XedasBoard

This RP takes place in the 1400s. We have magic, strange creatures, and different races. To learn more about Xedas, join the discord
https://discordapp.com/invite/PpfkrTp

i cant connect it won´t work

Ard Nax, or Yelmar as it is sometimes called, is a land of which until recently little was known. In the cold north of Koemashita, it is a land shrouded in fog and mystery in equal parts. Forests that stretch beyond the horizon, of trees as old as the world that spiral upwards until the light never reaches the ground. Beyond those infinite forests, the Lake of Life; according to their legends, it is what remains of when their gods carved out the core of the moon, and their touch lingers on those crystal-clear waters to this very day.

And in those lands live a wild people, savage yet noble in equal measure. Stories tell of the bravery of their warriors, as loyal to each other as the wolves they are kin with and just as fierce. When they sit besides their great log fires they tell tales of valour, of heroism against impossible odds. The snow and ice may freeze the surface, but inside their blood boils with fire; a statement agreed upon by every man who has the misfortune to face them in battle. Their harsh homeland has forged them into men of steel, who will never bend unwilling and will never break their will.

Yet now we have been there. We have gone to this far-off land, and we have seen for ourselves the truth behind those legends. In the aftermath of the Naxian War, through interviews with survivors from Chalsardu and Ard Nax alike, and through my own visit, I can present at long last an honest accounting of their land.

Introduction to Throne of the Winter Sun by Bakarne Metaxas

Kandradi Canasar's Letter of Condolence to Lord Protector Oralai of Seniker

“My dear friend Oralai,

“I am sorry for your loss. To lose anyone in one’s family is never easy, losing one’s father most of all. I cannot say that I knew Helvrak long, but in the two years since I first arrived here in Seniker, I grew to know him well. He trusted me deeply, confiding in me whenever times were troubled and seeking my advice. Your father was a good man, a strong man, and a caring man.

“His legacy is a long and proud one. He was a fixture, an unwavering mainstay of Seniker civil society, a stalwart leader through many centuries. He oversaw the uniting of squabbling Seniker clans into a single entity, a single people. Under him the Seniker reached out overseas, forming fast friendships with among others Tavras and my home country of Chalsardu. And when the Nomadir sought to ransack and ravage your home, it was his brave efforts, his gallant sacrifice, that saw them defeated and Seniker saved.

“It will not be an easy legacy to live up to. It never is. To be Lord Protector of the Seniker is a great and weighty responsibility; over a million people will look up to you for guidance, and it will be your duty to give them such. To do so, when succeeding such a great man, can make even the largest feel small, and there shall be struggles along the way.

“Your father recognised that, recognised the troubles you would face as his successor. Before that final battle, he spoke with myself, Norias, Nokir, and Torus, and confided in us that he did not believe he would survive the battle. He called the four of us because he trusted us as advisors, as people who had supported his rule and had ensured that he did not err. He called us because he wanted us to do the same for you as we had for him, wanted us to guide you in his footsteps, wanted us to teach and support you in becoming as wise and just a leader as he. We four swore a holy oath that we would do so, that we would do everything in our power to do as he asked us.

“There are those who would contest your rule, those who would through jealousy and envy seek to overthrow you and deny you your legitimate inheritance. Your father was a good man, yet not everybody saw him that way, and they may think you but a weak child. But you have our unstinting support. My homeland sent ten thousand soldiers to defend Seniker against the Nomadir; seven thousand of those still remain, and the Commonwealth will continue to send whatever is necessary to protect Seniker’s people and prosperity. For the ties that were formalised before have been forged now in the heat of battle, and the friendship between our peoples will not be broken.

“Oralai, Lord Protector of the Seniker, you have our protection.

Yours,
Kandradi Canasar,
Minister for Seniker,
Commonwealth of Chalsardu.”

“Our paternal heart is deeply moved by the sorrowful events which have befallen the people of Valassyrie, where man may no longer acknowledge the truth. And not only is Our heart moved, but so too are the hearts of all men who cherish the rights of civil society, the dignity of man, and the liberty which is due to individuals and to nations.

And so, aware of Our Apostolic duties, We cannot but fervently appeal to all of you, and to the flocks entrusted to each of you, that, animated by brotherly love, you raise suppliant prayers with Us to the Seldarine, in Whose hands lie the destinies of peoples as well as the power and very lives of their rulers. Let us pray that an end may be put to this carnage and that a genuine peace founded on justice, charity, and rightful freedom may some day dawn again.

May all men come to realize that the truth of our divine heritage cannot be denied by an armed might which brings many to their death, nor by that violence inflicted upon citizens which is powerless to compel their inner assent, nor by those deceitful fictions which corrupt the mind. May all men stand with their Valassyrien kin, and with them defend the right of Elves in all the world to recognise and celebrate their holy ancestry, even as their rulers would seek to deny it to themselves.”

Excerpt from the Exarch of Sigan’s encyclical on the forbiddance of Seldarinism in Valassyrie.

Wendsnow wrote:

Hello everyone I found this region and decided to join. I hope that is okay.

It sure is. Also be sure to join our discord server (https://discord.gg/3Fxw4T9), that's where 90% of our activity takes place.
Hope you enjoy!

“My dear friend,

Thannis Inioch is an intelligent man; he had passed head of his class at the Elsprinas Combined School, had completed his apprenticeship as a solicitor two years earlier than scheduled, and his careful sleuthing and investigation had uncovered what was the largest fraud case in Chalsardi legal history.

Thannis is a brave man; he chose to defend himself in court over an accusation of perjury rather than drag his father into it (and won), personally swam to the wreckage of the Haizea to confirm whether the captain’s testimony was true, and willingly met a Sekezian godfather to get them to release evidence relevant to the case.

Thannis is a lucky man; his father was a senior law partner and Mayor of Elsprinas before becoming Legal Secretary to the Lady Protector, his sister is the Minister for an entire country and in a relationship with a senior government official there, and his own wife was well-connected in Nuraghia before she eloped with him.

What Thannis is not is wise. He is intelligent in that he has opted to traverse the upper Aralur during the summer, when the snow has melted but the spring floods had already passed. He is brave in that he has chosen to cross the Aralur at all, especially via a lesser-used trail. He was lucky in that despite the warnings of the official guidance he had not had any injury or delay on his journey. But what isn’t wise is the fact that he has chosen to cross not into Tarkaren but further south, beyond the borders of the Commonwealth entirely, into Dadia.

For above all, Thannis is an ambitious man. In pursuit of status he has studied hard, gone where others dare not, and been in the right place at the right time. And now he goes to Dadia on our behalf, that he might secure his status. He is an asset and liability in equal measure, one who brings great promise and great danger in equal measure.

At least be willing to consider the former as well as the latter. For all our sakes.

Yours,
Virion Ravamaris”

“Virion-senor,

I write this letter for circumstances require that I cannot deliver my report in person. The courier, however, is a trustworthy one, even if she is yet to be initiated, and I have trust in her abilities to reach you safely, securely, and diligently. For secrecy’s sake this is but a summary; the full report I shall give when I can.

The glories of Dadia are less than they ever were, but they did exist. And whilst a ruined crystal tower, half-buried under foliage and spread along half a mile of length, is no pretty sight, it is often an untouched one. The policies and the attitudes of the Dadians have little to recommend themselves, but their unwillingness to abet the common stranger has ensured that certain secrets have gone into the right hands.

I shall need further time to research here; Dadia is a familiar land and a strange one in equal measure, and many secrets remain to be uncovered. Yet the most important has been revealed unto us, the most precious delivered into my hands and from them into ours. In due course all shall unfold; with what we have we can afford to be patient.

Ever,
Thannis.

P.S. I’m reminded of that poem one of the others recited that one time; I think this is how the last bit went.

And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.”

The Shoulders of Giants, Chapter 3

Ravamaris,

I received your letter yesterday, and your questions in it are interesting; I will do my best to answer them, and give clarifications where necessary.

You asked how my arm worked. It’s not a question one normally asks a woman, but I shall leave decorum aside for now. You are right that the most important part is due to the intrinsic properties of ironglass that allow it to flex appropriately, but just as important is the fact that I made it myself for my own body. At its core is an enchantment that replicates the basic motor functions, and then overlaid on top of that are active spells to provide the fine functions; it is harder to replicate those in someone else’s arm than it is in one’s own.

A third factor that matters is the fact that I am of high magical capabilities. We, unlike those in Vilen you compare us so unfavourably to, are neither blessed nor cursed with Umbali; without that ready source of controllable small-scale magical energy, maintaining the motor functions of the arm requires regular transfusions of energy. Thankfully ironglass is conducive to enchantment, making that stage a little easier, but I have noticed that I am eating more these days than I did before the arm; using the fingers properly requires noticeable effort. Your suggestion of sidroleion injections, due to its magical properties, is an interesting one, and certainly on the surface safer than using Umbali cores – when I was in Pharos there was an occasion where someone died of a faulty core in their leg – but it is still dangerous and few people would want to carry fuel tanks on their back all the time. Andiagar returned from the UHR recently; I will have him look further into the matter. I can see the potential for great results; I can also see the potential for terrible results.

You asked whether others had these. Yes, a few others do, and I am aware that at least one competitor knows at least half of the process; but the issues with magic infusion remain. The fingers work well enough to hold a cup, but not well enough to write; it is that scale for anyone not as talented as I. The numbers in Vilen are higher because they have Umbali and ten times the population; of course it’s going to be easier for them, and that’s why your organisation’s continued financial support for us is so important.

You also asked about whether assisted limbs where possible through this. In theory yes it is – but I shouldn’t need to remind you that theory and practice are very different. The material itself is more than capable of it, but the difficulties with the magic are actually greater – for a replacement limb one simply needs to reconnect the nerves and then apply the enchantments, for an assisted limb one has to add new connections for both the brain and the limb. The necessary enchantments, being an addition rather than a simple like-for-like replacement, become more difficult, not less. We have a working example, but I would be hesitant to describe it as being fully-functional at this stage; further work needs doing before I can describe it is a full prototype.

Lastly, you suggested that your organisation’s work in Dadia might be relevant. I don’t doubt it by any stretch – my colleagues in Vilen suggest that the work of peoples long past were instrumental to their understanding of artificial and assisted limbs, and it is reasonable to assume the same of these – but the limited information you gave me is not yet enough to go on. I will be at the Lykeion a month from the writing of this letter; we can discuss it further then.

May the light of the heavens guide your path.

Zubizarreta.

"Until now, for the enforcement of our laws and the protection of our good citizens from crime, we have relied upon local authorities to maintain watches and the willingness of our citizenry to volunteer themselves when necessary. This system has long provided for social security founded in the communities in which our officers serve and our citizens reside, providing for them a vital stake in their local well-being and local knowledge to aid them about their duties.

Yet we are seeing difficulties in this model. In cases where criminal individuals operate across multiple jurisdictions, coordination between the relevant authorities proves challenging. A number of our less well-off authorities are finding themselves unable to properly fund and retain watchmen, leaving our communities unable to rely on them for their protection. And in a number of other areas, we are seeing law enforcement bodies falling victim to local prejudices, deliberately failing to provide security for "undesirable" neighbourhoods.

Efforts by our Commission to ameliorate these issues have been underway, but more has been proven necessary. It has been determined that, to ensure that all our citizens are protected adequately and that the guidance of law remains fair and just across the Commonwealth, we must have a national policing force.

The Astynomi shall serve as an augmentation to our local law enforcement bodies, ensuring that standards are upheld in all parts of our fair nation, leading efforts against multi-location organised crime, and aiding social security efforts in our less fortunate areas. They shall be comprised of experts and veteran watchmen from across the entire country, a body of experience that can lend its support to local and regional efforts.

May Corellon, patron of the laws of our people, bless them in their efforts."

Vincenzo Russo's Speech on the Astynomi, printed in all major regional and local papers.

Hey guys it is ya boy Nev. I am sorry for my long hiatus but I went on a beautiful holiday to my home town only to find myself locked out of my google account and with their support team being prickly little bitches about helping me. If it is possible I would like to rejoin the server under a different account th and keep all my stuff I acquired previously.

Is this okay with you all?

Thannis and the Friend Meet

In a meeting house in the city of Dadia, a man and his wife sat in an alcove, a little back from the hearth that lay in the centre of the room. In the height of the Dadian summer the hearth lay quiet, no fire burning in here lest the building overheat, but it still served as the focal point of the room for the ordinary folk to sit around.
The main doors swung open to let in a traveller, by his dress from the Strymon valley in the heartlands of the Commonwealth. He looked around the room, around the many locals sitting and standing both patrons and hosts, and his eyes eventually settled on the pair in the alcove. The man there caught the visitor’s eye and made a semi-intricate hand gesture to indicate his and her presence; the visitor responded with a similar one of his own and went to join them.

“Thannis,” the visitor said as the man shuffled along the curved bench to allow the visitor to sit beside him.
“And you must be the good friend that I have been told about on a number of occasions,” Thannis replied.
“Not so out loud, there’s other people here!” the visitor responded in a loud whisper, halfway between the volume of ordinary conversation and that of the surreptitious kind.
“Relax friend, they’re simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the New South.” Thannis, despite his protestations, had lowered his volume down to the near-whisper of the visitor’s.
“Very well, I shall relax. Have they anything civilised on? If not, get me the local brew. Wasn’t expecting the journey to be this hard.”
“My wife and I are currently having the local mead; it’s been a good summer for the bees apparently. Shall I get you some? Oh, and before I forget, I need to introduce you to my wife. Indartsu-senor, this is my wife Tasia, Tasia, this is Indartsu.”
“Indartsu (Strong)?” I like the sound of it. Good day to you, Tasia.”
“Good day to you as well; my dear Thannis has spoken highly of you,” she replied.
“It’s fine,” Thannis said as he noticed Indartsu’s expression, “she’s one of us.”
Indartsu’s expression eased. “Very well; the mead for me, if you’d be so kind.”

Thannis returned to the table with three fresh goblets of mead, spiced according to a Dadian recipe.
“Don’t mind the taste,” he said as he placed them down and offered Indartsu one, “it takes a little getting used to, but it’s well worth it.”
“I suppose if this was all you had to drink for a year you’d get used to it,” Indartsu responded after the aftertaste finally went away. “It’ll suffice. However, we are now here, and you are the miracle worker who I’ve heard so much about from our mutual friends.”
“Indeed I am.”
“They tell me that you have achieved great things here. I’d like to hear it in your own words.”
Thannis took a few seconds to compose his thoughts. How much detail do I go into?
“How long have you got?”
“Enough that you can explain what you found at the sites before you take me there to show me in person.”
“I see. Very well. For obvious reasons, as we are in a public place, I shan’t say too much, unless you’d like to head back outside just after arriving here. How was your journey here, while I’m on the topic?”
“That can come later. Answer the question.”
“I’ll keep it brief. You’ve read your Kevorkian, haven’t you?”
“Someone as close to him as I didn’t have a choice.”
Thannis leaned close to Indartsu, so that only the latter would hear.
“I hath drunk the milk of paradise.”