NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: For Eldire Players only :)

IC: It was known that The Ravana were a War-like people, the wolfmen of the east, The Horsemen from The Cythian Steppes, The wolf-like creatures were the most deadly of all on the Cythian Steppes. Along with Steppe Goblins (Who rode Giant wolves and Ponies into battle) Ogres and Yokai, the Ravana Khanate was a nation that was soon to start expanding into other lands.

Gangui Khan was the one who saw the need for fighting outside enemies. For many centuries, the Ravana clans had fought against one another, The Past Grand Khans used The Clan Wars to keep one Clan from gaining the title of Grand Khan.

It was Gangui Khan that ended the Clan Wars, now he set sights on other places.

a Storm was coming.

(OOC: Tagged for entry)

When one was planning for wars against enemy nations, one has to battle Harden ones army. Sure the Clan Wars had battle harden The warriors of the Khanate, but against a enemy that was nearly unknown, that would be something no one wanted.

Gangui Khan had the way to battle harden his forces: raids.

Raiding enemy Territory would help in making The Army as battle harded as any in the world. To make sure that his Army would be battle harded fast enough for the coming wars, Gangui decided to pick a Target.

Three lands were close to the Ravana Khanate, The Kingdom of Providence, The Empire of Xao-Cian and The Republic of Gahrodanth, both close to The Khanate and both ripe for attack.

But Gangui was not one to take risk on Gahroanth and Providence so the first one to get raids was to be The Xao Cian Empire to the east.

and now Gangui was planning the raids.

Tribal Village of Iylam on the Eastern Shores of the Seas of Malice------------------

Shaman Cel Monsona sat in her simple tribal hut, illuminated only by the small fire glowing in the firepit at the center of the one room hut and the sea-green glow issuing from beneath her curved stone mask. Hands on the floor, legs folded so her feet were resting on her hips, she sat in mediation, allowing her mind to expand beyond it's normal boundaries and allowing her to share in the sight of the spirits of the world.

Most of the region seemed relatively peaceful, nothing out of order. Yet she felt an uneasy sensation, as if something looming beyond her focus... she widened her perspective to incorporate the Tobias Gulf, and practically recoiled from what she saw within the Ravana Khanate. An massive army of raiders and plunderers... armies she did not mind, conflict was a natural aspect of humanity, and wars are considered a natural process of nature; however, a military presence that large in the area of the Tobais Gulf could overthrow nations and upset the natural progression of society by hundreds of years.

What worried her further was the area they were poised to invade: Xaio Cian. While the Tribes of the Mist had never actually met the Xiaoans, they had been observing them from afar for a while: they were a good people, strong and brave, and while their industrious strides were somewhat distressing, they were over all a stabilizing influence in the region that could not afford to be lost.

Seer Dak must learn of this...

Shaman Cel unfolded her legs and stood up, scrawling down a small note on a peice of grass paper and finishing that, walking out of her small hut briskly. She left with such haste she even left the small fire within her hut burning as opposed to extinguishing it.

She walked through the village and motioned to a pair of Tribal Militia men to grab their javelins and follow her, an order they quickly obeyed. She motioned to another Militia man near the others to take the note she clutched in her hand and to run to the nearby tribal city of Peral where Seer Dak was visiting. He must learn of this as soon as possible.

As the militiaman grabbed the message and sprinted into the fog surrounding the village, Cel strode to the waters edge and closed her eyes. With an ear-splittingly loud whistle whose sound echoed across the water, she beckoned her soul bond to approach.

In the distance, decending below the fog to glide inches above the water, was the creature she summoned. An softly warbling coo echoed across the lake from the large, many winged serpentine creature as it approached the banks. It's clawlike head bowed, the Behemoth Ilyaman (until I finish her picture, this is close enough) (http://ps2media.gamespy.com/ps2/image/article/658/658966/shadow-of-the-colossus-20051017033226242-000.jpg) settled it's long, four-hundred-foot serpentine form down softly, beckoning her to climb on to it's soft, mossy back, it's glowing blue eyes knowing her request before she could ask it.

With the Shaman and her two escorts riding on it's back, Ilyaman took to the skys, gliding silently back into the fog.


Ravana Khanate Territory-------------------------------

They traveled for days, hidden from sight by a dark storm cloud and a magical concealing fog before they reached Khanate territory. Circling overhead silently on the back of the behemoth known as the "roadway in the sky", Shaman Cel had not moved since they had departed from Ilyam. She had been silent, meditating to view things below more clearly as they had traveled. She needed to know more about her enemy before before she reported her findings to the Seer.

The militia who had traveled with her were along the creature's long, walkway-like mossy back. One was eating a peice of the dried meat rations he had taken with him, tugging at the tough, overly seasoned jerky with his teeth. The other was grinding the stone blade at the tip of one of his javelines with a grinding stone. It was early morning and they had just woken up. They had rolled up their blankets and put them away, tying them to the stoney ridges on the behemoth's back to keep them from falling off, and now were busying themselves with their chores.

Ilyaman rumbled softly, and Cel snapped from her reverie. The milita looked up questioningly, and Cel nodded once.

"We have arrived. Be on guard brothers. Should any man or creature see us, kill it before it can alert others to our presence. I shall begin my rituals..."

The Militia nodded and stood up. The one sharpening the head of his javelin hefted all his throwing spears and walked towards the middle of the beast, crouched low to maintain his balance. The other tribal warrior lifted a wooden bow and a quiver of humming arrows and walked towards the edge of the creature's tail, grabbing unto the moss for footing, bracing himself to shoot anything that would breach the clouds.

Cel watched the militia set about their positions and touched the behemoth's moist, earthen flesh beneath her hands. She touched minds with he great creature, giving it simple instructions: keep quiet; stay in the fog; if one creature discovers us, kill it, if more than one finds us, fly us home swiftly.

The great stone beast made a soft cooing sound, conveying it's understanding. With that, she settled down on the great beast's back, folded her legs into mediation position, and began to chant ancient languages in a droning monolouge.

First she contacted the rain spirits, beckoning their help. The cloud they were concealed in spread across the sky, and rain poured down from it's ever darkening form, thunder and lightening flashing across the sky, further enhancing their concealment. Then she turned her attention to her primary task. With another sentence of archaic langauge, her vision suddenly cleared, peircing through the black clouds as if it were a clear day. She gazed below her, observing, hoping to learn more of this budding army.

Alright, Ravanians... show me this army of yours...

(OOC: okay, I'm in Ryou. Right now, despite the Behemoth's size of well over 400 feet long, it's completely hidden from view thanks to those storm clouds and the fog. Cel is using her scrying powers to look through the clouds and gather intel for numbers: how many troops, riders, weapons. Anything they could find useful... if you want to discover her, it's up to you, but fair warning, Ilyaman may not be the most violent of Behemoths, but she is more than capable of defending herself and her riders against most other flying creatures, and she will flee if discovered, so don't expect much of a fight scene... that might come later. This is still more like an intel op for now than anything else.)

*tag* seeing as I'm your neighbor. Will post ICly later. Do what you will.

*tag* seeing as I'm your neighbor. Will post ICly later. Do what you will.

OOC: ok :)

Fortress Siva, Halls of the Eastern High Command, Office of General Falel Soban

The halls of the high command along the eastern front were nestled deep in the mountain fortress at Siva, a sprawling city of more than 300,000. The city was ancient, thousands of years old its streets and homes were all carved from the same piece of stone that expanded deep into the reaches of the mountain where a booming trade sector imported goods from foreign lands and vice versa. This was one of the few cities that allowed foreigners to enter into its gates, and the Gahrodanthi had had every intention of impressing anyone who entered into its hallowed caverns and corridors. If one could forget about the lack of sun and greenery, it looked very much like a great castle inside; streets paved with perfectly aligned cobblestones thousands of years old, a booming center of commerce awaited the eyes at every corner. From simple tented bazaars in the many courtyards and fountains all the way to massive five-story and five-star establishments of the highest quality. If you wanted something in Siva, you had only to look for it...and to afford it.

The city showed its grandeur at every step; massive sets of grand staircases lead between levels, as rivers and waterfalls, carved into the very rock were decorated along their 'shores' with marble as bronze carvings detailing the history of the city and battles won, attackers thwarted. The ceiling often stretched so far into the sky that it appeared as if it was in fact a moonless, starless night, and the city would constantly be in darkness if not illuminated by large brazers of eternal flame and tall ornate lampposts with ever-burning torches nestled in them that dotted the city floor everywhere.

Other than the age, greatness, and the supreme craftsmanship that went into making the city, there was one other thing that was imposed upon any visitor instantly: The readiness and superb ability of the Gahrodanthi Military. The General stationed here had direct control over all the forces east of the Maijurian River, which was seven divisions of troops, or roughly 16,000 soldiers, with three divisions in the city at any given time. Although at casual glance of the number, 16,000 seemed to be a rather small army to defend the entire eastern quarter of the nation, the instant anyone gazed upon even the most common soldier in Gahrodanth, it became abundantly clear why only such a small number was ever required.

Every soldier bears the scars and temperance of battle. Even when not in a state of war, soldiers of Gahrodanth make regular ranging patrols into the Deserts of Khem to hone their skills, and train constantly. Unlike most other militaries, they also make a life-long pledge to live the life of a soldier, forgoing marriage, ownership of land, and many other things to don the armor of their nation. And, unlike many other races, the Fire Dwarves of the Cythian Steppes had one more advantage: Time.

The average Fire Dwarf lives to be 300, older than even most hill dwarves. And, after a century and a half of combat and service, a soldier is forged who has countless more experience and loyalty than any human soldier could ever hope to attain. Time also allowes one other advantage: Craftsmanship. The other concept that anyone would notice immediately, and probably first, is that every soldier is as well equipped as you might expect to see a warlord or king. Adamantine-Mithral composite armor and weapons, centuries or millenia old, often endowed with magical properties as a soldier gains Sargentry and even more so with Officership, the forces of Gahrodanth are probably the best equipped soldiers in the entire realm.

And no one knows this more than High Command General Falel Soban. General Falel Soban, who recently celebrated his two-hundred-sixty-second birthday, is five feet two inches tall -- rather tall for a dwarf, and two-hundred-sixty pounds of solid muscle and leather-like scarred skin encased in an astonishingly beautiful and powerful artifact known as The Full-Plate Of The Eastern Lord, which has been dawned by every High Commander of the eastern front for over two millenia.

The Office he is stationed in, called the Silver Lair, after the color of the home Corps and its entry door of pure silver, is rectangular in shape, stationed in the center of the city, and large and extravagant. Two water-fall fountains on either end offer some privacy from the open-ended view of the office that spills out to look over the city north and south. Ten stories up, it is built high into the command structure of the city and has a commanding view, nearly reaching half of the way up to the ceiling of the mountain. The walls are covered with paintings, carving and tapestry of all order, including great game hunted personally by General Falel. Mahogany and other fine woods make up the furniture and end tables. Dominating the inside is a large stone table carved directly from the stone that the room was excavated from so long ago. Around the edges a small pool of water sits, like a moat over a large stone carving of the region. Detailed exactly with the mountains, rivers, lakes and hills of the region in precious gem or metal matching the terrain color, it offers an excellent permanent place from which any commander could make war. Dotting the table are finely crafted troop markers in the shape of shields (for the Gahrodanthi) and swords (for any other force), both friendly and other, with tablets of various precious metals underneath denoting their strength and number. Recently Falel had been very concerned with a growing number of troop markers and platinum tablets that had been appearing in Ravana Khanate. Even more important to him than the number of markers and tablets was the color of the markers: they were all black, composed of the same stone of jet.

Normally the tribes of the east kept each other in-check very well, and had never really formed into a strong, coherent force. This allowed the eastern front to remain calm most of the time. Sure raiding parties and bandits were formed every once in a while, and about every hundred years or so a tribe from the east would attempt an assault of the city, but they had never come in numbers above twenty or thirty thousand at the most. However, with all the tribes under one banner, one leader, he was not so certain that he could fend them off if they all decided to act as one.

There was one chance of redemption for his aching conscience however: The markers on his table were based solely on scrying. No actual dwarf had seen anything that laid on his table, and although his clerics were very powerful, magic was imperfect. And perhaps much more importantly, he could not authorize a further build-up of any forces into the city unless he had definitive proof of what lay on his table... And that meant sending a scout in to take a look.

He slowly walked over to a large bookcase behind the table against the wall opposite the silver door and grabbed a very thick old leather-bound book from the second shelf. The cover read in Ingan: 'Eastern Command Divisions 1-3: Scouts'. Every scout who had ever been under the eastern command was detailed in here, including their rank, battle history, accomplishments and exploits. He flipped quickly to the last ten or so pages and quickly glanced over the names of all the scouts under his command that were in active service, quickly looking at any commendations. After several minutes of reading, he found what he was looking for:

'Sajiir. Rank: Master Sergeant. Merit: Sash of Bravery, Ankh of Courage, Ring of Great Loyalty.'

Perfect, Falel thought as he quickly hustled back over to the table and wrote his name on a piece of parchment with an ink pen he picked up along the way.

The Sash of Bravery signified that Sajiir had performed an act of courage so great that it was beyond his commitment to kiith Soban. In this instance, he had rescued two comrades who were being tortured far behind enemy lines. The Ankh of Courage was earned when he led the rescue of a foreign diplomat inside an enemy encampment, and the Ring of Great Loyalty could only mean one thing: He was an accomplished Assassin.

Falel walked-over to a small chute, lifted the golden latch on it and dropped the piece of parchment into it. Now he had only to wait.

OOC: Note, I do not have time for a war. So I will not have time to be invaded either. So I will NOT be able to participate in this.

Tagged for interest. What's a Khanate without an oriental empire right next to it?

OOC: Khan nate See So Good?

Also, he plans on skirmishing you, so you might want to get involved in this thread, FYI.

OOC: Post coming tomorrow. I don't have enough time to do a full intro now, but consider me in this thread.

OOC: Khan nate See So Good?

Also, he plans on skirmishing you, so you might want to get involved in this thread, FYI.

IC Post to come soon.

OOC: Khan nate See So Good?

Also, he plans on skirmishing you, so you might want to get involved in this thread, FYI.

OOC: Well Im sorry but I can't.

The western frontiers of the Empire was never quiet nor peaceful. Those that lived there were always living in constant fear of bandits and wolf-creatures from the western lands across the river. As such, the more successful towns in the area were always the ones that were better-fortified, and sported some kind of militia for defense. Because of this constant state of affairs, the Imperial Army had taken the liberty of establishing a multitude of garrisons and forts along the frontier, ever wary of the dangers that these marauders will bring. The brought protection to the people who couldn't fend for themselves, and bolstered the power of those that could.

However, it had become obvious that something was certainly going on in the barbaric lands of the west. Raids on outlying villages had mysteriously calmed down for the time being, and some have stopped altogether. The question was...what?

-----------------------------------------------------
General Wu (http://jamesjonavan.deviantart.com/art/Warrior-Series11-61740110) sat in the main army camp situated in the Dongqui Province, and took a sip of water from a metal bowl. It was cool and refreshing, as expected, and was gathered from the waters of the Great River itself. Setting the bowl down again, he returned his steely gaze to the map, which depicted the western frontier provinces of the Empire, and the areas that had been explored in the Barbaric Kingdoms to the west.

The strange sense of calm had alerted the high commanders in the Imperial Army stationed in the area, who had began to send requests for more troops from the east. The villages, however, had been seemingly living out their happy lives in a false sense of security. They had no idea what was coming.

Well, neither did the Army, to be honest. While the sudden break from attacking had allowed the men to rest and regain their strength, everybody seemed convinced they hadn't seen the last of the cruel barbarians.

The entrance cloth ruffled, and a soldier (http://aznmantis.deviantart.com/art/un-soldat-chinois-14191360) stepped through. Wu looked up from the map once again, and the soldier went down on one knee.

"General." He began "Message from General Kang."

Wu beckoned the soldier forward, who placed a scroll on the table. Bowing instinctively, the soldier backed out of the tent. Wu picked up the scroll and unfolded, and quickly read the contents:

Wu,
I hope you are well in these dark times. From what we have seen on our end of the front, the barbarians from the west have been slowing down lately. While I cannot blame the commoners in the villages for being thankful for this, I cannot help but be worried. I believe that the barbarians are preparing for a greater incursion into our sacred lands, one the which we have not seen in years. I have ordered the soldiers in my command to begin fortifying their positions, and have requested more to be transferred from the East. I suggest you do the same. Heaven willing, I hope I am wrong about all this. But one can never be too prepared.

Your Friend,
Kang.

Wu smiled, thankful that at least he wasn't the only paranoid General in the Imperial Army. His soldiers were already in the process of turning their camp and the nearby villages into a fortified bastion, and his request had been sent yesterday morning.

If the barbarian monsters wanted a war, they would get one.

(OOC: Worse comes to worse, Ryou could always simply focus on attacking those of us who can. Perhaps a Ravanan scout could come back and say that the intelligence on the Empire of Providence is wrong and that it's too well defended to be attacked yet. Or something, I don't know.

But technically we can't include someone who doesn't want in for whatever reason. It's his right.)

(OOC: Worse comes to worse, Ryou could always simply focus on attacking those of us who can. Perhaps a Ravanan scout could come back and say that the intelligence on the Empire of Providence is wrong and that it's too well defended to be attacked yet. Or something, I don't know.

But technically we can't include someone who doesn't want in for whatever reason. It's his right.)

OOC: Thats fine with me, I just dont have time to rp 3 threads.

The western frontiers of the Empire was never quiet nor peaceful. Those that lived there were always living in constant fear of bandits and wolf-creatures from the western lands across the river. As such, the more successful towns in the area were always the ones that were better-fortified, and sported some kind of militia for defense. Because of this constant state of affairs, the Imperial Army had taken the liberty of establishing a multitude of garrisons and forts along the frontier, ever wary of the dangers that these marauders will bring. The brought protection to the people who couldn't fend for themselves, and bolstered the power of those that could.

However, it had become obvious that something was certainly going on in the barbaric lands of the west. Raids on outlying villages had mysteriously calmed down for the time being, and some have stopped altogether. The question was...what?

-----------------------------------------------------
General Wu (http://jamesjonavan.deviantart.com/art/Warrior-Series11-61740110) sat in the main army camp situated in the Dongqui Province, and took a sip of water from a metal bowl. It was cool and refreshing, as expected, and was gathered from the waters of the Great River itself. Setting the bowl down again, he returned his steely gaze to the map, which depicted the western frontier provinces of the Empire, and the areas that had been explored in the Barbaric Kingdoms to the west.

The strange sense of calm had alerted the high commanders in the Imperial Army stationed in the area, who had began to send requests for more troops from the east. The villages, however, had been seemingly living out their happy lives in a false sense of security. They had no idea what was coming.

Well, neither did the Army, to be honest. While the sudden break from attacking had allowed the men to rest and regain their strength, everybody seemed convinced they hadn't seen the last of the cruel barbarians.

The entrance cloth ruffled, and a soldier (http://aznmantis.deviantart.com/art/un-soldat-chinois-14191360) stepped through. Wu looked up from the map once again, and the soldier went down on one knee.

"General." He began "Message from General Kang."

Wu beckoned the soldier forward, who placed a scroll on the table. Bowing instinctively, the soldier backed out of the tent. Wu picked up the scroll and unfolded, and quickly read the contents:

Wu,
I hope you are well in these dark times. From what we have seen on our end of the front, the barbarians from the west have been slowing down lately. While I cannot blame the commoners in the villages for being thankful for this, I cannot help but be worried. I believe that the barbarians are preparing for a greater incursion into our sacred lands, one the which we have not seen in years. I have ordered the soldiers in my command to begin fortifying their positions, and have requested more to be transferred from the East. I suggest you do the same. Heaven willing, I hope I am wrong about all this. But one can never be too prepared.

Your Friend,
Kang.

Wu smiled, thankful that at least he wasn't the only paranoid General in the Imperial Army. His soldiers were already in the process of turning their camp and the nearby villages into a fortified bastion, and his request had been sent yesterday morning.

If the barbarian monsters wanted a war, they would get one.

What the people of Xao-Cian would soon see was the coming of the Ravana Horde soon enough. Gangui Khan had decided on the best way to raid a enemy village, by Air.

Meaning useing Dragons.

The Draco Clan in the Western area of the Khanate, close to Gahrodanth, were good dragonriders, The best in the Khanate. No equal inside the Khanate. The were also the best Wyvenslayers in the land, rideing The Dragons against Wyvens that attacked herds of Camels and Horses.

so Gangui decided to send 10 dragonriders to do a Scouting in force over a Village. In Short, a raid that would also be a Scouting mission.

The 10 Dragons soon headed east from The Ruins of Mor-Ventani, a Human City that was lived in by Humans before The War of The Titans, now only Dragons lived here.

The Storm was coming.

bump

OOC: Sorry for the wait.

IC: General Kang (http://ilison.deviantart.com/art/General-69393745) walked amongst the soldiers in his camp, flanked by two guards. His armor gleamed in the light, and his cape flowed gracefully in the wind. They weren't even sure the enemy was coming, but Kang wasn't about to let his guard down. Most of the villages have, by his order, had evacuated, taking their belongings and making for Dongqing, the district capital, and home to a fairly large Imperial garrison. Kangs fort, and many others like it, formed a loose defensive perimeter around the frontier of the Empire's borders, in case a situation required their presence.

And this time was not any different.

A soldier ran up, and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Kang." he began "A number of flying beasts have been spotted."

Kang's eyes narrowed, and he turned to gaze at the soldier. There had been reports of flying beasts in use by the barbarians, who would use the element of attack by the air to gain control of the situation, and proceed with the killing, looting, and burning that was usually associated with the barbarian raids. Usually, raids were disorganized, and usually were fended off by a detachment of soldiers or town militia. But this time, Kang thought, things would be much different.

"So the enemy begins their attack in the air..." Kang began. Such a small number only meant that they wanted to get a lay of the land. They couldn't let them report back to their masters.

"Lord?"

"...where are they headed?"

"Lord, the enemy seems to be heading for a small village, a few leagues away. The villagers have refused to leave." The soldier replied.

Kang grunted. "Farm yokels. Too stubborn for their own good. Prepare to fire." He couldn't just let the villagers die. He had an obligation to protect them, no matter how stupid they were.

"As you command." The soldier nodded, and ran off to convey the order.

A number of rocket batteries and catapults with special dragonpowder projectiles, designed to explode at a certain altitude, were rolled up to the direction of the village. A number of black spots were already on the horizon, and getting closer with the passing minute.

Kang stood at the front of the small battalion, comprising of about two dozen siege weapons.

"As soon as they are in range." He began. "Commence firing."