Cities under K'ul Goran - 22/11 | The Kantas Expanse

Cities under K'ul Goran - 22/11 Nov 22, 2019 13:53:26 GMT Serpentine/Morganna and Queen Merla, the Sun-Blessed like this

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Post by Greebo on Nov 22, 2019 13:53:26 GMT

…It's cold…

"This is becoming more and more a mess as we follow this trail.

First The countess has some missing people, then we are finding an oppressed people.

And now, we go to meet them and find they are planning an attack on the K'ul Goran's we have also been helping. I'm stuck between wanting to free the Shunned and wanting to Protect the K'ul Goran's…"

… It is really cold….

"We met with Hoth and we soon lost our newest travel companion, Varis. He is an honourable sort…. He didn’t want to involve himself with the Shunned due to their claims of wanting to harm the people of K'ul Goran, so instead left for Za'Suul. I can't help but respect his decision but I am also inclined to want to prevent the coming conflict altogether. I was hoping we could sway their leadership into aiming for an alliance instead."

… Screams…. Bubbles?...

"…. But they wouldn't even see us…."

…why is it so cold?...

"Hoth suggested our plan to them and confirmed we needed some show of faith, meaning if we were going to make a difference, we would need to help them in this raid they had planned. I at least had Hoth promise to prevent killing the People of the farmlands but I knew I would need to intervene once the threat of Giants was resolved… You can save the smart remarks by the way, I'm well aware of how futile this all sounds."

… Im… Moving? is that Stedd?...

"… This is going to end in bloodshed isn't it?"

…I can't breathe…

You realise this means nothing.

Beranwald stands in the too familiar void, staring into a horizon that doesn't exist, not even sure why he is bothering to say all this, it's never made a difference before now and he doesn't really believe it will now either. He turns to face her again but is stopped as the world rocks…

With a gasp, he takes in a deep and panicked breath. He tries to move but can't. It's cold. Very cold. The assault on his senses starts to coalesce into some kind of familiarity as he realises it's only his legs he can't feel. A deep feeling of dread rises in him, fearing the worst until he realises the large blur and strong smell enveloping him is actually Stedd, cradling his…. Oddly out of sized frame in his arms?

He blinks and hurriedly looks around before the memories start to return. They had joined the Shunned in their march… The Goblins riding Those savage Raptors and Trolls with the larger reptiles… there was a storm... Varis was there with the K'ul Goran's... Then the giants in the storm had attacked… he remembers seeing some of them before everything went cold…

Stedd has been consistently rambling something he hasn't been listening to, but looking down his body he realises the Giants had actually frozen him solid. Stedd must've picked him up to defrost him… but there is still so much noise?

"…Stedd… what's happening?"

As Stedd turns back around, Beranwald takes a second to focus on the mess of blurs in the distance. The blurs come into focus and the sight mortifies him
.

The fields are littered with boulders and the frozen bodies of the Shunned and K'ul Goran's. The Giants bodies are off to one side, their blood being exsanguinated into the ground even now. But at the edge of the field, a pile of bodies lay between a scattering of the Errant Guard and the Shunned. Varis was leaving with the guard and Hoth was leading the mouthy Goblin away…

Cities under K'ul Goran - 22/11 Nov 26, 2019 16:36:41 GMT

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Post by Greebo on Nov 26, 2019 16:36:41 GMT

Beranwald and the rest of the adventurer's left on the battle field follow Hoth and what remains of his force back the way they had come, down into the underground city. With some parting words of encouragement from Faye, he left the group to speak with the Oracle.

Alongside Hoth, He enters a larger building than the rest in the underground city with similar architecture but decorated with lot's of roughcut gemstones, shiny metals and underdark creatures and trophies. The pair enter and wait in some kind of anti-chamber. Hoth is really silent, as if nervous due to how this might go wrong. Feeling the silence press onto him, Beranwald finally speaks up.

"I wanted to thank you Hoth. You kept your word and stopped the fighting. It is a shame it went so far but... you are clearly an honourable man. You have my respect, for what it's worth."

Before another word is said, two other hobgoblins, wearing the same matching breastplate emblazoned with the symbol of a circle with a network of lines running inside it approach the pair. They salute Hoth by banging their fists on their chests with a "Captain." while eyeing Beranwald, the cat, suspiciously.

Hoth replies "Hollow Guards" and they turn back and walk towards the set of doors from which they came. Hoth then wordless gestures to the cat beside himto follow them, the three Hobgoblins stopping as they reach the door, leaving Beranwald to enter alone.

The room is dimly lit inside, but in the darkness he can see it is a semi-natural cave, with a pool of purple'ish water, emanating a faint glow. The ceiling is riddled with small reflective mitnerals and gemstones, creating what seems to be a kaleidoscopic depiction of the night sky.

At the end of the room, is a throne where three figures sit, hooded and covered in darkness. Almost immediately, he hears these three voices speak as one inside his head.

"Greetings traveler, you've come a long way to be in our presence and we want you to know we appreciate what you've done for our people, even if not for the right reasons. Your actions speak loudly. Tell us, what troubles your mind?"

"Thank you for receiving me. I understand this is an unusual turn of events in a time of great importance for you and to first be shown into your city, then into this meeting I take as a great privilege.

If I may be Frank, what troubles me is your people and the conditions you have been forced to live in. I understand you have your own plans underway and have now taken one step towards that by reclaiming the farmlands but I am here to implore you to seek another way... one that will be difficult and take some time to come to full fruition for sure but one I believe will have far greater benefits for all involved in due time. An alliance with the K'ul Gorani"

As the respond, he can feel the figures trying to poke into his mind
"You have the heart of a dreamer and the will of an utopist. We see it and we feel it and we cherish it and we respect it. But things are what they are and the above-landers have always feared us - for good reason. An alliance born of necessity quickly dwindles into animosity once that necessity is gone.We do not wish to compromise our people just to avoid blodshed of those who would shed our own blood without hesitation. Surely you must understand."

"It need not be born of necessity but a desire to be better. People fear what they do not understand, so I say we teach them! The 'above-landers' are already in the throes of change, forming similar alliances with other lands. With peoples, of which, some are the same races as yourselves. I have visited their cities and seen this for myself. We can teach them another way...

What I suggest is of course an immense task but not the impossible. The Dawnlands across the sea are already a melting pot of creatures from all walks of life; Humans and Tabaxi, Lizardfolk and Tiefling, Dwarves and Firbolg. Even this talking cat has found a home there... and as they continue to venture out, visit K'ul Goran and more, it wont be long before K'ul Goran will follow suit. You have the chance now to be the catalyst for that change.

With your help, I would speak to the other cities, both above and below, to bridge the gap between your peoples."

He feels the prodding needle try and go deeper but steels his mind and cuts off any further prodding and probing

"Ah.. as expected, strong willed and a honed mind. We salute you. Nonetheless, we cannot heed your request. The wheels are turning and have been turning for quite a while, we have made our choice and behind it we will stand. We do agree that bloodshed is unnecessary so you have our words that no unnecessary killing will be had. If the above-landers do us no harm in our grand resurfacing then we won't do them harm either.

Now go, return to your lands, you have allies in us and if what you say is true and the people from your Dawnlands would accept us for who we are then we shall speak again I'm sure. Perhaps peace can be found after we show our might... for what fool would not covet peace in a time of prosperity? But for now, for now we make our stand. I hope we meet again, mysterious traveler - under different circumstance perhaps."

"I understand your position and I thank you....but before I leave, I must ask... is there no other gesture I might offer you to reconsider this course of action? At least in moving forward. The wheels of the wagon may be turning but you are still its driver and may steer its course"

"Perhaps. We are but one mind that steers the wagon. The wagon climbs from the deeps of the Hollow as much as it descends from the dazzling Crystal Spires or untangles from the majestic Heart's Nest. As a gesture of appreciation for your youthful and naive heart, we shall keep your true intentions secret from the other Oracles - if you are set into finding peace with the above-landers then go, plead your case with them. If they are willing to compromise, we shall be listening. But know that meanwhile, the wheels will keep on spinning and our resurfacing will continue."

"I understand. Thank you. I hope we may meet again, as you say, under different circumstances."

With that Greebo will take his leave of the chamber and returns to Hoth and the rest of the adventurer's

Played out with Nuno 😬

Cities under K'ul Goran - 22/11

Post by Greebo on Nov 22, 2019 13:53:26 GMT

Post by Greebo on Nov 26, 2019 16:36:41 GMT

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