has not been programme into it yet"

push of the button changes the holo


armour plating used on ships
Zero Point Module or ZPM ,cylindrical in shape and derive its enormous power from vacuum energy, derived from a self-contained region of subspace time, and has a potential life of many millions of years used in ships , buildings and field power plants
Halo Installation world is a ring-shaped artificial space habitat/planet megastructure

"Well ye can furget abou' dat Halo dingy. We got no need of dat. Yer ZPM might be useful dough."

Wulfgar and his two companions seemed to be getting the escort duty of late. It wasn't even two minutes after dealing with the ambassador of Imperial isa that he was called upon again to escort yet another arrivee to the White Tower.

High in the clouded skies, three Wyverns circled and descended where the three foreigners were waiting. The great lizard like flying beasts touched down in the coolness of the snow. Their reptilian eyes immediatly narrowed at the panda foreigners. It appeared as if a morsel for the beasts had been presented.

Wulfgar and his duo quickly wrangled in their flying monsters, signalling that this was not feeding time. Still, the Northman was surprised to see that there were aliens out there looking like some of the bears of the frigid north.

Remembering his manners, the barbarian quickly brought his hand over his heart and dipped into a short bow. "Welcome to Mythrandir ambassadors. If you will please get inside, we will show you to the Elders at the White Tower."

As if on cue, a golden tear shaped chariot just like all the others blasted from behind the city walls and out into the snow covered fields.

"Thank you." answered Lee, bowing slightly as the three Pandaren bears followed their hosts.

OOC: RL is insanely busy now, so I might be a little inactive...

"If you think that is appropriate, I am happy to accept your invitation," Umehara replies gratefully. "I would also like to schedule a tour of Thralk as soon as convenience permits."

Most countries these days are simply too large and complex for even their own citizens to form a detailed understanding of their entirety, but Atshushi is determined to learn all he can. Since this is likely to be his last assignment as an ambassador, he is motivated by professional pride to make it as successful as possible.

(Don't worry about it Panda-hope you don't mind me calling you "Panda"- post when you can. I'll be here even if everyone else has finished their side stories. Feel free to continue posting.)

"Thank you." answered Lee, bowing slightly as the three Pandaren bears followed their hosts.

Wulfgar was pleasantly surprised by these new guests. Unlike the previous unannounced visitor, these creatures were more compliant with his orders. Even with their larger girth, the golden chariot was plenty spacious to accomodate their size affording them a comfortable ride into the city.

The wyverns took to the air once again as the shuttle darted off towards the city. Ambassador Lee and his companions were given much the same view of the city as Umehara received while walking with Elder Alurial. The similarities in architecture were everywhere for the ambassador to view right until they stopped within the gardens surrounding the White Tower. The four Golems posing as sentries still stood vigilant around the Tower as the wyverns and their riders descended to the surface. From the shuttle, they could clearly see the great doors into the tower along with the guards mulling about.

"If you think that is appropriate, I am happy to accept your invitation," Umehara replies gratefully. "I would also like to schedule a tour of Thralk as soon as convenience permits."

Most countries these days are simply too large and complex for even their own citizens to form a detailed understanding of their entirety, but Atshushi is determined to learn all he can. Since this is likely to be his last assignment as an ambassador, he is motivated by professional pride to make it as successful as possible.

Alurial smile, pleased that the ambassador has taken such an interest in their home and even thrilled that he would like to see Thralk. A point of pride for the elven Elder as it was she that first set foot on its soil along with Captain Lukien and a small group. In her mind it was her own accomplishment of bringing the planet and the griffons into the Kingdom of Mythrandir though there would be some discripancy with Elder Raigar about that matter.

"Well then there is no reason for us to wait if it is something you desire."

She quickly waved over Brad who immediatly complied. "Yes Elder?"

"Brad, take the ambassador's belongings to the upper north-east wing and call a transport. Oh, and have Captain Lukien meet us at the port in an hour or so. The dear boy should be with us when we visit Thralk."

Bowing repsectiblly, the guard captain left the two alone to follow the Elder's instructions. Once along again, Alurial painted her smile back on for Umehara's sake. "Now that we have time what would you like to visit first? We have the dwarven home of Hammer Hall in the Khroth Mountains or their is my city of Caeralfar in the greater Myth forest. Or is there something particular you have in mind?"

"Well ye can furget abou' dat Halo dingy. We got no need of dat. Yer ZPM might be useful dough."

"ask and you will get, mind if i have a drink"said Wolf holding up a Titanium Flask

"Not at all," Atshushi says, pleased with the smooth expediency of his progress so far. "Lead on, Elder."

"ask and you will get, mind if i have a drink"said Wolf holding up a Titanium Flask

Thrandur slid over a rather large bottle of liquor that was unopen. Apparently one bottle had been set aside for the dwarf and one for the guest. Either the expectations were good for both of them getting drunk, or the dwarven Elder simply wanted a bottle all for himself.

"We'd like ta try a sample of da ZPM before wese purchase more of 'em. I thunk we cun come to an agreement on trade den. Wat else is dere ye'd like te talk 'bout?"

"Not at all," Atshushi says, pleased with the smooth expediency of his progress so far. "Lead on, Elder."

Since Umehara had no particular preference where they travelled first, Elder Alurial decided to attempt a shock and wow factor on the ambassador. Hopefully it would play out to her desire but there was always the constant possibility of a reverse effect.

The chariot called by Brad arrived outside of the Palace's gates subtling easily a few inches above the snow. Golden doors eased open beckoning the duo into its warm abode. Once seated, Alurial called out their new destination. "Hammer Hall please."

Silently complying, the doors shut and the ionized engine sped them through the city and out one of the gates towards the mountains in the north. Snow covered grasslands zipped by in a dull blur as a wake of white powder billowed behind them. "I figured we would see the dwarves first if that is alright with you. It will be a bit warmer down there and I hope the smell won't bother you much."

Duncan closed his eyes and paused for a second before answering Sebastians inquiry.

"I understand your reluctance. There is no good deed without cost. This I know all too well. Yet it is something that must be done. My people come from a time long ago. We lived by our own customs, we were not always at peace with our brothers and we were not united, but it was our way. We lived like this for many generations until they came. Roman they called themselves, their king dared think himself a god among men and demanded all share his delusion. His Legions swept across our lands until all had fallen except two island shelters Albion and Eire. Our people loved freedom, and we did not submit quickly. Rebellion proved costly for us and our main stronghold Alesia was crushed.

"Our spirit and their drive to conquer brought them to Albion twice. We drove them into the sea once but the second time our lack of unity proved to be our downfall as one of our clans betrayed us and aided the Romans in their landing. Soon they had occupied half of our island.

"Since our arrival here in this time, we have pledged to never let ourselves be subjugated again. In time and through the influence of my order this attitude extended to our allies and neighbors. And in that time we have seen horrors worse than Rome in many ways. So many times I have wished to be able to return to our time of peace and isolation, for all our good intentions it seems that things only get worse, yet there must be someone to stand in the void between the people of this universe and the tyrants. If not us then who? So we will stand and we will fight, and if we burn we will burn free."

Duncan stopped and calmed himself.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes the memories are too much. I was but a child at the time we were taken from the past and brought here, but I saw more than one my age should have.

"We are proud to stand with the Coredians. Perhaps the one thing that should be taken from my people's history is that it was our lack of unity that sealed our fate. Our enemy was able to keep us fighting eachother and so we failed to create a united resistance. The old maxim is true, united we stand and divided we fall."

(Don't worry about it Panda-hope you don't mind me calling you "Panda"- post when you can. I'll be here even if everyone else has finished their side stories. Feel free to continue posting.)

Wulfgar was pleasantly surprised by these new guests. Unlike the previous unannounced visitor, these creatures were more compliant with his orders. Even with their larger girth, the golden chariot was plenty spacious to accomodate their size affording them a comfortable ride into the city.

The wyverns took to the air once again as the shuttle darted off towards the city. Ambassador Lee and his companions were given much the same view of the city as Umehara received while walking with Elder Alurial. The similarities in architecture were everywhere for the ambassador to view right until they stopped within the gardens surrounding the White Tower. The four Golems posing as sentries still stood vigilant around the Tower as the wyverns and their riders descended to the surface. From the shuttle, they could clearly see the great doors into the tower along with the guards mulling about.

OOC: Panda sounds fine... =)

IC:
Ambassador Lee and his two companions greatly enjoyed the ride. Unlike their homeworld, Mythrandir architecture had a lot less plantlife and "greenery" incorporated in it. But nonetheless, it was still impressive for the newcomers who looked out the windows and sucked in the view. As they arrived, Lee turned to Wulfgar: "I presume we are meant to pass through those large gates, but as to where we should proceed after that, I have no idea, this being our first visit... " he left the sentence unfinished, taking for granted that Wulfgar would get the hint. "Rather odd place..." Lee thought to himself. "We are Ambassadors from far away, and recieve no permanent escort. Ah, well... it's either the architecture or the organizational skills I guess... they don't have both, like back home..." he chuckled to himself.

Thrandur slid over a rather large bottle of liquor that was unopen. Apparently one bottle had been set aside for the dwarf and one for the guest. Either the expectations were good for both of them getting drunk, or the dwarven Elder simply wanted a bottle all for himself.

"We'd like ta try a sample of da ZPM before wese purchase more of 'em. I thunk we cun come to an agreement on trade den. Wat else is dere ye'd like te talk 'bout?"

Wolf takes a sip from his flask then talks on his radio
"illyiff harl draa Zero Mon'tu Module"

min after he talks a there is a flash and now on the table was a Steel case which Wolf opens

"there you go two ZPM for testing and i have nothing more to talk about"said Wolf as he turns it so Thrandur can see inside

Sebastian smiled at Duncan, offering a pat on the soldier for support. The Elder then quickly let his rune covered palm slip down behind his back. "You have not had the chance to study the history of Mythrandir but there is more in common between our two nations then you may believe. Thankfully though, we have not shared similar fates."

The smile on his face is replaced by a more serious look along with a stern tone. "But there is more to this than simple fighting and dying. If you stand against an impossible force all alone without any support from the people you claim to save, then when you burn-glorious as it may be-you will still die and have accomplished nothing. There are times to stand and fight but there are also times when you must flee and not every battle is fought out in space with fleets or on solid earth with flesh and blood. It is often in the hearts and minds of people that the greatest blows can be delivered. Sometimes the weakest link of a country's military might is the people that support it.

I tell you here and now that if you cannot change strategies and incist on holding to an idea that every battle most be fought out in the open between armies, then you will not receive any support from the Myth. I will not have the lives of my Warriors wasted in a hopeless campaign."

Sebastian allowed his expression and tone to relax while he waited for Hinata to give her own opinions on everything that the young Elder had said up to this point.

Ambassador Lee and his two companions greatly enjoyed the ride. Unlike their homeworld, Mythrandir architecture had a lot less plantlife and "greenery" incorporated in it. But nonetheless, it was still impressive for the newcomers who looked out the windows and sucked in the view. As they arrived, Lee turned to Wulfgar: "I presume we are meant to pass through those large gates, but as to where we should proceed after that, I have no idea, this being our first visit... " he left the sentence unfinished, taking for granted that Wulfgar would get the hint. "Rather odd place..." Lee thought to himself. "We are Ambassadors from far away, and recieve no permanent escort. Ah, well... it's either the architecture or the organizational skills I guess... they don't have both, like back home..." he chuckled to himself.

Wulfgar waited patiently for the ambassador and his bodyguards to exit the chariot. Once everyone was secured, he had them all fall in line as he escorted the group towards the guards and thick doors. As soon as the guards spotted the diplomatic entourage, they snapped to attention and opened the doors wide.

Inside the temperatures easily rose to a more warmer feeling and further in the diplomats could already see a discussion brewing already.

Wolf takes a sip from his flask then talks on his radio
"illyiff harl draa Zero Mon'tu Module"

min after he talks a there is a flash and now on the table was a Steel case which Wolf opens

"there you go two ZPM for testing and i have nothing more to talk about"said Wolf as he turns it so Thrandur can see inside

"Well ye can keep de bottle den an' we'll keep de ZPM. If ye got nothin' left, someone can escort ye back te a shuttle an' ye may leave when yer ship is resupplied."

"Well ye can keep de bottle den an' we'll keep de ZPM. If ye got nothin' left, someone can escort ye back te a shuttle an' ye may leave when yer ship is resupplied."

"my dropship long gone back to the ship as i be joining it later"said Wolf as he waves a hand and open a porthole
"the battleship and drone ship be leaveing for the void in two hours"

Wolf then step into the porthole with his pets and was gone as the porthole closed behind him

"As you wish," is Umehara's only response. The warmth of the chariot allows him to forgive its gaudiness and he focuses intently on the scenery, watching for landmarks and, even more importantly, things his hosts might not want him to see. Countries almost always conceal their faults to some extent when entertaining foreign visitors, so it often takes a keen eye and ear to pick up on the less-than-perfect aspects of a new society, especially when one is on a guided tour like this.

Multitasking, the ambassador takes the opportunity to ask more questions about Mythrandir of Elder Alurial. Ever the consummate professional, he gets right to the point with an open-ended question. "Mythrandir governs a number of species. How would you describe the nature of their coexistence?"

Wulfgar waited patiently for the ambassador and his bodyguards to exit the chariot. Once everyone was secured, he had them all fall in line as he escorted the group towards the guards and thick doors. As soon as the guards spotted the diplomatic entourage, they snapped to attention and opened the doors wide.

Inside the temperatures easily rose to a more warmer feeling and further in the diplomats could already see a discussion brewing already.

Lee and his two companions followed the guards, and upon entering the large hall/room (?) they waited for their escort to introduce them to whomever they were supposed to talk to.

"my dropship long gone back to the ship as i be joining it later"said Wolf as he waves a hand and open a porthole
"the battleship and drone ship be leaveing for the void in two hours"

Wolf then step into the porthole with his pets and was gone as the porthole closed behind him

Thrandur finished the tobacco in his pipe before emptying its contents into his palm. He stuffed the ashen remains in between his lip and gum to savor the last of its warm flavor. A moderatly successful transaction in his mind that might bring about better reactors for the Forge. Still more importantly, a bubbling diplomatic incident was all avoided to the dwarf's excellent candor.

Or at least that is what he believed. Now there was nothing but the time for a well deserved break and there was still a bottle of liqour to finish off.

"As you wish," is Umehara's only response. The warmth of the chariot allows him to forgive its gaudiness and he focuses intently on the scenery, watching for landmarks and, even more importantly, things his hosts might not want him to see. Countries almost always conceal their faults to some extent when entertaining foreign visitors, so it often takes a keen eye and ear to pick up on the less-than-perfect aspects of a new society, especially when one is on a guided tour like this.

Multitasking, the ambassador takes the opportunity to ask more questions about Mythrandir of Elder Alurial. Ever the consummate professional, he gets right to the point with an open-ended question. "Mythrandir governs a number of species. How would you describe the nature of their coexistence?"

Their little shuttle flew over thickening snow all the while making steady progress towards the mountains in the distance and encroaching on the treeline. The scenery maintained its constant powdery whiteness in its window framed view.

Alurial herself is along to simply enjoy the ride regardless of her dislike of their destination. She reclines in her seat and modestly crosses her legs underneath her thick garments. The vain elf absently plays with her long golden brown hair as she listens to the ambassador's question. Deciding to be amicable today, the Elder indulges the questioning. "Ah well that is an interesting question. There was a time in our history where the original four races of this planet were either fighting or suspicious of their neighbor. There were many kingdoms in that day fighting for control over the land and there were some that were so grand and marvelous that they would shame a young government." The last bit comes out with a small smile and twinkle in her eye.

"We all have a history with one another but those times were eventually brought down due to greater alliances and greater wars that demanded unity. Once the dust settled, a new government was established for all races and the old kingdoms were disbanded. The humans seemed to have moved on from their history. Not surprising, they don't live long enough to remeber some of the things that happened during those Warring Clans period that some of us do. While we still live in relative peace, there is still some grudges held by our races. Except the griffons, I don't think they have an aggressive bone in their body. Besides, they are not native to this planet and have no experience of this time period. What they know of it comes from reading our history tombs or stories heard amongst the populace here."

(I'll get to you Panda. I just want Tidan or CoreWorlds to post again.)

"I have gotten the impression that different species in Mythrandir live seperately for the most part. Is that true?"

Their chariot turns up into the woods travelling a well worn path. Snow filled the boughs of the trees, shielding parts of the earth from the powdery white substance. Vegetation around the tall pines still maintained some of the green youthfulness beckoning creatures of the forest to come out and feed while there was still time.

Up ahead there were a series of torches lining the sides of the path, lighting the way. Despite that it was in fact daytime and their path had a clear view of the sky, some still felt that the dreariness of the day called for a little lighting. If nothing else than to give a warmer aura.

"It is true but for the most part, it is not out of any grudges. We are about to travel down to the dwarven homes in Hammer Hall. Down there you will be constantly surrounded by rock with no sun light unless you happen upon one of the very few windows cut into the mountain. Most people cannot live in such a way. They prefer to be able to see the sun, feel the breeze in the air, and not have the constant confines of rock overhead and underfoot. There are those that simply go insane from being in such a confining space. Some humans do live down there but most are traders from the Northmen tribes or from Mythrandir.

Then there is Thralk where the griffons live where the atmosphere contains some sort of toxin that is harmful to us if we breathe it for long periods of time. We do have breathers that coat the respiratory system with filters to prevent this from happening but it is an unwanted nuisance that some people do not want to deal with if they are simply looking for a place to live. They have their children to think about afterall. Even in that case, there are still settlements of humans, dwarves, and elves living out there with the griffons."

(A sort of bump for CoreWorlds and Tidan)

*small nudge to everyone...*:D

OOC: Alright. I was waiting for some other people to post, but...

IC: "Of course," Atshushi says with a nod. There's more to say, but he reserves further comment and judgment until he's had a chance to look around a bit more. The scenery is pretty enough, but it's the people he really wants to see.

Sebastian smiled at Duncan, offering a pat on the soldier for support. The Elder then quickly let his rune covered palm slip down behind his back. "You have not had the chance to study the history of Mythrandir but there is more in common between our two nations then you may believe. Thankfully though, we have not shared similar fates."

The smile on his face is replaced by a more serious look along with a stern tone. "But there is more to this than simple fighting and dying. If you stand against an impossible force all alone without any support from the people you claim to save, then when you burn-glorious as it may be-you will still die and have accomplished nothing. There are times to stand and fight but there are also times when you must flee and not every battle is fought out in space with fleets or on solid earth with flesh and blood. It is often in the hearts and minds of people that the greatest blows can be delivered. Sometimes the weakest link of a country's military might is the people that support it.

I tell you here and now that if you cannot change strategies and incist on holding to an idea that every battle most be fought out in the open between armies, then you will not receive any support from the Myth. I will not have the lives of my Warriors wasted in a hopeless campaign."

Sebastian allowed his expression and tone to relax while he waited for Hinata to give her own opinions on everything that the young Elder had said up to this point.
"We are quite in agreement here." Hinata answered. "We Coredians pride ourselves on emphasizing covert tactics and seeking to win the hearts and mind of the opponent's people over the type of brute-force tactics the Empire uses. That's not to say we won't do fleet options when the time arises, but we're just more skilled at the covert aspects. We're a R"ebellion, after all."

"Of course," Atshushi says with a nod. There's more to say, but he reserves further comment and judgment until he's had a chance to look around a bit more. The scenery is pretty enough, but it's the people he really wants to see.

Their chariot finally pulled up near what was actually the back door to the dwarven stronghold that rested deep beneath the surface. The treeling ran right up a cavernous entrance. Lights lined the entry way for the new arrivals. Outside, dwarven guards milled about with axes and long spears as they lazily patrolled their routes. With weather like today, there was hardly a soul on the roads from Mythrandir to Hammer Hall. It was a different story on the opposite side of the mountain train where the Northmen were relatively uneffected by cold climates and thrived off of continual trade with the dwarven clans.

Here during a time where there was no war and everyone was comfortably back in their homes, the dwarves took the opportunity to relax and indulge themselves with a bit of drink, tobacco, and food. Even as the two exited their chariot, Alurial could pick up on their bawdy conversations and rumbling laughter. It was not an example of exemplorary service to the Forge that should be shown to outsiders.

One dwarf did spot the guests though and perked up at what he saw. "Ah! Look 'ere lads! Da elven lady has come te pay us lowly dwarves a visit. Come te collapse a few mines er poison some wells have ye?" Roars of laughter came from the other dwarves nearby still taking the opprotunity to relax and not bothering to get up for the Elder.

Alurial's eyes narrowed slightly at the brazen dwarf. "I am here with an ambassador Umehara who would like to visit Hammer Hall for a time. Now you gaggle of fools will open the gates or I'll have every last one of your beards shaved."

The dwarf stroke his hairy chin for a moment then snapped his fingers. "An ambassador ye say? Well ye shoulda said dat in de first place. I knew ye weren't here fur a pleasure tour. Open the gates lads. Let the ambassador have a good look at our fair city."

The gates were more or less a portion of the mountain that had been hollowed out and the rock face left intact to be a seamless gate. It was quite handy in older days where secret entrances and exits were crucial to moving soldiers through the battlefield. Now it was merely one more trade way between the southern cities and the dwaven city. Alurial had Umehara follow her past the guards and through the threshold of the gates.

As they past, one of the dwarves reached out and gave Alurial a nice swat on the butt. The elven Elder gasped the turned around glaring with fists clenched and her face deathly red with rage. She quickly relaxed though and continued to lead Umehara down into the darkness. She fished through a pouch adorning her dress while muttering something about damn dwarves until she produced an orb similar to the one seen back in the White Tower.

The orb floated upwards from her delicate hands and ignited a light to reveal the darkness of the cavern. All around them was the constant darkness of the caves and long tunnels of darkness that were made less ominous by the soft white light provided by the orb. It was a long walk for the two that Alurial was more than ready to begin while the rock gates closed behind them.

"Bah yur lucky she didn't cut yer arm off!"

"Nah lad, she's got an ambassador te ennertain. Ol' elfys got to be nice."

"Maybe but she'll have yer hide once he's gone."

"It's alright, I'll be back in da mines fur a month. So I'm safe."

The dwarves around him shared a good laugh as they drowned the last bit of ale in their mugs.

"We are quite in agreement here." Hinata answered. "We Coredians pride ourselves on emphasizing covert tactics and seeking to win the hearts and mind of the opponent's people over the type of brute-force tactics the Empire uses. That's not to say we won't do fleet options when the time arises, but we're just more skilled at the covert aspects. We're a R"ebellion, after all."

Sebastian stood silent for a time before coming back with his own response. "No my good lady, I do not think we are in agreement here because winning the hearts and minds of the people of your enemy is not always possible. In fact it would be quite frightening if such a tactic was commonly successful. No government would be safe from that warfare then.

But I digress. Sometimes madam, the civilian population is just as much your enemy as the one you fight in space or on the ground with bullets and blades. How do you convince a populace that you should not die when they believe that you are the epitomoy of evil? When they believe that everything you do, your mere existance is an afront to their ideology and they of the population support every action your enemy takes by sending their solders letters, gifts, and lustful promises? Tell me ambassador, would you wage an ideological war against a civilian population? Keep in mind that such an act is never a covert one. Such a course will draw attention to yourself and you will be forced to fight."

Lee and his two companions followed the guards, and upon entering the large hall/room (?) they waited for their escort to introduce them to whomever they were supposed to talk to.

Wulfgar stopped with his escorts inside the main room of the White Tower. Already the Pandarian ambassadors could see two of the Elders present along with a couple of other Myth personnel in the room and two representatives from foreign governments. The Northmen pointed them out in turn. "The man speaking with the blue cape is our Elder Sebastian and the griffon sitting in one of the hovering seats is Elder Raigar. The ambassadors seated with our backs turned to use are Duncan from Tidan and a woman named Hinata from CoreWorlds. You may take a seat near them but do not disturb the proceedings."

Sebastian stood silent for a time before coming back with his own response. "No my good lady, I do not think we are in agreement here because winning the hearts and minds of the people of your enemy is not always possible. In fact it would be quite frightening if such a tactic was commonly successful. No government would be safe from that warfare then.

But I digress. Sometimes madam, the civilian population is just as much your enemy as the one you fight in space or on the ground with bullets and blades. How do you convince a populace that you should not die when they believe that you are the epitomoy of evil? When they believe that everything you do, your mere existance is an afront to their ideology and they of the population support every action your enemy takes by sending their solders letters, gifts, and lustful promises? Tell me ambassador, would you wage an ideological war against a civilian population? Keep in mind that such an act is never a covert one. Such a course will draw attention to yourself and you will be forced to fight."
"You fight ideology with ideology. You convince them that you are not the evil the enemy leaders consider you to be with your words and your actions. You convince them that their leaders are following the wrong path by fighting you. You convince them of the folly of fighting you by eliminating the will to wage war. Only then can you win the psychological war. I would have to admit that it may not be likely to win hearts and minds, but Coredians never condone an action that leads to vast numbers of civilian deaths just to win a war. To do so would become nothing more than another Empire. That is part of why we fought in the first place, for the Death Star had destroyed Juria, a world of ten billion with little warning. We fight for the right to live without fear of superweapons destroying nations left and right."

The xanthalian stifles a cough as the cold air enters his lungs. Umehara forces himself to inhale deeply and steps out of the coach, following his guide. He greets the dwarves with a polite bow, careful not to become involved in the momentary altercation between Alurial and the dwarf.

Once they are in the cave and the door has shut behind them, Atshushi is a little more comfortable. As they proceed ever deeper into the cavern, though, the humid, stagnant air begins to wear on his constitution, and his advanced age isn't helping. Xanthalians resemble in many ways the humans that provided most of the genetic material with which they were originally engineered, but their long natural lifespan belies the fact that they were engineered for brains rather than brawn, and they do not handle physical stress as well as most humanoids. After fifteen minutes of walking at a brisk pace, the strain is too much for the ambassador.

"I apologize," Umehara says, coming to a halt and leaning against the wall of the cave. "I must rest for a moment." He looks quite exhausted, taking long, deep breaths to refresh his oxygen-hungry muscles. "So," he begins, covering his weakness with a question, "how many dwarves live in this... city?" Atshushi uses the term timidly, having not so far seen a single dwelling, let alone an underground metropolis.

Wulfgar stopped with his escorts inside the main room of the White Tower. Already the Pandarian ambassadors could see two of the Elders present along with a couple of other Myth personnel in the room and two representatives from foreign governments. The Northmen pointed them out in turn. "The man speaking with the blue cape is our Elder Sebastian and the griffon sitting in one of the hovering seats is Elder Raigar. The ambassadors seated with our backs turned to use are Duncan from Tidan and a woman named Hinata from CoreWorlds. You may take a seat near them but do not disturb the proceedings."

Ambassador Lee looked at the gryphon Elder Raigar with some interest. He turned to Wulfgar and bowed, handing him a datapad. "Thank you for your assistance, I hope we will meet again some time. Until then, the best of health. These here are some basic informations about our race which you are welcome to add to your database." Lee and his two companions turned and approached the Elders, taking a seat not too close to the ongoing discourse, but not too far away that they couldn't hear what was being said. They waited patiently, listening to the discussions and observing the building's architecture and interior.

OOC: Myth, since I'll be stranded here for a while, you might as well describe the room a little... =)

Also, here's some background info on my race, located on the datapad:

The name "Pandaren" is likely derived from combining the English word "panda" and the Chinese word "people" (Chinese: 人; Pinyin: rén).

Hailing from their own secret isolated empire, the Pandaren are a race of humanoid-resembling giant panda bears. This appearance leads some to underestimate these noble creatures, thinking them harmless and "cute." However, pandaren have a long tradition of mystic warfare and are exceedingly strong and agile. The traditional pandaren fighting style focuses upon mobility, speed and precision, as well as stunning acrobatic tricks. Most pandaren are also very skilled at unarmed combat. Not only that, but as a direct cause of genetic heritage, all Pandaren are force users and posses "abnormal" (psionic/telecinetic/farsight/void etc) abilities.

Only the pandaren know the intricacies of their society, but alcoholic beverages are a central feature. Pandaren in general are connoisseurs of ale and stronger drink, leading to a unique kinship with Ironforge dwarves. A caste of wandering pandaren warriors called Brewmasters are highly respected in their culture, and are common as ambassadors and other high officials.

Pandaren are affable and noble, trained in battle but always seeking peace. Pandaren philosophy centers on a harmony of opposites - male and female, calm and chaos, existence and non-existence. Pandaren feel a strong link to the natural world and seek to maintain a peace between all races and nature.

Very few Pandaren ever leave their hidden Empire homeland of Pandaria but those that do have proved themselves to be strong warriors specializing in Drunken Brawling and with great command of a wide variety of elements. The most famous of these warrior-families is the Stormstout lineage, whose ascendants are always to be found among the Emperor's advisors.

Pandaren generally don't affiliate themselves to outside civilizations and are usually considered neutral. But, if a serious threat to their realm arises, they will sometimes venture outside their boundaries and try to make contact with other civilizations (for good or bad).

"You fight ideology with ideology. You convince them that you are not the evil the enemy leaders consider you to be with your words and your actions. You convince them that their leaders are following the wrong path by fighting you. You convince them of the folly of fighting you by eliminating the will to wage war. Only then can you win the psychological war. I would have to admit that it may not be likely to win hearts and minds, but Coredians never condone an action that leads to vast numbers of civilian deaths just to win a war. To do so would become nothing more than another Empire. That is part of why we fought in the first place, for the Death Star had destroyed Juria, a world of ten billion with little warning. We fight for the right to live without fear of superweapons destroying nations left and right."

The young Elder ran his fingers through his thick brown hair getting at a small itch on the side of his head. Sebastian let his hand fall to the side as he blew out a sigh. "Well we are only in partial agreement then. You have mentioned ideas that I do agree with while others we would all be strongly opposed to. I agree that you have to eliminate the people's will to wage war but your methods are perhaps different than what ours would be. Tell me ma'am, how long have you been at war with this Galactic Empire?"

"I apologize," Umehara says, coming to a halt and leaning against the wall of the cave. "I must rest for a moment." He looks quite exhausted, taking long, deep breaths to refresh his oxygen-hungry muscles. "So," he begins, covering his weakness with a question, "how many dwarves live in this... city?" Atshushi uses the term timidly, having not so far seen a single dwelling, let alone an underground metropolis.

"There is no need to be sorry ambassador." Alurial smiled. "We'll rest here for a moment."

The elven Elder found a rock fissure that was jutting up out of the ground. It looked relatively flat so Alurial quickly dusted off the surface and leaned against it. "I am sorry about the long walk but these cooridors are not fit for our shuttles. There are bridge with a very narrow width that would easily toss us over. The good news is that we are almost there. If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear the steady fall of hammers on iron."

Alurial paused for a moment and in fact there was a quiet steady pounding as dwarven hammers tirelessly worked metal over their anvils. Fires billowed in the furnace as metals were heated then returned to the block for more pounding and molding.

"How many dwarves live in this particular city?" The lady stopped for a moment to think. "I would have to say roughly about one million though that is a rough estimate. There are other mountain ranges on Mythrandir that dwarves inhabit but this place is a gathering hall where all other clans come to meet and trade. The number of dwarves actually inhabiting this particular part of the mountain range is probably much smaller."

Ambassador Lee looked at the gryphon Elder Raigar with some interest. He turned to Wulfgar and bowed, handing him a datapad. "Thank you for your assistance, I hope we will meet again some time. Until then, the best of health. These here are some basic informations about our race which you are welcome to add to your database." Lee and his two companions turned and approached the Elders, taking a seat not too close to the ongoing discourse, but not too far away that they couldn't hear what was being said. They waited patiently, listening to the discussions and observing the building's architecture and interior.

"Thank you. I will be sure this gets delivered to the proper personnel. Enjoy your stay ambassador." Wulfgar placed a hand over his heart then bowed slightly before turning to leave.

The base room itself was magnificently wide and took up about half of the depth of the ground area making it a sizable room. Oddly though, the room was relatively unadorned. Light eminated from the side of the walls though there were no light fixtures. A tapestry was hung here and there but they seemed out of place. One depicted the forging of the first Elders around a great light where a man, a dwarf, and two different races of elves stood. The only other interesting tapestry was an odd one with an army arrayed of a mixture of races of men, dwarves, and elves. The man atop a horse resembled the same man in the early Elder painting but now he was decorated in brilliant armor atop a hearty charger with matching armor. A great lance was hefted into the air twisted, and crackling with energy. Despite his grand appearance, he was only one grand warrior in a long line of heroes as they charged to some unknow darkness that was merely illustrated by a great black aura in the picture.

Being a room in a tower, the wall slanted inwards slightly until they met a ceiling that was perhaps fifty feet above their heads. The ceiling itself was smooth, impressive considering that two of the floating tear drop shapped chairs that the Elders used had disappeared up into the ceiling as Thrandur and Alurial left. The walls all sported the same intricate masonry work with each marble block fitting perfectly with the other. Despite the Myth's apparent love for stone and wood in their architecture, the floor of the room appeared oddly metalic with a reflective surface though there were no reflections to be seen.

A servant quietly came by the ambassador with a tray carrying differet types of beverages. Some glass contained water and juice while others held alcoholic contents in different colors from red to a brilliant yellow. No beer though.

OOC don't know what you want to do about getting more zpms

The young Elder ran his fingers through his thick brown hair getting at a small itch on the side of his head. Sebastian let his hand fall to the side as he blew out a sigh. "Well we are only in partial agreement then. You have mentioned ideas that I do agree with while others we would all be strongly opposed to. I agree that you have to eliminate the people's will to wage war but your methods are perhaps different than what ours would be. Tell me ma'am, how long have you been at war with this Galactic Empire?"
"Sixteen, going on seventeen years, if you simply count the Coredian aspect of the war. Over one hundred years if you consider the Rebel Alliance as a whole, with a forty-year intermission of peace where the Empire and New Republic weren't at each other's throats and even fought alongside each other." Hinata stated truthfully. "Because of that forty years, we believed that peace with the Empire was possible, but when Emperor Palpatine returned, that peace was shattered when the Death Star appeared over Juria sixteen years ago."

"That's quite alright," Umehara reassures her with a smile. "I'm afraid my species doesn't have as much to offer in strength and endurance as it does in knowledge and intelligence. I will have recovered sufficiently to continue in a moment. How many dwarves occupy this planet?"

Over a hundred years...

Sebastian did not betray any of the shock that flooded him. He simply turned around and headed back to his floating seat. Easing into its cushions, the Elder closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them and looking at ambassador Hinata. "Even after all that time, do you not feel that you should have changed your tactics? Our captain here has reported details of what occured on your planet, Jurai. While he has tried to color it to lessen the effect, I still see matters that are disconcerting to me. You have allies are arguing amongst themselves and what appears to be allegiances switching right before your very eyes. They war with one another and yet you want them to fight along side each other when it doesn't seem that many of them are capable of doing so. If your people cannot bring your allies under some symbolance of order, how can you expect me to willingly send troops to fight amidst all of this chaos?"

Before Hinata could answer any of the questions, Raigar's feathery wings flared out. His voice, deciphered by the pulsating jewel around his neck, was not one of anger but more of wisdom and calming. "Enough Sebastian. Let this woman be. She had nothing to do with what occurred in the elf captain's report and she has not come to our planet for you to interrogate her. Let it go."

Sebastian hung his head in not only in defeat but also partly in shame. He slowly nodded his head at the griffon's words. "You are indeed correct Elder. Thank you for stopping me."

A finger from the man slowly glided over to an arm panel in his chair. After pressing a quick succession of button pushing, the metalic floor quickly and walls of the room quickly changed to that of an open prairie where tall green grass swayed in the wind. The quiet songs of birds could be heard and even the breezes moving the grass felt real and surprisingly warm despite the cold temperatures outside. Sebastian wanted a change in atmosphere. He knew he had overstepped his boundaries and he needed this to help him relax.

The Elder finally looked back at the ambassador. "My apologies. You are not accountable for what happened there and it is no right for me to question your actions in such a manner. You'll have to forgive me, but when it comes to the safety of my people and the ones I care about my emotions tend to get the best of me. I will do my best to have military aid ready when you call for it and we shall try this military alliance out for a time because unless I am wrong, I believe in the end you will need something that goes beyond weapons and power. Perhaps the most important need you will require,is a steadfast friend."

Sebastian looked to the panda like ambassador sitting down. "Welcome ambassador. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

(Isa, if I need more then I will simply send an order for more and purchase them)

"That's quite alright," Umehara reassures her with a smile. "I'm afraid my species doesn't have as much to offer in strength and endurance as it does in knowledge and intelligence. I will have recovered sufficiently to continue in a moment. How many dwarves occupy this planet?"

Alurial liked the ambassador regardless of what Umehara might think about her. While the elf did like muscles and strength, they had their place and were not always needed with her. Intelligence and wisdom, those were attractive qualities to her and ones that were never useless.

"I believe the rough estimate puts all of the dwarven clans at around ten million total. That factors in this mountain range, the minor ones to the north, and those dwarves that live in the city of Mythrandir. What is the name of your species in Xanthal?"

Umehara isn't thrugh with his line of questioning, but he doesn't mind the change of subject. There's lots of time to make all the inquiries he needs. "The english term is 'xanthalian.' The mirfakan term is 'xanthalan.' I am afraid I cannot speak thanic. The xanthalian species was genetically engineered by modifying and splicing together segments of genetic code from several sentient species, primarily humans. The name comes from our country, not the other way around. Xanthalian science created us, so we were dubbed xanthalians."

A servant quietly came by the ambassador with a tray carrying differet types of beverages. Some glass contained water and juice while others held alcoholic contents in different colors from red to a brilliant yellow. No beer though.

Lee sniffed mistrustingly at the different beverages, and finally declined them, as did his two companions.

Sebastian looked to the panda like ambassador sitting down. "Welcome ambassador. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Lee and his two companions stood and bowed. "Not at all, I see you are quite busy at the moment. May I offer my congratulations in repelling that rather nasty Imperial attack? I am Ambassador Lee Stormstout, here on a diplomatic assignment from the Empire of Pandaria, and the Emperor himself, who sends his greetings. I have not recieved much information about your culture, but already I see similarities. But let us talk clearly with one another, we Pandaren prefer it that way. We are here for two reasons; to offer our aid to rebuild and fortify your realm, and to enter an alliance of mutual support, should the Empire or any other enemy decide to attack our two beloved realms. We seek peace, as I think you do, and so of all the different realms in the galaxy, you seemed to be the most reasonable ally, along with the realm of Gaian Ascendancy which we unfortunately only have sparse second-hand information about, and haven't been able to contact. We seek peace and harmony, and we will always support any alliance of ours, no matter the cost. But I wonder, maybe I'm ignorant of your customs and traditions, as well as your political system which I am rather interested in understanding... would you care to explain it to me?" the giant bear concluded with a smile that could make almost anyone relax and feel at ease, not so much because of the smile itself, more because his eyes almost shined with benevolence, to the extent of making everyone in the room feel strangely happy. (Pandarians had some rather well-developed powers, so that they could literally set a room in vibration with positive energy, although they didn't do this willingly, it was part of their being, to create harmony and well-being...)

(I will deal with the responses once CoreWorlds replies. I believe he should have the last word in the discussion and I do not want him to feel like I was cutting him off.)

OOC: Roger that...

Umehara isn't thrugh with his line of questioning, but he doesn't mind the change of subject. There's lots of time to make all the inquiries he needs. "The english term is 'xanthalian.' The mirfakan term is 'xanthalan.' I am afraid I cannot speak thanic. The xanthalian species was genetically engineered by modifying and splicing together segments of genetic code from several sentient species, primarily humans. The name comes from our country, not the other way around. Xanthalian science created us, so we were dubbed xanthalians."

The elven Elder looked at Umehara with mild shock. "You were genetically engineered by scientists of Xanthal and you have normal citizenship like all other races? That is intriguing. For what purpose were you created?"

(Isa, if I need more then I will simply send an order for more and purchase them)

OOC mm seeing those two ZPMs where for testing there is no trade agreement set up as i have not got word back if they are what you need and not came back to set up a agreement

"That is a long and complicated story, Elder," the ambassador says. Having recouperated somewhat, he straightens up and invites Alurial to proceed with a gesture. As they walk, he continues with his response.

"The short answer is that we are the product of artificially-accomodated cross-species procreation. The xanthalians were not created for any special purpose, but rather were a biproduct of interspecies couples' wish to procreate. Since the technology of the day had decreased emphasis on physical fitness, most such parents had their 'children' engineered with superior mental abilities. After the fall of Old Xanthal and the resulting widespread loss of technology in the early years of the Age of Disunion, most of the xanthalians, being genetically incompatible, died without having children. Within three generations there was only one large group of genetically compatible xanthalians left. It was at that point that we were officially classified as a species."

*small nudge*

(Well that has been enough time allowed to pass.)

Lee and his two companions stood and bowed. "Not at all, I see you are quite busy at the moment. May I offer my congratulations in repelling that rather nasty Imperial attack? I am Ambassador Lee Stormstout, here on a diplomatic assignment from the Empire of Pandaria, and the Emperor himself, who sends his greetings. I have not recieved much information about your culture, but already I see similarities. But let us talk clearly with one another, we Pandaren prefer it that way. We are here for two reasons; to offer our aid to rebuild and fortify your realm, and to enter an alliance of mutual support, should the Empire or any other enemy decide to attack our two beloved realms. We seek peace, as I think you do, and so of all the different realms in the galaxy, you seemed to be the most reasonable ally, along with the realm of Gaian Ascendancy which we unfortunately only have sparse second-hand information about, and haven't been able to contact. We seek peace and harmony, and we will always support any alliance of ours, no matter the cost. But I wonder, maybe I'm ignorant of your customs and traditions, as well as your political system which I am rather interested in understanding... would you care to explain it to me?" the giant bear concluded with a smile that could make almost anyone relax and feel at ease, not so much because of the smile itself, more because his eyes almost shined with benevolence, to the extent of making everyone in the room feel strangely happy.

Sebastian allowed ambassador Hinata time for a rebuttal or simply to digest the conversation while he addressed the Pandarian ambassador. "Thank you for the for the congratulations and we do appreciate the support. Our repair efforts are well underway and with the continued support of friendly nations, we shall be back up to full strength in no time, perhaps far better."

The young Elder shared a look with the griffon Elder, wondering which of the two should handle the ambassador's question or which one wanted to. Sebastian shifted his weight in his seat as he prepared to answer the question. "Our politics are that of the people. Each race that is a part of the Kingdom of Mythrandir choses an Elder to represent them and their needs here in this tower or wherever it is we go for that matter. We discuss their issues domestically and abroad in hopes of doing what is best for the people and our homes."

"That is a long and complicated story, Elder," the ambassador says. Having recouperated somewhat, he straightens up and invites Alurial to proceed with a gesture. As they walk, he continues with his response.

"The short answer is that we are the product of artificially-accomodated cross-species procreation. The xanthalians were not created for any special purpose, but rather were a biproduct of interspecies couples' wish to procreate. Since the technology of the day had decreased emphasis on physical fitness, most such parents had their 'children' engineered with superior mental abilities. After the fall of Old Xanthal and the resulting widespread loss of technology in the early years of the Age of Disunion, most of the xanthalians, being genetically incompatible, died without having children. Within three generations there was only one large group of genetically compatible xanthalians left. It was at that point that we were officially classified as a species."

Alurial rose from her resting place and followed Umehara as they continued their march to the dwarven halls. It wouldn't be much longer now before the fires of the forges and the light of the great chambers would soon come into view as a hazy glow. Already the chatter of a bustling commercial center was beginning to drift through the cavernous surroundings.

The elven Elder listened intently to the ambassador's story, most of it strange to her but still quite interesting. "A peculiar tale ambassador but fascinating nonetheless. I am afraid it only raises more questions though than answers."

Alurial laughs to herself. "I believe I will hault my own line of questioning for now. This may require a complete history of your nation to truly answer all questions now."

"There are many excellent books on various subjects and eras in Xanthalian history. It has been over one thousand, four hundred standard years since the first people colonized the territory that would become Xanthal, so as you can imagine it is difficult to describe so many centuries of history in a single volume, but I can recommend several summaries that are adequate for one with a casual interest in the Xanthalian story. Otherwise, I am quite happy to answer to the best of my ability whatever questions you have.

"You are quite right, though; this tour is for me to learn about Mythrandir, not for you to learn about Xanthal. There will be plenty of time for that later. To the present end, then, I am curious whether there is a division of labor by species in Mythrandir."

Umehara peers ahead to catch his first glimpse of the city as it comes into view.

Over a hundred years...

Sebastian did not betray any of the shock that flooded him. He simply turned around and headed back to his floating seat. Easing into its cushions, the Elder closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them and looking at ambassador Hinata. "Even after all that time, do you not feel that you should have changed your tactics? Our captain here has reported details of what occured on your planet, Jurai. While he has tried to color it to lessen the effect, I still see matters that are disconcerting to me. You have allies are arguing amongst themselves and what appears to be allegiances switching right before your very eyes. They war with one another and yet you want them to fight along side each other when it doesn't seem that many of them are capable of doing so. If your people cannot bring your allies under some symbolance of order, how can you expect me to willingly send troops to fight amidst all of this chaos?"

Before Hinata could answer any of the questions, Raigar's feathery wings flared out. His voice, deciphered by the pulsating jewel around his neck, was not one of anger but more of wisdom and calming. "Enough Sebastian. Let this woman be. She had nothing to do with what occurred in the elf captain's report and she has not come to our planet for you to interrogate her. Let it go."

Sebastian hung his head in not only in defeat but also partly in shame. He slowly nodded his head at the griffon's words. "You are indeed correct Elder. Thank you for stopping me."

A finger from the man slowly glided over to an arm panel in his chair. After pressing a quick succession of button pushing, the metalic floor quickly and walls of the room quickly changed to that of an open prairie where tall green grass swayed in the wind. The quiet songs of birds could be heard and even the breezes moving the grass felt real and surprisingly warm despite the cold temperatures outside. Sebastian wanted a change in atmosphere. He knew he had overstepped his boundaries and he needed this to help him relax.

The Elder finally looked back at the ambassador. "My apologies. You are not accountable for what happened there and it is no right for me to question your actions in such a manner. You'll have to forgive me, but when it comes to the safety of my people and the ones I care about my emotions tend to get the best of me. I will do my best to have military aid ready when you call for it and we shall try this military alliance out for a time because unless I am wrong, I believe in the end you will need something that goes beyond weapons and power. Perhaps the most important need you will require, is a steadfast friend."
"Apology accepted." Hinata said as she kept her assistant down with a sharp glance. The assistant wanted to rebut the charges, but was chagrined by her mistress. "It is true that what we need, more than anything else, is a steadfast friend. I must admit though that it would be hard for Coredians to trust again, considering what had occurred at Jurai."

"There are many excellent books on various subjects and eras in Xanthalian history. It has been over one thousand, four hundred standard years since the first people colonized the territory that would become Xanthal, so as you can imagine it is difficult to describe so many centuries of history in a single volume, but I can recommend several summaries that are adequate for one with a casual interest in the Xanthalian story. Otherwise, I am quite happy to answer to the best of my ability whatever questions you have.

"You are quite right, though; this tour is for me to learn about Mythrandir, not for you to learn about Xanthal. There will be plenty of time for that later. To the present end, then, I am curious whether there is a division of labor by species in Mythrandir."

Umehara peers ahead to catch his first glimpse of the city as it comes into view.

Elder Alurial finished the rest of the walk in silence until they reached the entrance to the great hall of the dwarves. The portal itself was small, just barely large enough for two people to walk through abreast, but what lay beyond was grander and far more magnificent. Light caressed every cut stone pillar, ever corner of the hall, and the great mass of people filling the great hall. Great stone pillars were cut squarely from the floor up to the ceiling which disappeared into the darkness of the great vaulted ceiling hundreds of feet high above their heads. The hall stretched on for what seemed like eternity with countless pillars fading into the distance.

Dwarves, men, and even a few elves filled the hall to overflowing. The amount of heat was intense compared the little bit of humidity that filled the caverns while Umehara and Alurial were walking. Here, the amount of heat from the great number of bodies and the metal works made it almost stifling. Constant poundings of hammers on iron over anvils drifted up above the steady hum of voices in the hall. Even the floors vibrated with the rythmic working of tool and ore.

All around them, throngs of people gathered to talk or barter but the hall itself was relatively empty of any building or home structures. Looking closely through the packs of people, holes were along the cave walls which lead to shops or hallways heading to others parts of the mountain containing housing or the smeltering heat of the forges.

The elven Elder smiled like a tour guide as she walked out into the controlled chaos with the ambassador. "Welcome to Hammer Hall ambassador." Alurial almost has to shout to be heard.

"Here you have the beating heart of the dwarven world and the life line of the Northmen that live out on the tundra. It is unlikely you will find any greater concentration of great smiths in one area than in this great hall. There are any number of shops open at all times along with plenty of food and drink to be had."


"Apology accepted." Hinata said as she kept her assistant down with a sharp glance. The assistant wanted to rebut the charges, but was chagrined by her mistress. "It is true that what we need, more than anything else, is a steadfast friend. I must admit though that it would be hard for Coredians to trust again, considering what had occurred at Jurai."

"That is understandable ambassador. Perhaps in time, you will find a friend in us."

A dawn of rememberance crosses the young Elder's face as he snaps his fingers summoning a servant. "Please bring out one of the items now that was set aside please."

The man that had stepped up bowed quickly then departed leaving the gathered in silence for a moment. He returned some time later carrying something that was covered by a dark velvety cloth. It appeared round in nature as the man handed it over to Sebastian.

Smiling, the young man nodded his thanks and hopped out of his seat. He walked lightly up to Hinata while his blue cape blew up behind him. Sebastian stopped a few feet from the woman then squatted down so he was at eye level with her. In one motion, he removed the cloth.

Resting in his hand was a clear crystal orb beautiful alone thanks to the remarkable cuts but what was inside was what was truly amazing. A burning fire pulsated with life never ending or consuming. It rested within its crystal confines, a soul within a body. Sebastian grinned like a small kid. "We are gift givers when we forge new alliances ambassador. Each gift we give is unique and hopefully somewhat representative of the people it is given to. To you we give the Fire of the Phoenix, one of our oldest relics. There is a legend behind the artifact as it comes from a time of great strife and uncertainty, before this world was united. When the kingdoms were at war with one another, a man travelled far and wide to try and bring peace to his home planet but there were not many who would listen at this time. Consumed by lust for power and the hatred that had turned their hearts cold, he was turned away.

But he remained true to his cause and was able to enlist a few kingdoms as allies. It is said that he gave out three of these orbs one to each king and lord that had sided with him. The story goes that this man plucked three feathers from a newborn phoenix and while the feathers still burned in his hand, he carried them up the Kroth mountains to the ancient stronghold of the dwarves in Dragonhelm. At this time, the dwarves had no true allegiance with anyone but agreed to craft a container for this man. They harvested three great crystals to craft for each feather that burned. When he climbed back down the mountain, he carried three crystal orbs that contained an unending fire within."

Sebastian held out the orb to Hinata for her to take. "While those kings and lords kept the orbs, they would be assurred that the alliance was still strong. The fire within would never go out so long as they were loyal to each other and so long as the man was loyal to each of them in turn. If the flame were ever to dim or go out, then they would know that their alliance was fading or there was none to be had anymore. As long as you have this in your care ambassador, your people will always know where the Myth stand with you."

"I would quite enjoy a beverage," the ambassador says meekly. The heat and humidity here is no more hospitable to him than the dry cold outside, and truth be told, between the extended walk and the atmosphere, he's feeling a little faint. It's tough getting old.

"Do the dwarves focus most of their efforts on metalwork?"

Hinata gasped when the Fire of the Phoenix was revealed and she listened to the story. She bowed deeply in respect as she took the orb. "I am honored to accept this gift. You are a gold nugget among a seabed of stones, one of the few indeed worthy of Coredian trust."

"I would quite enjoy a beverage," the ambassador says meekly. The heat and humidity here is no more hospitable to him than the dry cold outside, and truth be told, between the extended walk and the atmosphere, he's feeling a little faint. It's tough getting old.

"Do the dwarves focus most of their efforts on metalwork?"

Lifting a hand outward, Alurial recalled the floating orb that had been their guide through the dark maze of cavernous tunnels and certain death falls. She placed it back within the pouch she had retrieved it from then looked around for a stand or shop that had suitable beverages for the ambassador. Unfortunatly, Umehara was only likely to find alcohol among the dwarves.

If she could remember correctly, there was a woman down here that sold a better variety of drinks for those few that braved the long dark from the cities down to the dwarven hall. "Of course ambassador. Please follow me."

Alurial lead the Xanthalian through the throngs of people crowding the great hall. It was a living sea of flesh and noise pushing and pulling both the Elder and ambassador. While they walked, Alurial took the time to answer Umehara's question. "For the most part yes. Metal and the earth's ores are their clay and they are the sculptors. They fashion everything from weapons to toys out of the metal. Besides that craft, they have become rather known for their strong alcoholic beverages though it is not as aesthetically pleasing."

Luckily, Alurial's presence eventually became known so people began to allow her and the ambassador some room to ford this vast living sea of bodies. Finally the Elder stopped outside a modest crease in the cavern wall that had been worked to a smooth arc allowing the dwarven woman her space to set up shop. The term woman was used loosely as there was no distinct way of telling the men and women apart. They were both round and both had hair. When they stopped near her stand, the short round woman greeted them both with a smile.

"Waddya'll have?"

Hinata gasped when the Fire of the Phoenix was revealed and she listened to the story. She bowed deeply in respect as she took the orb. "I am honored to accept this gift. You are a gold nugget among a seabed of stones, one of the few indeed worthy of Coredian trust."

Sebastian smiled wide pleased that his gift had struck such a deep accord with the ambassador. His earlier rantings were not of malicious intent but purely out of concern for his own people and loved ones as well as trying to understand events that were beyond his understanding. Coming from a planet more concerned with isolation and old anomocities, Sebastian did not want to fall into a similar case with foreigners attempting to wage war on a grand scale. It tended to make him overreact.

The young Elder stood once again then stepped back to allow the ambassador a bit of space for comfort. "Thank you for the compliment madam. Hopefully we shall live up to such a claim. Now, the good Captain Lukien informs me that your planet Jurai is covered in ice but yet you live there still. Your people will need food which we can provide you now and in times of crisis. Also, you and your people will have a safe haven in this kingdom should you ever need it. We do not have a vast military as some others." Sebastian grinned slightly. "But we are stubborn and do not break easily. Is there anything you would like to discuss yourself? I feel as if we have been stealing all of the attention."

(Pandaria and Tidan, feel free to jump in at anytime.)

Duncan watched the exchange with interest. To see such a candid interaction between these new friends and old ones was a very informative opertunity that didn't come along very often with first contacts. It allowed him to see how they wanted to be seen as well as pieces of who they really were between the carefully considered diplomacy.

Duncan had worked with regional and local leaders for a long time, and in reality they were very similar to their national counterparts if not worse, since they were given far less accountability. He was not unfamiliar with politics and diplomacy, but had a long way to go if he were going to learn to act in that role himself. Still he was holding out hope that he would not have to change how he acted to do his job, and so far it seemed like this place might just be one of the places in the universe where that might happen.

A yawn slipped through Duncan's guard, and his hand jumped to his mouth.

"I appologise. I am not losing interest with your hospitality, but it has been a very long journey. I do have much to tell my government, my mind is slipping inward. The last thing we spoke of has remained in my mind, I do want Myth to know that we would never require you to waste the lives of your warriors. We will not surrender or sell out our own people ever again, but we do not ask you to perish with us if our destiny should lead down that road again. Our people are loyal, they understand war as they have lived most of their lives under its yoke. Like our people Tidan is loyal, for our soldiers to die protecting the people of Tidan from the repeat of history, or even our friends from the schemes of dark men, is an honor. This we expect of ourselves but it is not something we demand of others."

"Also, I feel I must answer your concern that we would let stuborness hinder our struggles. There is more than one way to fight, and when we say we will not stop fighting for our freedom we mean we will not fighting in anyway we find acceptable. For even as we will consider all of our options, there are many forms which we will not pursue for once they are acted upon the battle for the soul has already been lost, and once the soul falls the spirit and will soon follow."

"We have learned much from our friends since our arrival and have applied all we have learned to our colleges."

Sebastian allowed ambassador Hinata time for a rebuttal or simply to digest the conversation while he addressed the Pandarian ambassador. "Thank you for the congratulations and we do appreciate the support. Our repair efforts are well underway and with the continued support of friendly nations, we shall be back up to full strength in no time, perhaps far better."

"Ah, good, good..." Lee smiled, waiting for the Elder to continue.

Umehara looks to his guide searchingly. "I am not familiar with the local beverages. Something hydrating, without alcohol, please."

As she makes his drink, the ambassador fishes a few gold coins (OOC: right?) out of his pouch and places them on the counter. He picked up a sizable amount of cash in the local currency when he arrived, but he hasn't had the opportunity to study actual prices. If the exchange rate is any indication, though, his offering should be more than sufficient. "Is this enough?" he asks politely.

(Pandaria, I believe they answered the other part of your question in the second paragraph. Not sure if you missed it or not.)

Instead of responding to anything Duncan had said, Sebastian turned and walked back to his hovering chair. He easily hefted himself up and into the seat. The Elder sat there high on his perch silently staring at Duncan, taking in the man's demeanor and emotions. Finally speaking, "Ambassador Duncan, is it possible for us to see your armor? You have peaked my interest with its personal value to you. Such items of importance tend to be works of art and should be honored. I hope you will give us the honor of allowing it to be viewed."

Umehara looks to his guide searchingly. "I am not familiar with the local beverages. Something hydrating, without alcohol, please."

As she makes his drink, the ambassador fishes a few gold coins (OOC: right?) out of his pouch and places them on the counter. He picked up a sizable amount of cash in the local currency when he arrived, but he hasn't had the opportunity to study actual prices. If the exchange rate is any indication, though, his offering should be more than sufficient. "Is this enough?" he asks politely.

The dwarven woman looked at the ambassador then at the coins then back at the ambassador. "Ye ain't frum a'ound here are ye?"

Scooping up a number of the coins in her hand, she gave the gold clinking change back to Umehara and only took one gold coin for herself. Wiggling a finger, she signalled for Umehara to lean in closer.

Seeing he was close enough to talk quietly. "Ye gotta be a bit more careful wit yer gold. Not e'eryone a'ound here is nice like me. Standard price of a drink like yers is one coind. Somethin' alcoholic goes up te two. Remember dat."

The woman hands over a mug of a colored liquid that has a sweet smell to it. It's fruity in taste but with an invigorating quality as well. Alurial turned with the ambassador to look back out at massive crowd. "Well ambassador, what do you think?"

"Of course you may." Duncan was unsure of the Elder's motives here. His strange reaction seemed to suggest something had changed in his thoughts or attitude toward himself. For the first time Duncan somehow uncomfortable, though he did not show it. Still there was no reason that he should not show them the armor. "It was with the rest of my things at the starport when I left. There is a sealed case, security has already looked through it, I will unseal it again when you wish."

Atshushi bows gratefully to the female dwarf, leaving an extra coin in her hand. "Thank you, madame."

The ambassador collects his thoughts while he takes his first sip of the drink. It's a bit strong for his taste, but he's too grateful for the refreshment to dwell on the taste anyway. "The industry of the dwarves appears quite impressive. Is this a natural cavern, or did they create it themselves?"

"Of course you may." Duncan was unsure of the Elder's motives here. His strange reaction seemed to suggest something had changed in his thoughts or attitude toward himself. For the first time Duncan somehow uncomfortable, though he did not show it. Still there was no reason that he should not show them the armor. "It was with the rest of my things at the starport when I left. There is a sealed case, security has already looked through it, I will unseal it again when you wish."

Shaking his head, "How careless of us. It should already be in the Diplomatic Palace by now. I shall have someone speed it here immediatly."

An orb dropped from the ceiling and hovered right before the entire congregation. It pulsated quietly with an inner light, twisting and turning in no particular direction. There was no dominant "side" to the orb as it seemed to pick up on every detail in the room. The Elders were not moved by it though, a common device in their practices. Sebastian waited for a moment, seeing some sign that the orb was coming online.

"Yes, I was wondering about the Tidani ambassador's belongings. He reportedly carried a suit of armor with him in a sealed case. Can that be brought to the White Tower? Thank you."

The orb disappeared back into the ceiling leaving the ambassadors alone with the Elders once again. Sebastian smiled looking back at Duncan. "It should be here soon."

While they waited, refreshments were brought back around in case anyone needed a refill in their cup or desired something to eat. After a few moments, the great doors to the tower were thrown open letting in a blast of cold air. In strode one of the Diplomat Palace guards carrying the sealed case that was supposed to contain the armor. He placed it next to where Duncan was sitting. With a quick bow to all gathered, the man turned and headed back out the doors he came.

Sebastian hopped out of his chair once again, clearly a man that could not sit still some time. "Alright. If you don't mind, I would like to see it."

Atshushi bows gratefully to the female dwarf, leaving an extra coin in her hand. "Thank you, madame."

The ambassador collects his thoughts while he takes his first sip of the drink. It's a bit strong for his taste, but he's too grateful for the refreshment to dwell on the taste anyway. "The industry of the dwarves appears quite impressive. Is this a natural cavern, or did they create it themselves?"

The dwarven woman smiles her thanks and gratefully takes the coin leaving the ambassador and Alurial alone while she tends to other customers. Alurial takes a moment to remember the history of these caverns. It had been ages since the stronghold of Dragonhelm was lost and the dwarves moved into Hammer Hall.

"At one time this was a natural casm in the mountains, but thanks to dwarven enginuity they have managed to work the mountain's innards into a great hall stretching for some miles. Supports have been constructed throughout these tunnels to add support to the mountain and prevent collapsing."

"Impressive indeed." Atshushi nods. He couldn't help but notice that the Elfin Elder had neglected to his question about the division of labor in Mythrandir. Perhaps it was merely an oversight on her part, but the subject warrants independent research anyway.

"This is a digression, but I would like to hear you describe the method by which Mythrandir is governed. I read a summary as part of my research for this assignment, but in my experience political systems usually have nuances not described in such objective, external reports." Of course, the ambassador had obtained information on the subject from Sebastian at the D'Haran Summit as well, but he doesn't mention that fact.

Duncan nodded. He activated a utility device on his wrist and a small holographic number pad appeared just above it. He tapped in a sequence and it disappeared again.

Clunk. Clunk.

He pulled off the lid and looked down at the armor laying in several pieces inside.

(It will be somewhat like the halo mojlnir armor but the armor sections look much more like decorated fantasy mideval armor)

"The suit itself has no offensive ability, except to enhance my own strength and reflexes. It is very heavy after all, without the increased strength it would be impossible to move much less fight inside. The first time I put it on I was amazed at how light you actually feel, I was expecting to something like a walking statue but infact if feels quite natural and comfortable once you get used to it."

He reached in and took out the helmet. As sabastian walked over he tossed the helm to him so he could look at it. Of course it was a much lighter part, and while it would still be heavy, Sebastian should have no troubles catching and holding it.

"The suit is designed to increase survival of a vast number of different situations including but certainly not limited to battle. It does have some limited shielding which is located in these runes located around the suit. They have been blessed by our god Nav and protect us as an energy shield would. The Tidani Special Recon Forces use a suit similar to ours. Theirs is much more...military, if that is the right word. The Order seems to think that the appearance of our armor improves morale among the public and puts forward a face of confidence and faith. I think it a rather unnecessary and somewhat distastful practice, but the more times this thing saves your life the more you become attached to it and even I started to take pride in how it looked. Still, you will find many more in Tidan much more decorated than mine."

Sebastian caught the helmet easily and judged its weight for himself. He took a quick moment to look at the runes on the armor then the ones scarred into the palm of his right hand. They were different but it made him smile still when he thought about possibilities. Sebastian held up the helmet for Raigar to view for himself. "It's heavier than our own helms that the Warriors use. Functional though as long as it works in the sense you are referring to."

Handing the helmet back, the Elder took a moment to study the rest of the armor. Sebastian took on a contemplative pose. "Tell me Duncan, do you think your armor is missing anything? Perhaps not in the terms of functioning, I am sure it is able to protect you quite adequately, but are there any sort of personalizations that you feel should be added?"

"Impressive indeed." Atshushi nods. He couldn't help but notice that the Elfin Elder had neglected to his question about the division of labor in Mythrandir. Perhaps it was merely an oversight on her part, but the subject warrants independent research anyway.

"This is a digression, but I would like to hear you describe the method by which Mythrandir is governed. I read a summary as part of my research for this assignment, but in my experience political systems usually have nuances not described in such objective, external reports." Of course, the ambassador had obtained information on the subject from Sebastian at the D'Haran Summit as well, but he doesn't mention that fact.

Alurial could have sworn a form of the question had already been answered but it was possible that she had simply described this to other nations that it was running together in her mind. She was happy to oblige the ambassador anyways. "I imagine you are familiar with our Elders which are elected as representatives of the people in each different race. We take on the problems the citizenry has when they come to us. After passing through the smaller mayors or nobles of outlying villages or cities, they decide if it is an issue that warrants attention for all of Mythrandir. If so, then the Elders will take the issue into consideration and rule on it. Rarely is this necessary but it is still a power we carry. Laws and regulations of Mythrandir apply to all of the races and their origins begin with the Elders which must then get a majority approval from the mayors and nobles before the people themselves get a chance to decide if the law is necessary or not."

The efl takes a moment to pause with her explanation. It's a long winded explanation, one that she is trying to describe susicntly. "As for the laws being enforced, we have our guards that protect every city and the populace. They can also be elevated to a fighting force during a national crisis. Such was the case during the Tannelornian invasion. I hope I'm answering your question here ambassador."

"Somewhat." Atshushi pauses to bow politely to a passing dwarf. "Since most domestic policymaking power seems to be vested in other governmental units however, I would likt to have more information about how they are selected and organized." He takes another drink from his mug.

OOC: RL quite busy right now... wish I had more control over 4th dimensionthan I actually do...

IC:

"Well, I'm quite curious about the origins of your realm. Were all of your races always peaceful or was there war between you at some time? How long have you been on the intergalactic stage? What kind of philosphy do you base your living (and war, for that matter) on?" Lee added. He glanced at the beautiful orb of Phenix with knowing eyes, for he had seen many orbs in his time, this one being another interesting specimen.

"Somewhat." Atshushi pauses to bow politely to a passing dwarf. "Since most domestic policymaking power seems to be vested in other governmental units however, I would likt to have more information about how they are selected and organized." He takes another drink from his mug.

"Primarily they are chosen by the people of the villages they represent. Mayors or nobles preside over the city laws and are charged to ensure that they are observed by the citizens. The citizenry itself serves in the halls where laws are created so they get a hand in the process of crafting their own guidelines. However, no law or regulation from the villages may supercede that of one ordained by the Elders. The domestic governments are constructed such that the people get an honest feeling that their own beliefs have a direct influence on their lives. Of course, participation is not mandatory in the halls and those citizens that serve at one particular time change frequently."

"Well, I'm quite curious about the origins of your realm. Were all of your races always peaceful or was there war between you at some time? How long have you been on the intergalactic stage? What kind of philosphy do you base your living (and war, for that matter) on?" Lee added. He glanced at the beautiful orb of Phenix with knowing eyes, for he had seen many orbs in his time, this one being another interesting specimen.

While Sebastian conversed with Duncan about the armor, Elder Raigar remained in his seat to handle ambassador Lee's questions. "My race is native to the planet Thralk in the Aero System so we are relatively new to the inhabitants of Mythrandir and our history is not theirs. From my own knowledge of their history here, there was a time when the races were not as trusting as they are now. War between them was frequent and the flames of conflict reached from one end of the planet to the next.

Eventually all that hate and mistrust came to an end. Each race and each person is free to base their philosophy on living however they please. I would imagine you could ask every sentient on this planet about their philosophy and receive a wide variety of answers. As for a philosophy on war, wars are rarely our first choice of action. If we must fight, we fight totally until it has ended."

"I see." Atshushi tips back his mug, finishing the drink and replacing the empty vessel on the counter behind him. "Do the dwarves trade for food and supplies then?"

Sebastian caught the helmet easily and judged its weight for himself. He took a quick moment to look at the runes on the armor then the ones scarred into the palm of his right hand. They were different but it made him smile still when he thought about possibilities. Sebastian held up the helmet for Raigar to view for himself. "It's heavier than our own helms that the Warriors use. Functional though as long as it works in the sense you are referring to."

Handing the helmet back, the Elder took a moment to study the rest of the armor. Sebastian took on a contemplative pose. "Tell me Duncan, do you think your armor is missing anything? Perhaps not in the terms of functioning, I am sure it is able to protect you quite adequately, but are there any sort of personalizations that you feel should be added?"

"Aye, it does take an above average warrior to use the suit. Strength that is, not skill."

At the second question, Duncan paused.

"This is perhaps the problem with customization. Is it ever really done? Like character, the armor is ever changing. Always trying to mirror something much greater than itself. I am curious why you ask though."

"I see." Atshushi tips back his mug, finishing the drink and replacing the empty vessel on the counter behind him. "Do the dwarves trade for food and supplies then?"

"Yes they do. This is the center hub for the Northmen living out on the tundras. They bring in furs, food, and other materials to trade with the dwarves who in turn provide them with dwarven ale or more items to help continue their lives out in the cold."

The little dwarven maiden comes by and collects the mug. "Ye want anudder one laddie?"

"Aye, it does take an above average warrior to use the suit. Strength that is, not skill."

At the second question, Duncan paused.

"This is perhaps the problem with customization. Is it ever really done? Like character, the armor is ever changing. Always trying to mirror something much greater than itself. I am curious why you ask though."

Sebastian's lips curled back into a grin though it was not one out of malice. Instead he looked more like someone who held a surprise but was unwilling to reveal it at the moment. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced before the armor.

"I am curious because this armor is a part of you and you are free to wear it as you see fit. Since it is yours and you do customize it, I believe it is important that some of your customizations reflect your current state in life. You are a part of Mythrandir now, Duncan. I believe the people will accept that and you should accept it as well. In light of that, I believe we can make your armor reflect this new lifestyle of yours. But what to give you? Should we stick with the phoenix theme or should we go deeper, more personal? What do you think Duncan? This is your armor afterall."

Sebastian's lips curled back into a grin though it was not one out of malice. Instead he looked more like someone who held a surprise but was unwilling to reveal it at the moment. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced before the armor.

"I am curious because this armor is a part of you and you are free to wear it as you see fit. Since it is yours and you do customize it, I believe it is important that some of your customizations reflect your current state in life. You are a part of Mythrandir now, Duncan. I believe the people will accept that and you should accept it as well. In light of that, I believe we can make your armor reflect this new lifestyle of yours. But what to give you? Should we stick with the phoenix theme or should we go deeper, more personal? What do you think Duncan? This is your armor afterall."

Duncan's gaze fell to the box full of armor, and then returned to Sebastian with a slight twinkle. A grin appeared on his face.

"Your people are very generous, Elder. Thank you. I would be honored to carry a testiment to that generosity with me as I walk around my new home. I usually try to create something personal, but whatever you would offer is more than enough."

"Well that is completely up to you Duncan. We have some of the finest dwarven smiths that the universe has to offer that I'm sure would be more than willing to help craft any item you deisre. There is any assortment of customization that is imagineable from capes to new pieces of armor bearing our runic symbols."

Sebastian smiled briefly. "Take time to think about it. When you have decided, let us know and we shall put you to work."

"Yes they do. This is the center hub for the Northmen living out on the tundras. They bring in furs, food, and other materials to trade with the dwarves who in turn provide them with dwarven ale or more items to help continue their lives out in the cold."

The little dwarven maiden comes by and collects the mug. "Ye want anudder one laddie?"

"No, thank you," Umehara says, turning his head to smile appreciatively at her. "Shall we proceed?" he asks, addressing this to his guide.

Alurial smiled and nodded her agreement. The elven Elder did not truly care for this congested hole-in-the-ground for a city but was happy to oblige the ambassador and his desires. Around them, traffic and chatter never seemed to die away as there was always new caravans coming through with new wares or more citizens looking to make a purchase. Talk ranged from old ghost stories about the desert or old abandoned dwarven mines to topics concerning the Elders with Sebastian or his wife Sarah and what they were currently doing for the Mythrandir.

The elven lady continued to act as Umehara's guide through all this chaos and constant bombardment of life and activity. In the middle of the mass, Alurial still had to shout at Umehara to be heard. "It is up to you now ambassador with what you want to do. There is a center for dwarven religion ceremonies, the forges where customers comission jobs, more shops up here with all sorts of baubbles, or the dwarven lord of this hall. Unless you have had your fill of this cave and would like to see other parts of Mythrandir?"

"I would be interested in all those things and more, but we do have somewhat limited time. If I could observe a religious ceremony or attend the dwarven lord, it would be helpful to my initiation."

Truth be told, Atshushi isn't enjoying the noise and heat any more than Alurial, but he's not here to enjoy himself, he's here to gain a better understanding of the people he'll be working with, however temporarily.

Duncan thought about what he would like to change.

"I would be very interested to see what your smiths can do with leg plates. They are always a balancing act between protection and weight, perhaps your people can add a new perspective on the problem."

"I would be interested in all those things and more, but we do have somewhat limited time. If I could observe a religious ceremony or attend the dwarven lord, it would be helpful to my initiation."

Truth be told, Atshushi isn't enjoying the noise and heat any more than Alurial, but he's not here to enjoy himself, he's here to gain a better understanding of the people he'll be working with, however temporarily.

Alurial was not entirely sure that the dwarven hall lord would be in at this time especially since commerce was bustling at the moment. Instead, the elven Elder opted to guide Umehara towards the closest dwarven temple. Fortunately for them both, that meant getting away from the crowd and the noise.

Away from the hum of footsteps and endless side chatter, the great hall afforded the Elder and ambassador a bit of a breeze that was vital to venting the mountain home. Up ahead a doorway allowed a bit of light to pour out into the otherwise dimly lit cavern. Runes were engraved along the border of the chambers portal. Alurial quietly and carefully guided Umehara through the doorway which gaveway to a much wider side room of the hall.

Inside the room were five dwarves clad in ceremonial golden robes. At the center of the ring was one dwarf girded with a silver dagger at his side. Voices rose up in a slow rumbling song as the dwarf in the middle popped open the cap covering the pointed end of a horn. While the singing continued, the dwarven priest in the middle poured the contents of the horn into a golden bowl in the middle.

Liquidy contents threatened to overflow the bowl but everything was precisely measured leaving it all lapping at the rim of the bowl. The singing eventually subsided leaving the lone dwarf in the middle to his duty. Surrounding priests fell to their knees in prayer while the priest in the middle lifted the bowl up high above his head. Light shone brilliantly through a window carved into the mountain wall. As the light hit the gold and the liquid within, the bowl itself looked as if it were engulfed in flames. Finally the dwarf brought the bowl down and tipped the rim to his lips.

Only a slow long drink would do here. Half the bowl's contents were empited into his mouth then bowl was aside back on the peddle that was reserved for it.

While the center priest dropped down to his knees to pray along side his companions, Alurial decided to explain parts of the ritual to Umehara. "This is a temple to Thorn and other dwarven gods. Most of the ceremony is conducted through the making of a very strong dwarven liquor. The contents of the bowl in the middle there would flatten a normal human due to the high levels of alcohol."

Duncan thought about what he would like to change.

"I would be very interested to see what your smiths can do with leg plates. They are always a balancing act between protection and weight, perhaps your people can add a new perspective on the problem."

"Why don't we ask one then."

Sebastian banished the calming scene of the open meadow, returning the tower's main lobbey back its normal state. In a second wave of his hand, the lights dimmed around the room allowing the visual communication systems to work at a more effecient rate. A figure soon shimmered to life in the middle of the floor. Judging by its size and overall build, the man was a dwarf and a dirty one at that from the holographic representation.

There was grey in this dwarf's beard and a brow with many creases from hard work and a long life. His eyes quickly scanned the room since he hadn't expected to be summoned in the middle of an Elder meeting, least of all with diplomats present.

"Ye needed somethin' lad?"

Sebastian held out his hand towards Duncan and his piled armor. "I would like to introduce Duncan from Tidan to you. He will be staying with us for some time and would like to personalize his armor to reflect on his stay on our planet. Apparently his leggings are a bit of a problem and would like to know if one of the great dwarven smiths could solve the problem."

The young Elder nudged Duncan forward a little bit so the dwarf could get a better view. "This is the dwarven smith master, Mithgard. He is one of the greatest smiths we have as his knowledge of the forge stretches back to the early years of our planet's history. In his time, he has crafted many great things that have withstood the test of time."

Mithgard scratched at his salt and pepper beard as he thought for a moment. Without even looking at the leg plates, he already had a general notion of how Mythrandir metallurgy might prove useful. "I can't make a decision like dis but off da top o' me head, I'd say Myth ore forged light te allow some movement might be best. Anythin' energy like won't harm yer legs. Myth ore sucks it up like dwarven spit on moss. I'd need ta see da armor fer meself dough."

Sebastian sighed, shaking his head at the dwarven analogy. "Thank you master dwarf."

He turned to face Duncan for his own opinion.

"Is the drinking symbolic?" Atshushi asks, fascinated by the display. These are very different dwarves from the rowdy bunch in the main hall. This isn't really his field of expertise, but a good ambassador learns as much as he can about the country in which he's stationed. A solid understanding of ritual and religion can be indispensible in making a good impression and avoiding common faux pas.

Duncan moved up to the holographic dwarf and bowed.

"Hello Mithgard."

As the dwarf continued Duncan listened intently, obviously impressed by the claims of their unique ore. When he had finished Sebastian turned to him inquisitively.

"I have never heard of a metal being able to do so much. If this is true it could be... revolutionary. I would like to see Myth ore in action if that is possible, and I would love for Mithgard to take a look at my armor as long as I don't impose."

"Is the drinking symbolic?" Atshushi asks, fascinated by the display. These are very different dwarves from the rowdy bunch in the main hall. This isn't really his field of expertise, but a good ambassador learns as much as he can about the country in which he's stationed. A solid understanding of ritual and religion can be indispensible in making a good impression and avoiding common faux pas.

In truth, Alurial did not know much about dwarven religions nor did she care to educate herself further in the matter. But she still knew enough of the basics to fulfilll some of an onlooker's questions.

"If I remember correctly, nearly everything is symbolic in some way. According to the dwarven religion, they were created by a great god who laid them to rest within the mountains of Mythrandir. It was not until this great god blew from his horn that the dwarves were awoken. The horn on the priest's hip is symbolic of that same horn that awoke the dwarven race all those centuries ago."

The second part of the tale was slightly less pleasing to the senses. "The brown matter within is symbolic of the spit from Thorn as he blew on his horn. The light represents the first rays of light that the dwarves saw as the mountains shook and cracked under the sound of the great horn blowing. Finally the drinking is a means of renewing life in the body and the songs are for Thorn's praise."

Duncan moved up to the holographic dwarf and bowed.

"Hello Mithgard."

As the dwarf continued Duncan listened intently, obviously impressed by the claims of their unique ore. When he had finished Sebastian turned to him inquisitively.

"I have never heard of a metal being able to do so much. If this is true it could be... revolutionary. I would like to see Myth ore in action if that is possible, and I would love for Mithgard to take a look at my armor as long as I don't impose."

"Nonsense lad, ye'll give dis ol' dwarf sumtin ta do. Dough, I'd appreciate a bit of a ride te da Tower if ya woodn't mind Elder."

Sebastian smiled and bowed his head slightly. "Consider a transport on the way."

The transmission ended and the holographic image of the dwarven smith master vanished like dust in the wind leaving the room back the way it was. While they waited, Sebastian took up the other inquiry that Duncan had. "Shizra, could you come here please."

Quizzically the dark elf looked at the young man but complied nonetheless. The provocative War Mistress stopped a few steps from Sebastian and crossed her arms under her breasts. "What do you want?"

The Elder held out his hand. "May I see one of your scimitars?"

"Why?" It wasn't that she didn't trust the man. On the contrary she trusted him with her life, but she was rather protective of her weapons.

Smiling to ease the worries, "I merely want to show our friend here an example of Mythrandir Ore or at least the finished product."

Nodding reluctantly, Shizra relinquished one of her blades. Sebastian thanked the dark elf and gave it appreciative look as he turned back to the Tidani ambassador. "Mythrandir ore has the special property of veins running through it which acts as a protectorate against energy. It is not wholly immune to the intense power of pure energy but it does greatly lessen its effects. As you can imagine, forging such material is a great and tiresome process involving days to just heat the metal so it becomes workable. Once finished, it becomes some of the finest material we have."

Sebastian presented the hilt of the scimitar to Duncan for him to observe the blade. It was a blade of fine craftsmanship with a dark onyx hilt crafted to fit the hand of the one who wielded it. Running along the length of the blade itself were a number of runes enscribed into the metal. Most strikingly of all were the viens coursing through the metal stealing some of the shine from its polished surface.

"I believe there was an ambassador not to long ago that fancied an energy blade. Lightsaber, I believe it the term he used. I can still see the shock on his face when his blade did not cut through one of our own 'primative' blades. By our own reckoning, it would take a week for such a weapon to finally work its way completely through the blade. Still such encounters do require knicks and cracks to get worked out to keep the blade's edge refined."

Duncan examined the beautiful blade.

"The craftsmanship is excellent. A week, eh? I am familiar with lightsabers, many of our allies and enemies use the weapon, as do some of the members of my Order, and our fellow citizens the avian Arderials have a weapons that is similar. They are not trivial weapons. That your ore would make them so ineffective is very impressive. How limited in production are you? I don't know if you know this, but metals with properties like this are very rare. Very desired too, it could make your people very prosperous if you so wished. Of course, attention can be a double edged sword. Such is the lure of riches."

"Natural Mythrandir ore is a rare mineral that only this planet produces in abundance. All other planets under our domain either are not gifted with such resources or have only a very small deposit of it. We have begun mass producing a mimic of the original but its qualities are of a lesser grade than the true ore. The copies get used on our warships and in armor as well as simple every day items. True Mythrandir ore is reserved for items of great worth such as prized blades, hierlooms, or armor of renown."

Sebastian smiled sadly as he took the blade back and returned it to the waiting dark elf War Mistress. "I'm afraid unwanted attention has already been brought upon us through war. I do not think there is anyway we can go back to our days of hiding and solitude. Besides, there is not enough of the natural ore to sell at a great enough supply for a profitable return. However, perhaps your government would like to have the sample of our copies and decide for themselves if that would be of interest to purchase."

"You are not alone in wishing time could be turned back? Admittedly God was wise not to grant us such a power, for if I myself would give anything to be able to abuse it. I am sure that my people would be interested in your production alloys. Who knows, perhaps we have some knowledge that could help you refine the process or product."

"I imagine that a shipment of our alloys is not out of the question. If your government finds that they do indeed wish to put the metal into production, we should be happy to accomodate them. We only need the word and how much."

A few moments later, the doors to the tower were thrown open as a grimy old dwarf was admitted inside. From the looks of the wrinkled face and the salt and pepper beard, it was the same dwarf in the holographic imagery. The apron covering his body was covered in soot, burns, and grubby finger wipes.

Sebastian smiled as the dwarf came into the ring. "Ah Master Mithgard, thank you for coming."

Bowing curtly, the old dwarf looked around for his next project then looked at Duncan. "A'ight lad, show me yer armor and what ye want dun."

"Hm." Atshushi watches a few moments longer, then turns back to his guide. "Let us proceed."

A grave disturbance in the Force then struck Hinata as she was discussing small talk with her new friends. She groaned slightly, clutching her head as if having a migraine. "Naruto...no..."

"I am sorry, my friends. My husband is in terrible danger! I apologize most sincerely!" Hinata rose and bowed deeply. "I will inform the High Council that you are an ally worthy of our trust, but for now, I must see to his safety! The galaxy depends on it!"

It was a cryptic response, but if Mythrandir had any sort of psychic force, they would know that a great malicious force has been unsealed. A threat greater than old Palpatine!

Sebastian, along with the others in the chamber, looked on in mute surprise as Hinata rose quickly for an emergency. The remaining Elders bid their farewells and safe journey to the woman. A number of guards were sent to her side to safely escort her out of the city and back to the mountains where her shuttle was waiting.

"Hm." Atshushi watches a few moments longer, then turns back to his guide. "Let us proceed."

Alurial bows politely to the ambassador and leads him back into the great hall where the noise and crowd begins to grow once again. The elven Elder lead Umehara back towards the center of the crowd though this time heading the opposite direction of Thorn's Temple. The entryway to the room they were heading was far grander than that of the temple and it was less secluded.

Dwarves still came and went through this particular arch but there was enough of a buffer from the stone walls to deaden some of the sound from the outside. Well lit, the chamber had a central dias placed towards the back where a throne of stone was erected. It's back came up to a point where a star was engraved at its pinnacle. Currently the chair was empty but it did give the ambassador an opportunity a side section in relative quiet.

Alurial kept her head turning as if looking for something. "Elder Thrandur is the one that abides in this hall but usually his regeant is around here somewhere..."

In a moment of recognition, the elf maiden spotted the dwarf she was looking for. "Ah! Bruenor."

The dwarf turned his head to see the source from where his name was being called. Inwardly he groaned when he saw the elf but still managed to put on a pleasent enough smile for the encounter as he walked over. Once within ear shot, Bruenor dipped a curt bow to the ambassador. It was the same dwarf that was receiving a distinguished marking in the main chamber of the White Tower.

"Wha' can I do fer ye today lass?"

Alurial stepped aside and gestured towards her charge with an arm. "Regeant Bruenor, this ambassador Umehara from the nation of Xanthal. He has come to tour the dwarven home of Hammer Hall. I figured we would make our last stop here where Elder Thrandur usually rules from."

Bruenor grunted and stuck out a grubby hand towards the ambassador. "Aye. Well lad ye sure picked a busy day te come visit Hammer Hall but we welcome ye."

"I apologize for the inconvenience," Atshushi says, recieving the handshake as firmly as his unimpressive musculature can manage. "I have just recently arrived in the country and wished to meet the ones that lead this grand city. Would you please explain how the dwarves are governed, and your own role in that system?"

The dwarf scratched at his beard for a moment while he mulled over the question. "Ah. Ye see lad, we dwarves are kin based groups an' only follow de greatest among us. Each group hass deir own means of chosen which is de best but ultimately allow him to make decisions for de group as a whole. Bad decisions makes for bad leaders and can eventually be removed as leader."

Bruenor grabs a scroll handed to him while his eyes absently scan the parchment as he continues. "Dis we call a clan. A true dwarven city like dis one 'ere, is when several clans unite under one leader. How dat leader is chosen is up ta each clan. Me job as reagant is te carry out the duties that Elder Thrandur would if he were 'ere. I see to de mining of ore an' dat all trading business is conducted honestly. We also run checks on orders to placed to our smithies te make sure weapons and other items are not going te a less than savory crowd. Odderwise I sit here on my round butt readin' daily reports or meeting with politicians from other areas."

"I see. Thank you, sir." Turning back to Alurial, he adjusts his collar uncomfortably as he says. "I believe I have seen enough here for today. We can proceed to our next destination." He doesn't mean it to be an order, but this climate really isn't very comfortable. He'd almost prefer to be outside in the cold again.

Duncan took his armor out of the case. They began to lay it out on the floor to give the image of what it would look like together.

"Well, this is it. My first thought was to improve the legs since that might give greater freedom of movement, but we could do something else. Do your smiths have great skill or renown for a part of armor? There are probably some that will be much harder than others as they contain the suit's systems, but I am able to maintain the suit myself so I'm sure with time anything is possible."

"I see. Thank you, sir." Turning back to Alurial, he adjusts his collar uncomfortably as he says. "I believe I have seen enough here for today. We can proceed to our next destination." He doesn't mean it to be an order, but this climate really isn't very comfortable. He'd almost prefer to be outside in the cold again.

Alurial was not at all offended by the ambassador's desire to leave the dwarven city. The elf herself could have cared less about coming down into this crowded, noisy, smelly, dwarf infested mountain. Besides, their next destination was far more preferable to her as they were now headed for Caeralfar her home.

"Thank you Bruenor."

Elder Alurial lead Umehara back out through the portal and into the throng of merchants and other citizens as they went about their normal lives. People parted and made way for the Elder and her escort. It wasn't long before Alurial and Umehara were passed the crowd in the main chamber and beginning their ascent back to the surface.

The elven Elder made sure her pace was more relaxed this time so as to not overly exert the ambassador. Eventually the air began to lighten making it easier to breathe but the cold crisp air returned as well with their progress. Light appeared at the head of the path signalling the end to their long trek back up to the surface. The same dwarves were still there but they left the elven Elder alone this time. Alurial was more than happy to shoot daggers from her eyes at them all as they passed though.

In its same spot waited the chariot that had transported them across the landscape to the mountains. Doors opened upon their arrival and the warm climate controlled atmosphere of its cabin beckoned them in. Once inside, Alurial made herself comfortable on the cushioned seats. As soon as Umehara was set, the chariot darted off for the next destination.

"If you didn't enjoy the dwarven hall as much, then you should love our next destination. Caeralfar is far quieter and more peaceful than the dwarven city."

Duncan took his armor out of the case. They began to lay it out on the floor to give the image of what it would look like together.

"Well, this is it. My first thought was to improve the legs since that might give greater freedom of movement, but we could do something else. Do your smiths have great skill or renown for a part of armor? There are probably some that will be much harder than others as they contain the suit's systems, but I am able to maintain the suit myself so I'm sure with time anything is possible."

The dwarf hobbled over to the armor and began to study it. "Ack lad, when yer a master of armor ye do not specialize 'n one part. Te be a master of armor requires ye te make every piece of armor perfectly. It all goes t'gether te best reflect the armorer. If ye only focus on one part, den it will potentially be flawed. Fer yer suit here, we can do 'bout anythin' ye want so long as ye tell me wha yer systems do. Den we can take ye down to the forge and show ye how its done."

"I did not intend to imply I did not enjoy the dwarven hall, though I certainly do look forward to seeing your own home," Atshushi says diplomatically. The climate-controlled chariot is much easier on him. He takes the opportunity to rest his body, being careful not to let his focus drift. It wouldn't do to have Alurial think he was ignoring her.

"How far must we travel to reach Caeralfar?"

"That is true, though I do know smiths who have particular skill with one part that others do not. I will fill you in on the systems but it will take some time. Perhaps on the way to the Forge or maybe when we get there I can show you first hand or with some scanners exactly what is inside."

"I did not intend to imply I did not enjoy the dwarven hall, though I certainly do look forward to seeing your own home," Atshushi says diplomatically. The climate-controlled chariot is much easier on him. He takes the opportunity to rest his body, being careful not to let his focus drift. It wouldn't do to have Alurial think he was ignoring her.

"How far must we travel to reach Caeralfar?"

"It's not far. We should arrive within its borders in a few short moments."

The countryside began to flash by once more as their shuttle sped off through the forest back out the way they came and out onto the plains. In the east, trees began to loom closer as they approached the edges of the forest surrounding Caeralfar. Tall oaks and pines dotted the upcoming landscape but it was the towering trees at the center which stretched up to the clouds, that were the true destination of the pair.

"That is true, though I do know smiths who have particular skill with one part that others do not. I will fill you in on the systems but it will take some time. Perhaps on the way to the Forge or maybe when we get there I can show you first hand or with some scanners exactly what is inside."

"Well wha ye think Elder?"

"Hmmm." Sebastia absently scratched the back of his head for a moment. "What do you think Elder Raigar? Can you manage affairs here while we head to the smiths? You'll only have Thrandur and Judas to keep you company."

The large griffon lord seemed uneffected by the remark. "Very well. I shall notify you if anything should come up."

Sebastian bowed then walked over to the two elves standing off to the side. "Captain, you may see to your duties. I don't think we will have any more security issues today."

The bronze elven knight bowed curtly. "As you wish Elder. There are a few patrols that need a bit of 'encouragement' so I shall take my leave." Lukien bowed once more than left the hall in a flourish as his crimson cape billowed up behind him.

Shizra was left standing next to Sebastian knowing that she was not going to be dismissed. Together they walked back to Mithgard and Duncan. "If the chariot is still outside, we can be on our way."

"Bah, no need te head all da way back te Hammer Hall. I know of a smith in da city here. He ain't much use but we can use his forge all da same." Mithgard reached down and picked up the body section of Duncan's armor and headed off towards the door.

"Well let's get goin'." The dwarf pushed open the twin doors and headed out into the cold.

In the silence that follows, Umehara takes again to watching the scenery. Mythrandir reminds him somewhat of his own country, though whereas Xanthal's cultures are mostly seperated by the void of space these people all live on the same planet. It's a fascinating setup, and it speaks to him volumes about the sociopolitical compatibility of the two countries. If they can live here with each other in peace, as by all indications so far they do, they are likely to be amicable and restrained in their international dealings as well. It is a promising sign of the possibility of a healthy, lasting friendship between Mythrandir and Xanthal.

The two passengers sit in relative silence as they finish out their journey through the edge of the woods. This particular forest was much different than the tangled woods the chariot traveled through to reach the dwarven mountain home. Here, smaller trees began to fall away as cloud scraping giants rose high into the sky. Boughs of the trees formed a thick canopy keeping the forest floor relatively clean.

Up ahead, lanterns dangled from bronze chains out on the limbs of the trees giving off a golden aura throughout the forest. Down here, it was the only source of light as the tree tops kept the sun's rays from find their way to the forest floor.

Alurial and Umehara's chariot came to a stop not far from one of the towering trees. It's trunk could wrap around twenty dwarves standing shoulder to shoulder and it all left a smile on Elder Alurial's face. She took in a slight breath to feel the clean air of home once again in her lungs.

No longer did oaks or pines make up the forest greenry, now it was dominated by the massive manellorn trees stretching high up into the clouds. A small well worn path wound its way through the midst of the trees to a glowing dwelling of elves living amongst the trees. Despite the wintery weather on Mythrandir, Caeralfar itself is pleasantly warm though still cool enough to demand warm clothing.

"Welcome to Caeralfar, ambassador. You know stand amongst the tallest trees known to Mythrandir and the home of the high elves." Alurial guided Umehara onto the path and down towards the high homes of the elves.

OOC: I am a Bad Person for letting this sit so long. Sorry about that.

IC: The climate here is certainly a great deal more agreeable to Umehara, which frees him to enjoy the ambience. "It is interesting that the sentient species here choose to live in such different environments. Very natural. How often do they interact with one another though, being geographically seperated?"

(No apologies necessary. I have simply been waiting for the holidays to pass before responding. They tend to keep one busy.)

As Umehara and Elder Alurial walk through the wooded city, they come across the trunks of several large manellorn trees that are adorned with staircasing which spiral up and around into the city proper itself. The construct was molded to fit the trees perfectly but was also crafted so that it would expand as the tree grew in size and girth. Light from lanterns in the boughs of the trees drifted lazily down to greet the two as they approached in an inviting manner.

"Interaction between the different clans is sporadic with most of the dealings being in mercantilism. As you have seen, the dwarven home of Hammer Hall and the city Mythrandir both serve as hubs for trade and interaction. Caeralfar here is more secluded as we try to preserve its natural beauty and preserve our traditional ways of life. Doing so means that we often forgo the comfort of business within our realm for the sake of keep the serenity that you witness here."

"Are residents of one locality allowed to move freely to others on the planet?"

"For the most part that is correct, however there are exceptions to every rule. If you have not noticed, there is a lack of the dark elf population on the surface here. Now you may have saw War Mistress Shizra hanging around in the main halls of the White Tower but she is a minority on the surface world. That particular race prefers to remain isolated from the rest of society. At least in dealing with the civilian population that is."

"Can they leave their domain if they choose?" Atshushi pushes, distracted from the tour by this fact.

Alurial stops to allow the conversation to travel its natural course. The elves are a very calm and patient race. "Of course they are allowed out of their caves and holes in the ground. The fact of the matter is that they simply wish to remain there. You may catch glimpses of dark elves during the night as they come up to the surface to trade and sell their goods. Unfortunately for them, the sun can be quite painful for those who are not accustomed to its blinding light. Their traditional eye sight is in the infra-red spectrum."

"Understandable," he says. "Tell me, why is the climate here is substantially warmer than that we just left, even though we have not traveled far?"

Alurial smiles teasingly as she bades the ambassador to move closer to her and thus the tree they are climbing. If Umehara were to put his hand upon the smooth bark of the manellorn tree, he would find that it pulsated with an inner warmth. A strange feature coming from something that should not feel so alive.

"Every plant has life flowing through it as they traverse their life and death cycles. Here the manellorn trees are very much like you and I. Once one dies, it dies forever. It is the same reason why these trees still have their leaves and grow to such staggering heights. They do not shed their leaves although they will change colors with the season. Here the life force of the manellorn tree is so strong that it gives off a warmth that is kept trapped beneaht the boughs of the trees. It is just enough to take the bite out of the air and make it all more pleasant."

"Huh." It all sounds quite fantastic to smeone used to the stone, glass and steel reality of the typical modern city, but these sort of magical properties are not unheard of; and this isn't the first society Atshushi has dealt with in which magic played a prominent role. The Elfen elder seems proud of this place; he's certainly not about to argue with her.

"Marvelous," he says with a smile, not having too much difficulty with the climb for the moment. "Do all the people live in the trees?"

Alurial and Umehara finally reach the pinnacle of their climb as they step out onto a wooden platform resting atop branches of the large manellorn trees. Where once little activity could be seen on the forest floor, the boughs of the trees seemed to be alive with a thriving elven population as they went about their day seemingly without a care in the world.

Little notice was paid to the foreigner that had come to visit their little piece of life on Mythrandir though when they did cross paths, they gave their respects to Alurial and the ambassador. "Not all live in the trees unless they live here in Caeralfar. This elven city is completely above ground while our further settlements do live among the forest floors. But those are far and few in the wind. The majority of the elvish population is centered in this thickly wooded area."

The Ambassador lets the pause in their conversation draw itself out for a long moment while he surveys this city in the trees. It's an accomplishment, to be sure. Certainly not a technological or social marvel, but it has a certain natural beauty and elegance that holds the eye. "How many people live here?"

"There is a saying among many of the humans when they talk of Caeralfar. They say that a squirrel could travel from the southern tip of this city all the way up to the slopes of the Khornth Mountains by simply running from branch to branch. But to answer your question more plainly, we number only at a couple thousand. We do not populate the earth as greatly as humans do or number as many as the dwarves."

Alurial took a moment for her own senses to acclimate to the tree city once more. So much time spent in the dwarven halls and the human cities, it had stolen some of the forest essence from Alurial's spirit. Now she felt rejevunated to be among her people once more.

"Would you like to see somthing in particular of the city?"

"I know nothing about this city," Atshushi says. "I leave myself to your guidance."

It would be a subject most dearing to her heart and likely one she could talk of for ages on end and never grow weary of it. Yet for all of the elven Elder's vanity, she was not dimwitted. Her senses were as keen as the finest warrior and she knew when to not drawl on forever.

Instead, she hooked an arm around the ambassador's own and guided him among the city of the trees. The overall design of the city appeared to be sprawled out among the vast forest allowing a sense of solitarity and yet enough contacts among other elves to support a thriving community. "Well to start with ambassador, we here have no defined religion like most of the humans or dwarves do. In our mind there is no one supreme deity. Instead we see the world and the universe as sentient itself. The trees, the birds, the rocks, and the air all have emotions and feelings of their own. It is the supreme belief of our race that once you quiet yourself, you can begin to feel the sentiments of life around you."

As they walk on from tree to tree, the dominant race amongst them are the high elves with their paler skin. Most of whom were tall and fair, even more so than the humans of this world. They appeared to live quietly with themselves by rarely conversing with anyone yet there is always the present sense hospitality when they deal with one another. "Most of what you see here are homes to elven families. Wherever there is a hollowed out section of a tree, an elf will typically setup shop or create a home for themself."

Further on there is the growing din of hammers working anvils. Even the elves had knowledge of metallurgy but it was a matter of contestation concerning which race was the mastersmith. The dwarves boasted that they were supreme while the elven clans made similar claims. There was one thing that the humans and griffon clans could all agree on, and that was both races excelled at the art and any craft created by the elves or dwarves was greatly cherished. "When it comes to governing ourselves, we are more egalitarian by nature though my people have chosen me as their leader and representative on the Elder council."

"I understand," Atshushi says, and he does, at least as much as matters in this context. Not having any more pressing questions for the moment, he pursues a more casual line of inquiry. "Do you spend much time here?"

"I spend as much time as possible though my duties as Elder often keep me away longer than I would like."

As they continue to walk, they see the first few elven children since the tour of Mythrandir began. Their smiling parents stood by watching as the children chased after a squirrel running from branch to branch and chattering noisily.

"This place has become my sanctuary over the years as I try to get away from the noise and congestion of the capital as well as the heat and smell of Hammer Hall."

A few of the shops of Caeralfar appear to be doing moderate business this day. Potions, cooking materials, and small trinkets seemed to all be available. One of the more interesting of the crafts were wooden figurines of various animals and species in Mythrandir which suddenly came to life for a time by the shopkeepers hands.

"Are you hungry ambassador?"

"Yes, actually," Atshushi replies. In fact, he hasn't eaten since arriving on the planet. "I'd be delighted to sample some of your native dishes."

"Then it will be our honor to treat you." The elven Elder guided her guest off the more travelled path high in the trees. Their path takes them further from what noise there is to speak of in Caeralfar and off into a stream of branches that are narrower forcing the duo to walk closer.

An overall sense of intimacy was in the air as the branches were pulled close to ward off unwanted rays of sunlight. Instead their path was lit by silver lanterns placed in grooves shaping the tunnel. Up ahead a softer, cozier light took over drawing them into a domed padio.

Sprawled out before them was one of the banquet halls reserved for occassions of celebration or when entertaining an honored guest. Long oaken tables took up the middle of the branchy hall while ornatly carved chairs sat up and down the length of the tables. Gold, forest green, and earthen brown table cloths covered the smooth wood of the tables while silver candle holders took up statuisque poses at the center of the tables. Hanging up above their heads were lanterns similar to the ones that Alurial and Umehara would have seen as they entered the hall only now these were so multiple that they sparkled high over head like stars.

Alurial glided out to the heart of the room and bade the ambassador to come as well. Fruits native to Mythrandir had already been set out in brass bowls along with goblets of water. The elven Elder took a seat and plucked a red grape from a vine then popped it into her mouth.

There were not many about the halls this day though the possibility of more attending was always ever possible. Regardless, there were enough servants around to see to the needs of both Alurial and Umehara.

"Sit ambassador and be at ease. Tell me, what does your appetite crave?"

As a member of the diplomatic profession Atshushi is no stranger to such treatment, so he respectfully takes the situation in stride. "I have come on this journey to experience your country for myself. I will be quite content to enjoy whatever you choose to serve as part of that experience."

The length of the table was ladden with platters full of fruits from the local vegetation. Elder Alurial reached for a nearby platter and plucked a rosy red apple and a vine heavy with plump grapes. Silver and golden pithcers were topped off with elven brews of stiff spirits as well as water and fruit juices.

"By all means, help yourself then. Eat as much as you desire and drink to your fill."

Alurial reached for a silver pitcher and poured a red velvety content into a clear crystal goblet. Crimson liquid sloshed in the glass until it finally settled half full. The high elf took a small sip of the drink to test the taste. Satisfied with its flavor, Alurial made herself comfortable in the wooden seat.

Sides of smoked meats were brought out by more servants and placed at the center of the tables filling the hall with their cooked auromas. Alurial pulled a small piece of meat off of what looked to be a side of rooms and placed the smoked strip on her plate.

"Tell me more about yourself ambassador. How did you come to this line of work in your life? Was there the fascination of meeting different races?"

"Thank you," Atshushi says, taking a piece from the nearest dish.

"There are many species and races in Xanthal. My interest was more in the opportunity to broaden my cultural experience and serve my country in an occupation that made use of my diplomatic talents. That same talent and many decades of experience have elevated me to the senior position in the diplomatic corps which I now occupy."

He pauses to take a bite of the fruit. At least, it looks and tastes like fruit. He imagines it must be very good, but finds it too flavorful for xanthalian taste. He swallows neatly and smiles. "The food is excellent.

"What led you to your service as an Elder?"

Smiling at the compliment, Alurial took another drink from her wine glass. Fruit from the woods of Caeralfar was renowned for its sweetness and the juices have often been utilized in the making of profitable wine and flavorings.

Elder Alurial placed her goblet back upon the table and pressed her back up against the chair as she took a moment to think about where would be best to start in answering the ambassador's question. It had the potential to be a long answer which was often told by the bards around the fireside.

"Well I am afraid I must show my age here then. When the first Elder Council was called, my people insisted that I be the Elder that would represent them among the other races. I couldn't possibly refuse them so I accepted the title of Elder. I have been called back by them to serve ever since.

Our lives have certainly come far since the days before the Elders. It makes me believe that we are doing something right, now."

"How was Mythrandir governed prior to the Elder Council?" The ambassador picks up his glass and examines it. "Is this alcoholic?"

"No it is not. It appears to be one of the fruit juices we make here." Alurial took one last look at the glass to be sure then returned to her own meal.

The high elf took a moment from her meal to gather her thoughts on the past. It was a brief moment as to an elf, time was irrelevant for the most part. "For the longest of times, every race lived separate from each other. There was the relationship of trade with one another and some were on friendly terms with one another but for the most part, the races of Mythrandir had little to do with one another.

The humans had their kings, lords, and emperors while the dwarves remained in their clans under the mountains. There was little cooperation with each other to be sure."

As Alurial talked on about Mythrandir's history, the dinning hall began to fill up with elves taking the time to eat a quick meal. Low murmurs filled the hall as they began to talk amongst themselves. Alurial waved over one of the servants.

"Please find Captain Lukien for me and see if he would like to join us for a meal. I am sure he is famished."

It really is a beautiful place; even Atshushi, who doesn't care much for aesthetics, takes notice. Sampling one dish after another, he finally finds something bland enough and begins his meal in earnest.

"Who proposed the Elder Council?" he asks between mouthfuls.

Alurial dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a golden colored cloth to wipe a bit of fruit juice away. "If my recollection is correct, it was Elder David of the humans that called for the first Elder Council."

The elven Elder smiled to herself as she recalled the past in her mind's eye. "Ironic that a human who was not even a king or lord rose to the title of Elder. A simple vagaband that managed to bring the races together. Certainly one of the brighter figures of the human race."

More elves continued coming and going from the hall as time progressed on and they finished their meals. One elf in particular approached the table that supported the Elder and ambassador. His bronze armor with a phoenix emblazened on his breast plate shone brilliantly on its polished surface. Encased from shoulder to toe in the metalic material accompanied by a green cape, the tall clean shaven soldier struck an imposing figure. Unfastening the buckles that held his broad sword to his back, Captain Lukien thunked down onto a bench. Grabbing a goblet and one of the smaller jugs, Lukien filled his class to the brim.

"Ambassador, may I introduce to you Captain Lukien of the Mythrandir warriors. Captain, this is ambassador Umehara of Xanthal."

Lukien tipped his glass in salute of Umehara.

"Ambassador."

"Captain Lukien here was instrumental in defending our lands during the invasion by the Tannelornian knights."

"I am honored to meet you." Atshushi nods an acknowledgement, bending his back slightly to produce the effect of a sitting bow. It seems odd to him that anyone would wish to wear such attire, but he's seen stranger things in his years as an ambassador.

"You have had many questions about Mythrandir itself, ambassador. What about your home? How did the collective body known as Xanthal come into being?"

Alurial finished the rest of the contents off in her goblet then handed the emptied plate and glass over to a servant to dispense with. Lukien in the mean time took in a larger quantity of appetizers than had the delicate elven Elder. The long patrols and checks on the military forces of Mythrandir had left the Captain famished, and he intended to satisfy his hunger.

Atshushi pushes his plate aside, taking another sip of juice to clear his mouth before responding. "As the Socialist Republic's Ambassador to Mythrandir, acquiring knowledge about it is part of my duty. However, I am happy to share details about my country if you are interested.

"Xanthal has a long history and has manifested itself under several governments since its original foundation. The modern entity was convened under the Treaty of Xanthal about sixty years ago in Earth units, measured on Renku, its capital planet. That treaty unified the sovereign nations of Mirfak, Than, and Trasnia. Kanell was colonized under the authority of the Socialist Republic about ten years ago."

Alurial smiled at the ambassador's comments. "Well I would not be satisfied with our hospitality if the ambassador believed us to be self-centered and uninterested in our guests. If nothing else, the information you provide will further my own knowledge. We are rather ignorant of the other races inhabiting the universe as we tend to be a people of isolation.

So whatever information you may provide is greatly beneficial."

The elven lady reaches a delicated hand towards the middle of the table for a glass of water. "A story is best started from the beginning. How did the original foundation of Xanthal look?"

"The first state to bear the name Xanthal was founded on one of Earth's many overlapping multiversal incarnations, on the continent of Zithal. The continent had historically been governed by feudal lords, but was unified in 1896 when one of the feudal states, Shinra, conquered the others in a series of military campaigns drawn out over nearly a half-century.

"Ezekiel Zabertini became Emperor of Shinra in 1950. In 1960, he abolished the Empire and renamed the state Xanthal, declaring a Socialist regime with himself as Dictator."

"Fascinating, ambassador. The universe is so peculiar in its ways as it seemingly intertwines us all in its intricate web. Whatever happened to the position of Dictator?"

Lukien thumped down an empty goblet and wiped the remnants from his mouth. A clean plate and a full stomach, the elven Captain was satisfied from the meal so gathered his things and prepared to leave. He grabbed his sword that was resting near his side and returned it to its sheath on his back.

"A pleasure to meet you ambassador."

Lukien then turned his attention towards Alurial. "I must be off to my duties Elder unless there is anything else you require of me."

The high elven lady shook her head with a frown. "A pity you have to go so soon. I see you are still married to your profession my dear Lukien. Well, you may be off then unless the ambassador has any questions for you."

Umehara turns in his seat to meet Lukien's eyes. "No, I have no questions. Thank you for joining me, Captain."

He politely waits until the man has departed, then replies to Alurial. The question is difficult to answer both concisely and completely, but he does his best. "The original Xanthalian dictatorship under the United Socialist States lasted for about 208 years. It was replaced by a republic that ended in a civil war which in turn resulted in the rise of an imperial autocracy. The Empire eventually gave way to the last Xanthalian dictatorship, the Dominion. Following that, Xanthal was governed as a republic until a surprise attack resulted in the loss of its capital system and the subsequent disintegration of the Xanthalian state. Xanthal was re-founded under the current Socialist Republic over three and a half centuries later, about sixty years ago by its reckoning."

Captain Lukien gave one last curt bow to the ambassador respectfully then parted from the elven dining hall. Elder Alurial sighed as he left then returned her attention back to the ambassador. It was a pecular story concerning the role of a dictator which left Alurial wondering.

"Civil wars and empires, it seems like your people have had turbulent times. I am puzzled though. You say a surprise attack on your capital caused the disintegration of the Xanthalian state and it was not re-founded until over three centuries later. Why such the lengthy time between the two? Were you occupied by a foreign power?"

"The opposite, actually. Trasnia was only loosely associated with the Old Xanthalian state when it broke up, and displayed no interest in a union. The leaders of Renku and the Thanic planets of Megukuga and Wakimaishu did initially engage in talks to that end, but the Mirfakan government was compelled to turn its attention to growing civil unrest on Renku, and soon fell victim to that unrest. Renku's geopolitical unity was broken, and the planet was divided among several rival factions, which soon began to make war on one another. A few years later, Wakimaishu broke with Megukuga and attacked its neighbor, beginning a long series of wars and cease-fires between them. It was not until Than and Mirfak were again unified entities that the issue of a new Xanthalian state was taken up once more, and, as it happened, at that point the political climate in Trasnia was amenable to it joining as well."

Alurial placed her empty dishes off to the side near the ambassador's which are promptly collected by workers that are busy keeping the dining hall clean of all used utensils. "I see. It is a unification that has been brought about through mutual agreement."

The glass that had held water for the elven Elder now appeared dry leaving the elf to frown and set it aside. Seeing that the ambassador himself had finished eating, Alurial tried to accumulate destinations to show Umehara next. "Well ambassador, should we be off? There is still the rest of Caeralfar to possibly see or we could aquire transport to Thralk, home of the griffons. Your call of course."

OOC: End of the semester! Now I can get back to NS.

IC: Umehara stands up and breathes deeply, prepared to continue. "Unless there's something more you would like to show me here, we should move on. Mythrandir is a big place, and we have limited time."

"I believe it wise for us to move on then. Thralk is a planet of its own that will require time to see and understand."

Alurial bade the Umehara to continue his exploration at her side as they left the glowing banquet hall with the dull murmur of elven conversations and the clanking of silverware on fine plates. As they walked, they returned to the virtual peace and quiet of Caeralfar and the somber elven population. There were a few shops that were set up in hollowed sections of tree-tops sporting wood carved items and a few trinkets but nothing of the overwhleming commerce of Mythrandir.

The elven Elder guided the ambassador from tree to tree until they came upon a grand stair case that wound its way around the wide berth of the Mannelorn tree. Ornate hand rails accompanied the wooden planks down the many phanthoms to the forest floor. Vines were etched into the wooden banisters as they snaked around the wooden poles and caressed the Elder's hands as she used them as a guide.

At the floor, waited their chariot to ferry them out to the western reaches of the mountain where the space port lay nestled in its protective embrace. It also served the fortunate purpose of upkeeping the aesthetic appearance of Mythrandir's landscape.

Alurial held out her hand to the open waiting door. "After you, ambassador."

Umehara climbs into the vehicle and sits down, settling in for the next leg of this quick journey around Mythrandir. Once the Elder has settled in as well, the ambassador takes a moment to ask a procedural, but very important question. "Are there any atmospheric conditions on Thralk that pose a danger to xanthalian biology? Though it was included in the brief transmitted to your government ahead of me, I should remind you that, compared to humans, my species is quite sensitive to environmental variations and pathogens."

Alurial arched an eyebrow slightly, surprised that the ambassador was so far sighted. The elven Elder could only attribute the ambassador's intelligence to a breed that was non-human. Climbing into the chariot and closeing the door behind her, Alurial made herself comfortable as their shuttle darted towards the distant mountains before answering Umehara's question.

She smiled slightly. "I have not forgotten you dear ambassador. Thralk does indeed have a pathogen in the air that causes harm to the human body over time. It is not in such a large quantity to be lethal instantly, but over time it could cause serious side effects. Only the griffons seem to be impervious to this silent threat, but we have come up with a breathing system to keep you safe with minimal discomfort which will be provided in flight.

The only other concern would be that the weather pattern of Thralk this time of year is relatively humid. Vastly jungle vegetation, there appears rarely any other season on the planet. If you would like to stop somewhere and change into something more suitable, we may make the quick detour."

Umehara nods reassuringly. "Thank you, but changing my clothing would not make a significant difference. As long as I am not required to perform any sustained or strenuous physical activity, I do not believe the temperature and humidity will pose a problem."

Atshushi smiles. "I do appreciate you taking the time to show me your country. It may be largely only tangentially relevant to my duties, but I expect it will be very useful knowledge for me to have as we open diplomatic relations."

"You do me much honor ambassador and I do apologize for the brevity of this tour. With two planets to take in, we could spend months gazing upon the subtleties of all life and never quite scraping the surface of it all. I imagine any further knowledge of our home will be gained during your time here as you deal with the common citizens of Mythrandir, for however long that will be."

Their ride proceeded on its destined path through the forest realm of Caeralfar and back out onto the open plains of Mythrandir's vast fields of agriculture that were dotted with small hamlets and minor mansions. It all passed their vision in a blur as the landscape rolled on towards the spine of Mythrandir. Mountains with snow covered peaks loomed closer threatening to block out the cloudy sky in their shadow.

As they continued to close on the mountain range, the shuttle veered off close slightly to the right as a large expanse of barren land came into view. Nothing in the area grew leaving the soil vaccant as the shuttle skirted this stretch of land. Once it passed the circular patch of earth, it arighted its course and headed straight through mountain passes for the space port that was protected by the heavy arms of the mountains. Already they could begin to see star transports going to and from the port on their errands.

A dead zone was left behind as their chariot passed through the mountains. Ice covered the greenery and trees right all the way into the hallowed out mountain structure that housed every star fairing vessel conceived by Mythrandir and foreign dignitaries. Throngs of people filled the space port while they moved about their business and tried to get transports to cities of Mythrandir instead of facing the cold.

Once Elder Alurial and Umehara disembarked from their shuttle, warm air greeted them along with a series of guards to guide them through the masses. A number of people bowed in greetings to the pair as they walked but the place was busy enough that most were unaware of their passing. Up ahead, an interstellar transport awaited their arrival. Similair to all the rest, the vessel sported twin engines with a series of windows for people to the galactic scenes. Otherwise, the ship was on the plain side.

Alurial had two seats reserved for her and Umehara which afforded them some privacy to speak. The elven Elder allowed Umehara the seat near the window which was just in time as the pilot came over the intercom to inform all passengers that they were ready to take off.

Seated and secured in their seats, the shuttle moved out of the port built into the mountain. Snow and the planet's gravity left them behind as they broke out into space. A wide area was cleared for the shuttle to disembark. Sparks of energy jumped across the bow of the ship until a brilliant sun formed. Lances of energy reached out and wrapped around the ship and pulled the vessel along with its cargo into a dark and turbulous realm.

Alurial tapped Umehara on the hand. "Welcome to the Warp."

One of the points of interest for a frequent international traveller is the various ways in which countries achieve hyperlight travel. There are several categories of hyperlight system, and countless variations within each category. The technical aspects can be complex, but for the layman there are three main concerns: speed, comfort, and safety. Generally, but not always, speed is measured equally for passenger, ship, and destination. When it isn't can be a point of concern in itself. Indeed, Atshushi has lost a few years himself in the course of his not-always-predictable duties.

In any case, the ambassador has done this too often to be worried while other business is at hand. He looks from his window back to Alurial. "Thank you."

It was a short five minute adventure through an alternate realm that was filled with flaring energy spikes and lightning that seemed to threaten the ship at every turn. Miraculously, the ship managed to come out unscathed as they were pulled from the warp and deposited into a new area of space. Out before them was a system surrouned by a massive asteroid field that had been dubbed "Jericho".

After a brief pause where they looked to be standing still, the shuttle continued on its path towards the second planet of the system. Once passed the asteroid belt, it would only be a minute or so to reach the planet itself. The pilot's voice came on over the speakers informing the passangers that they were arriving at their destination, planet Thralk of the Aero System. Along with the arrival came the reminder that all passengers should seek breathing apparatuses or acquire them in the port on the planet.

The Elven Elder turned to her diplomatic friend and produced what looked to be a small object made of a clear material in the shape of two funnels with an arch. Alurial held out her hand for Umehara to take it. "You put the funnels in your nose with the arch resting on the bridge of your nose. The large openings should be facing outward to fill width of your nostrils. This will help you breathe on the planet once we go outside. You will only need them outside or in griffon structures since they are not climate controlled."

"Understood," Umehara replies definitively, taking the device in his hand and resting his hand in his lap. He is pleased that the journey between systems had been so quick. "What is the distance between Mythrandir and Thralk?" he wonders.

(I'm assuming this was a question and not just something he was thinking.)

Alurial thought on the ambassador's question for a moment. "I am not sure on the exact distance between Mythrandir and Thralk but I do recall it being quite a distance away. Finding a planet nearby with at least a marginally breathable atmosphere is difficult to find. I believe the next closest one is a few light years away. Though I am not a planetary surveyor so I cannot be sure on that estimate."

As they descended through the planet's atmosphere, a tropical scene began to filter through the thick clouds. Green canopy seemed to cover the planet floor like a carpet with only a few bare spots that marked new settlements. Looking out the window, Umehara could see the everyday traffic traveling to Thralk headed for a busy open air port which already sported a number of transports on the landing pads.

They're own personal transport takes out a private stretch for itself to land on since only Elder Alurial and the ambassador were its passengers. Standing up and turning so that her back was to Umehara, Alurial discreetly put her own breathers in. The fit was snug as they adapted to the wearer's nasal passage. Thankfully, to the vain Elder, the material was clear so it was difficult to tell if someone was wearing the breather or not.

Finally the elven lady turned back to Umehara. "Ready?"

"Yes," he replies, having put on his own breather with slightly more difficulty, it being his first time with this particular device.

Disembarking from the transport gave Umehara a minuscule glimpse of what Thralk was going to be like up close. Lush trees filled their surroundings as they stretched high into the violet tinted sky. Some were a semblance of mallorn trees back on Mythrandir though these particular specimens grew far taller with their canopies reaching into the clouds.

It wasn't until Alurial called upon a flat saucer shaped vehicle to take them through the winding pathways of the dense jungle that the ambassador could truly appreciate the encompassing presence of the wildlife. The open cabin shuttle allowed them to feel the humid air on their faces as they darted through brush and under fallen logs.

High canopies kept the sun's rays from banishing the encroaching darkness. Only the light wisps of sunlight creeping through holes in the green ceiling allowed a rugged path to be illuminated.

The elven Elder pulled her hair back and tied it up into a delicate bun as the humidity tried to take it's toll. "Welcome to Thralk ambassador. No where else in the Kingdom will you find a more diverse wildlife located in one place. I figured we could start by taking you to meet the Griffon clan leaders in their towers."

Alurial pointed through a small hole in the canopy to what indeed did look like a tower but the structure was gnarled and appeared organic. Clear minerals seemed to dominate the material that constructed the tower as the sun sparked a reflective fire off its surface.

The trees quickly began to thin as they closed the distance and what earlier appeared to be on tower now looked to be the pinnacle of a honeycomb of other smaller towers all woven together. Great winged beings flew to and from openings carved into the crystalline structure as the pair pulled up outside the great lair.

"While peaceful, they are mysterious in their ways. Be prepared for cryptic talk."

Even at his age, Atshushi has difficulty suppressing a grin at the Elder's warning. "I assure you, many years of working with Triumvir Oishi has well prepared me for obscure phraseology."

Alurial lead the ambassador into the crystalline structure where a honeycomb of holes dotted the tower. It appeared that the griffons used these tunnels to fly from one level to the next. Once inside, an aura of inner light seemed to emanate from the walls. A soft green glow filled the room.

Winding around the inner structure of the tower, was a steel staircase that appeared to have been built for those that had not been gifted with wings. The Elder lead Umehara towards them for a steady climb. "It was these crystalline structures that first drew our attention to the planet. We use crystalline such as these in many construction aspects, especially in our military vessels.

An added bonus was the discovery that this world contains a semi-breathable atmosphere. We knew that there had to be a great populace of wildlife but imagine our surprise when we discovered that there was a fully functioning community of exotic life. Of course there was a language barrier to overcome but we manage to progress into negotiations."

"Fascinating," Umehara says, observing his surroundings with great interest. In his many years of service, this is one of the more interesting places he's visited. The whole place is very otherworldly; both in its natural characteristics and the way its residents have shaped their environment. The atmosphere seems harmless as long as he doesn't remove his breathing apparatus, so he allows himself to silently appreciate the experience. The stairs seem to go on for quite some way, so once they reach them, Atshushi takes care to pace himself. Practical as he is, his position requires him to be conscious of his image. It would be quite undignified to have to pause and rest partway up.

Their pace is easy as Alurial is in no hurry to end her role as guide nor has she forgotten the difficulty the ambassador had in the dwarven tunnels. Not wanting to humiliate her company, the elven Elder glides up the stairs gracefully at Umehara's pace.

Luckily, the ascent is not all that long. The authority of the griffons on Thralk have made their chambers in the central crystal tier in the tower. As Umehara and Alurial make their final turn, they are greeted by a crystalline chamber that is flooded with sunlight. The room itself appears to be afire due to the hollowing of the walls and polishing of the floor.

Gathered around a stone that glowed crimson red, several griffons sat upon crystal slabs of minerals. Each of their feathers were neatly trimmed and fancifully decorated with jewels, bones, and other items important to their culture. Clasped tightly in their talon claws were long spears with feathers tied to their shafts used for announcing when they would speak. Spear butts beat the floor as one griffon after another spoke aloud in their high pitched, squawking dialect.

Alurial leaned in close to Umehara. "These are the different chieftans of the griffon tribes on Thralk. Only the oldest of their tribes may serve and amongst them, Elder Raigar is the oldest. That stone at the center is viewed as a holy object. They say it fell from the sky and gave birth to all the crystalline mineral you see here and thus given them a home. To them, it is a gift from the heavens."

Atshushi nods in acknowledgement. The griffons are an imposing sight, with a fierce beauty well complimented by their raucous language. "This planet is unique in my experience. I must admit some curiosity about the nature of this crystalline substance. Is this what you use in constructing spacecraft?"

"Indeed it is. This crystalline material is the basis of the materials we use to create the inner armor of our war vessels. It is modified so that withstands a great barrage of physical attacks. The outer layer is then covered with a mineral that we call Mythrandir Ore. It is a natural mineral that we have only found on our planet thus far and it is rare so the metal covering the hulls of our ships are copies. Usually, very few items are made entirely of actual Myth ore."

Alurial took a moment to pause and make sure they were not interfering with the griffons' tribal meeting. "It's natural properties allow intense amounts of heat and energy to be repulsed. As you can imagine, it is a difficult metal to work with which only drives up the cost of acquiring an item made with the ore. Since most of our ships used copy materials, the affect is not as great but it is still quite formidable.

One of the early diplomats to our world actually brought a unique weapon with them. Some sort of energy blade. Our guards use them atop of spears but this person wielded it as a sword. Imagine their surprise when they challenged War Mistress Shizra to a friendly dual with his energy blade against her scimitars and learned that her scimitars were made of natural Mythrandir Ore. The fool's eyes went as wide as twin full moons when his blade stopped at the razor edge of hers."

Atshushi has little interest in the anecdote, but the properties of the ore seem very valuable. He isn't yet at the stage of making requests of his host government, but he makes a mental note to investigate the possibility of making the ore available in some form to the Labule. Being a diplomat, part of his life's work has been to make using the military unnecessary, but as a representative of the Triumvirate he's encouraged, within the boundaries of professional ethics of course, to facilitate the strengthening of his country's position in whatever manner opportunity offers. Anyway, in his experience it rarely hurts to ask, so long as one is tactful about it.

"Impressive," he replies simply. Then changing the subject, "I am curious as to how the griffons became affiliated with Mythrandir."

Alurial held her hand out to the side to show Umehara a series of benches that had been cut into the side of the crystalline tower. Leading the ambassador there, the elven Elder took a seat next to him so that they could still be near the griffons but als comfortable while they talked.

"By mere chance I assure you. We were looking for a planet that we could potentially settle and turn into a second home of sorts. Our explorers surveyed a number of systems and countless probes were sent out but I'm sure you are aware how difficult it is to find a planet with an already intact breathable atmosphere.

We looked to have gotten lucky in this case. The Aerial System was not that far from us and it pleased the Forge since it was easily defensible. By studying Thralk, we came to learn that the planet was rich with a similar crystalline mineral that we used in construction. That was the final item that made exploring Thralk a definite.

Once everything was settled, I lead the expedition team along with a few of our Warriors to the planet. We were in charge of studying the wildlife and marking crystalline deposits for the dwarves to come in and mine. But while we were walking through the jungle at night, a number of Uruks were killed.

It took nearly till morning to discover that there was a sentient life form that perceived some of us as a threat and was trying to protect his home. Fortunately we were able to capture him before the griffon could do anymore harm. The next day we found the avery that he came in from and introduce ourselves to the griffons. Communication was slow at first but we turned the young griffon that we had captured, lose as a gesture that we meant no harm.

Finally working through the language barrier, we were able to communicate who we were and where we came from. The griffons see the stars as sings of the Gods and our ships descending from space must have frightened most of them. Still, there were a number that were willing to come with us as we took them into space.

It was a thrilling time as they came to see a wider universe. We offered them to be part of the kingdom and send an Elder of their own to Mythrandir who would speak for them. In return they would be granted everything that all Myths are given and Elder Raigar has just as much say as the other Elders."

"Interesting." Umehara looks around the room once more, then back to Alurial. "Shall we go?"

The elven Elder nodded slightly indicating that she was indeed ready to move on. She gave a curt bow the griffon chieftains in debate then guided Umehara back down the stairs. Alurial continued her easy pace back down to the main floor, though this time it was somewhat quicker. For the ambassador's good fortune, they had momentum going in their favor.

Once back outside, Alurial took a quick look at the sky to see how much time had passed. The sun appeared to had moved very little while they were in the tower. Perhaps an hour had passed at the most.

"I am afraid there is terribly little else to see on Thralk. There are a number of settlements from the people of Mythrandir but you have already seen their architecture. Several more crystalline towers dot the landscape but this here has been their most impressive of late. We have a few mining sights of the crystal ore that you could see or there is the diverse wildlife here. Most of which is uninteresting unless you have the passion for it.

If you would like, I could have the shuttle return us to Mythrandir and have you escorted back to your quarters. You'll have plenty of time to continue exploring or studying as long as your country keeps you here."

"I look forward to it, though I suspect I'll spend far more time in my office and attending whatever diplomatic functions Mythrandir has to offer than seeing your lovely country. I have served the Triumvirate longer than many people live. Xanthalians have a long lifespan compared to humans, but we are not immortal. My body is old; I am even less suited to adventure now than I ever was."

Atshushi sighs as they make their way back to the terminal, smiling contentedly as his eyes met with Alurial's, letting a bit of his soul show through the normally formal exterior. "My days may be reaching their end, but I intend Xanthal's relationship with Mythrandir to be among my legacies. Universe willing, today is just the beginning of something far greater than either of us; a new friendship between civilizations. What more could I ask than to have my name associated with something so grand as that?"

Alurial smiled at Umehara, pleased to see someone of like mind as herself. "Indeed. Humans tend to rush their lives to accomplish something greater than what can be achieved in their life time whereas we can be patient and culminate something that will be longer lasting."

The elven lady lead the ambassador to the shuttle that would ultimately take them back to the ship and then home. "Few people could ask for more and I do hope this relationship proves long lasting. I cannot fathom why both our people would not benefit from this union."