within a field of pink

[drack]

Well the stage is yours to set, but how would/does your kingdom react to two people walking from the direction of the orc/dark empire area? :smalltongue:

[Raunchel]

If there would be people walking towards Arnil from there they would be met by representatives from the queen, asking them their business. Depending on what these foreigners would say they would either let them be, alert the army, or just send a message to some higher ups.

[drack]

Probably the last one, two emissaries. A ghaunt man of extrordinary size with a grimace on his face, and a somewhat short/average height woman with brown hair and a smile in her eye.

[Raunchel]

Sybille awaits the emissaries in a purple pavillion. She sits on a black marble throne, and by her sides stand two heavily armored men, obviously undead. When the visitors enter an official proclaims: "Queen Sybille I of Arnil welcomes you!"

[drack]

[roll0]
1) life
2) death
The Man strides forward, his voice a deep baritone that causes his gaunt form to shake as he speaks. "Hello your grace. How does your nation do in these troubling times?"

[Raunchel]

"A good day to you, things are going well, but might I ask who you are and where you are from?"

[drack]

without missing a hitch the gaunt man continues. I am the Hand of Death, representing the Darkened Grove, and I come to offer that you join us in peace of life and death.

[Raunchel]

"I have always stood for peace, and death and life are nothing but facets of the same. Our realms could be allies, standing together against those who do not understand the truths of being."

[drack]

The hand of death grins broadly. "More two phases to a cycle then the same thing, but as you will. Would you prefer to talk terms of joining the grove, or have you no terms, so fully do you appreciate our way of life?"

[Raunchel]

"I would not join the Grove, I am a queen, not a subject, but I do consider you to be friends. I propose an alliance, where we make promises of mutual protection should there be aggression towards any of us. Of course, if one of us is the agressor there is no need for such a thing of course, friends should not draw eachother into unnecessary wars."

[drack]

The Hand of death looks somewhat perplexed. Filling in for him the small cheerie looking girl beside him, looking equally confused explains. "Our culture is based on naught but that central idea, so in sharing this peace and acceptance, it'd only be natural for our societies to become one. As our goal is to spread this understanding to the world, it's only natural that we'd first ask if one wishes to join us in these beliefs before we proceed. Do you mean to say that you see it differently? That there needn't be peace and equality between life and death?"

[Raunchel]

"I do think that there is something in your philosophy, but there is a difference between agreement and full unity. Arnil is an independent realm, and will never be part of another. It is mine to rule, and not for another. We would however aid eachother in times of need. That is my offer."

[drack]

"A truly alien philosophy." The short woman mutters.

The Hand of Death wrinkles an eyebrow at your strange culture before suggesting "Perhaps then to avoid confusion, would it be agreeable that we try to form good relations between our people. As a gesture of our good will, I offer you a delicacy among my people." At this he produces a pouch of spiced maggots.

[Raunchel]

"Good elastics between our people's would certainly be possible. And I thank you for your gift. Please accept mine in return. "

Sybille eats the maggots, they actually are quite good. She offers the hands cups filled with the magically preserved blood of her enemies.

[drack]

The Hand of Death dips his hands in, splattering some on the short woman as if it were unholy water at a church of a dark god, and waiting while she repeats the gesture before they each drink the remainder. "You honer us."

[Raunchel]

"Friends are always welcome, that is what friends are for. There are many differences between our lands but it brings me great pleasure to know that there are many things that we share. It is my hope that we all aid eachother against those who wish us ill."

[drack]

"Who would wish us ill?" The woman asks.

[Raunchel]

"Many, there are people in this world who believe that undeath is wrong, and they attack any who disagrees with them."

[drack]

Appalled the living/breathing human girl gasps in astonishment as the Hand of Death replies evenly. "Perhaps they do exist, though as it stands we've yet to meet them. If such a force exists you will indeed have our support, though I hope for the sake of both our nations that you might be wrong."

[Raunchel]

"I met some of them merely days ago. They attacked us, and we were forced to fight them. When we are about to defeat them a goddess whisked them away. They remain alive and opposed to us. "

[drack]

Taking a moment to consider the scenario the Hand of Death finally concludes to ask "Where are these people? It would be best that we seek them out now and confirm this vile truth."

[Raunchel]

"Unfortunately the being they worshipped used her magic to take them away, to settle somewhere else, and to build their strength to face us once again. I wish that they could have been destroyed like they should have been, and then we would have had peace. There are many powers in this world, and not all of them share our views. "

[drack]

The Hand of /death somehow appears annoyed as he mutters something profane about gods.

[drack]

"So, where are these nations?"

[Raunchel]

"They were close to us, but I do not know where they are now, or I would already have ended their existence. But I fear that there will be more such peoples in the world, who attack without reason, and who live only to destroy."

[drack]

Vary well, we will accept mutual aid against such threats. What of your neighbors to the west, I fear the Grove is far to the east and we have yet to see the west.

[Raunchel]

"My people are currently investigating those lands. We hope that they will soon be secured from such horrible people and gods."

[drack]

Tapping the Hand of Death on the shoulder, the short woman pipes in "Shouldn't we first tell them of all the great nations we've seen before asking them to assail us with their own experiences?"
Considering it for a moment, the Hand of Death nods acceptance.
"The Grove sits at the ends of the world, as eastward as one can get. We began our journey to the east where we found a hobgoblin settlement."
"The poor people had just recently forsaken their nomadic nature as raiders and pillagers of others, and had settled down to live as humble smelters."
"As time went on they found the spoils of their conquests dwindling to naught as their land was infertile."
"Naturally we gave them what aid we could. Then we headed north where we had heard rumors of nomadic tribsmen."
"A strange people who would endlessly claim that all they wanted was 'freedom'"
"Though oddly enough when we asked they couldn't even tell us what this freedom was. How silly right?"

"So we continued north until we came to a land of human savages who thought that everything could be settled by violence and enslavement of others."
"Could you imagine having to enslave others to maintain your lifestyle? It's so... barbaric!"
Though perhaps after we finish you might want to explain a similar system I saw here where the dead are held in servitude by the living?"
"Yes, yes, but where were we?"
"The self centered god that thought that all other lifeforms should obey him."
"Oh yeah, terrible bloke. He appeared out of nowhere demanding tribute. while this one..."She gestures to the hand of death ".. attempted to reprimand him for his discourteous nature. Quite a piece of work that one."
"Naturally all the savages could think of was to go off and fight the god's followers."
"And so we left the two nations to their fighting and went to see how the god's followers really were. After all you'll only ever see the worst in people if you judge them by their gods, unmannered little brats that most gods are."
"And they turned out to be quite the philanthropists."
"There weren't any living people there of course, so we couldn't really call them a people of similar beliefs, but they hardly talked of a thing except peace. so we figured they must be good honest people."
"We then turned south and found that the two had joined forces to attack a poor gathering of orcs."
"We didn't really know the situation, so we ended up leaving them to it and journeying over here, though I'm beginning to worry about them. Do you think we should check on them after we're done here?"
"We can if you're worried about it. I confess, I am missing the soft feel of dross-moss underfoot."
"And that nice moist air that just ever so gently whistles through the trees."
"Or that..." Suddenly taking note of the queen again he drops the topic. "Apologies your grace, I fear we've traveled quite a ways from the comforts of home. What of your own discoveries?"

[Gaiyamato]

Dude the Grove is as far north-east as you can get from Arnil..
Look at the map compass.

And the DE Capital had very few undead.. mostly Draconians and V'K'kraan'ck who are all very alive.. :smallsigh:

[drack]

Now how on earth did I swap those two... :smallconfused:

[drack]

(double post for subscribers)
*cough* *cough*

[Raunchel]

"My discoveries so far are limited, there was this realm that we spoke of before, but they have been moved elsewhere. Otherwise there were some small tribes, but they quickly came to see that our way of doing things was superior and they swore loyalty."

[drack]

The Hand of Death nods acceptance to this. "I suppose there is little more to discuss then." With that he and the woman turn and leave assuming you don't seem to have more to add.