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Scene One update will be on Monday.

>>4282950
1.
Another blast of spores is released west.

2.
The preparations for a Grist'Lung near [Pentagon] are made.

>Diplo
>Tarn

The Lord of Flesh sends a missive to the Leaders of the Tarn "Stay inside our dearest friends should you see Crimson Storms on the horizon, soon your people will be rewarded for their friendship all these tyrns, with Dominion of the West."

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>>4282987

>Also -An excerpt on Karnis/Craver Relations


After the injuring of the Matriarch, the new young Queen of the Karnis meets with the leader of the Cravers -the Lord of Flesh- in his Ivory Tower of Neverborn. The escort of high priests leader her up the winding tower, to a pristine door ; upon its opening, revealing
>FLESHHIMHEISFLESH

The eldest Craver stares from every corner, speaks fron every inch.
>"I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND I."

The consciousness of the ample gore drifts in mass down the walls, forming before the young Queen.

>"When your mother came to me, she was broken, wholly and utterly, abandoned by her God, by her Body, qnd her Mind. She was a Matriarch in only name, barely able to sustain her brood. When she was remade, from Sable-into Karnis, she was far more Craver than Sable at that point. Where-as all Cravers feel my will, your Mother's will was of her own, the Lady to the Lord of Flesh. Even now the Karnis utilize flesh bending in Grist'thromir's name, just as their Craver Brothers. For if every Craver is my son, Every Karnis my daughter, for your mother and I made the very first eggs of the Karnis within her Crystalis so long ago. Every subsequent generation shaped by her hand, and when she asked for guidance it was granted, as so it will be for you... daughter. "

>>4282950
Actions: 2x Preparations
The decision is made to prepare bolster the armies. A united effort from all the colonies is channeled into producing and preparing the next generation of soldiers, the largest military spawning effort in Karnis history. Each of the queens are given a quota that is divided among their Broodmothers, each aiming to groom as many larva into the warrior casts as possible. Revisiting what had seem to be a forgotten practice among the ants, a small amount of larva are set aside for feeding tests in an attempt to discover a new cast. Seemingly harmless unlike attempts of the passed, the ants test to see if the lizards, scorpions and other desert dwelling creatures they have discovered might hold the key.

The newly established colony Cenotaph in the Peaks might have been reshaped into a livable space for the ants, it is still a far cry from finished. But with the Queen's warnings growing more urgent and frequent, aesthetic is the least of the swarm's concern. Looking to bolster their defenses, the ants carve out Hangers in the side of the mountains , a short distance beneath the spore dispenser of the cravers. From here the Karnis can station their airborn forces, a valuable asset to have should the need for defense arise.

With the turning of time it seems that the dragons of paitoy have gained the favor of obadinia. Being a peace minded clan they are favourable towards technology moreso than war.
The colonial ambitions of amplect will have to wait until a future time...
>>4282488
Several important dragons come, however they are mostly uninterested in building these. However it brings them worry, for with this creation trade on the continent may become train based.
They thank the gylden for inviting them and take interest in the engines of the trains. Such a thing could be adapted for boats yes? The clan of paitoy is willing to pay a pretty penny in order to learn of and adapt the designs of these ships so that they may continue ruling the waves...

>>4282624
Now that a new dynasty is in power the dragons promise that the dwarves will be properly paid attention to as there wont be as much of a focus on war.
The ice cream machines are to be bought and dwarven engineers shall be hired in order to operate them properly even on the islands. Though they shall be the only ones allowed to do so outside of the dragons themselves.
The study establishment is approved and it may be built wherever along the land border between our empires

>>4282950

>>4282623
>Diplo: Akkhar

Coldmakers? Both the devices and the principles behind them sound interesting to the Gylden Dwarves, and they would gladly welcome discussion and a new mutual exchange of ideas between the Dwarven realms. Given that as yet the engines can only tolerate very minor deviations of height and direction, the Gylden had lent some consideration to running another railway into the south, to the Peridot mines and Alumjorg, then the southern brewery before slowly climbing into the hills to reach Kezvogaz'Unteg... perhaps such a track could then be continued by bridge across the canyon, and run into the towns of the Akkhar realm if the gradients involved would not be to steep? Tunnels would probably be required... especially if this railway is to reach Zarjotun'torzdun. Though the Akkhar might have other ideas of their own about where they'd want tracks to be laid?


>>4284583
Diplomacy: Tidal Empire

The Gylden Engineers approached look to each other, then one after the other slowly start to nod their bearded heads. Yes, they'd imagine it probably -could- be adapted to boats, with a little work... though they're not quite certain just how yet. But they'd be willing to take the Paitoy Gylder to investigate this for them...

>>4286154
The Akkhar Dwarves think the Idea wonderful. Extending the track further to the Dwarven capital and later maybe even to Guthlaqthz too is the best way of doing it.

As such an agreement is reached, sample Coldmakers and some papers on their principles of functioning will soon be transported North to the Gylden.

To celebrate the reached agreement the Dwarven diplomat would dust off the old family porcelain bowl filling it with ice-cream and offering it to the Guest of honor the Gylden in front of him with some Bimber (97% alcohol) as desert.

>>4282950

The name for this inner sanctum is decided by means of the usual bickering between all four representatives. After hours and hours of arguing back and forth among themselves, they come to an agreement on one name for our new mountain home. "Castor's Keep". For it allows us to be closer to Castor than we have ever been previously, despite our various mining operations at home.

>1: seal up the entrance
Castor's Keep was breached when we first entered its halls, so long ago. In order to keep the violent waters from pouring in, we repair the stone that we had broken. Furthermore, we seal up the door's nooks and crannies with rubber from the Tarns. It can still be opened well enough, but we hope that water won't permeate its exterior.

>2: construct a stable at the mountain's peak
For the sake of winter prepping, we construct a stable at the peak of the mountain. This stable will be mostly sealed from the outside air, and is directly connected to the mountain's interior. Wouldn't want any innocent goat-herders to perish from the freezing cold, now would we? The exterior of the stable is equipped with quite a few pens, which will allow our goats to graze in the winter months. Their leads will be tied to a post next to each door, so that any meluz in need of retrieving their goat will be able to do so without much trouble.

>4280199

While one good large ship was great, given the nature of the potential enemy Llychlyn would face, a smaller ship designed purely for speed and out maneuvering any beast of the sea or even any other ship would be key. They also would be key as a reliable way to drop a gwefr dyfnder on their target. Additionally, the modification of smaller ships to simply drift with a timer on them set to explode as 'Llongau bom' while thought about for some time now would be focused upon perfecting and actually utilizing reliably. While of course, focus on explosives and a more reliable method of getting them would need to be done soon, that would be for the near future. However that was something they could ask the Akkhar for, as from what Llychlyn knew, they were quite skilled with alchemy, or chemistry. Still, further work like this on the navy was important. As further shipbuilding work from Clan Llewelyn would not only make their skill greater, but also find key parts of designs to make the vessels in the new Y Llynges Frenhinol and Llychlyns merchant ships all the better.

Of course, there was some concern still. If a ample amount of explosive wasn't able to be gained soon, the idea of llongau bom or gwefr dyfnder would simply be that in practice, idea's. And, without such things, there was a bit of fear that the edge required to face this monster on the sea's would be much more costly for Llychlyn, and much more difficult to even pull off successfully. And while the seas are calm for now, it could come at any moment, the real question was if there'd be any major warning before it arrived to truly strike at Llychlyn and put the new Y Llynges Frenhinol and Llychlyn's preparations to the test. Hopefully, there'd be more time...Hopefully. As the longer Llychlyn had to prepare, and the longer the rest of the world did, the better. As unlike the once Fanw Forsaken place of the south, this would be a lot more aggressive, much harder to deal with, and likely cost more than thirty lives... Eheubryd would wish things could return to more peaceful times, and she could work on another wonder as the Dadeni continued...But, sadly, that would likely be further off in the future...

>Action One. Work on smaller warships made primarily for speed.

>Action Two. Work on bomb ships designed to simply drift without a crew into the enemy, we can get the explosives for them later.

>>4286154
It is explained that if an engine can turn a wheel then it can certainly displace water. Using a design similar to an ash seed (helicopter seeds) one could cause rapid water displacement which if calibrated to a high enough level of force would be able to outpace krakens for at least short bursts. This would allow krakens to rest for periods of time if they desire along with, through the shifting of gears and an overdriving of the engine’s power mixed with the power of the kraken to achieve short bursts of incredible speed (in boat terms at least) though at the cost of possible fuel Inefficiencies and potential engine damage.
This tech will take some time to develop and will require the drafting of new blueprints and design philosophies for depaun ships, as dwarven crews will be required for careful maintenance of the engine. Although fairly simple actions by the kraken (mainly through the pulling of lever like devices) could help to alleviate how much work dwarven workmen will have to do. And sometimes the engine will be put to very low to off in order to do maintenance. With plenty of time being available for repairs during stops at trade locations.
>>4282950
Action 1:
A reformed/new system of measurement is introduced into the empire, the product of both tradition and necessity mixed into one.
The system utilizes a uniform system of 12s, with prefix’s representing what the unit is measuring (volume, length, weigh etc) with suffix’s representing the 12 standard deviation of the measurement. (Similar to “milli”, “kilo” and “centi” in metric)
Example:
Nautirra (= 1 nauti / 12)
Nauti (standard)
Nautitoi (= 12 nauti)
Nautikee (= 144 nauti)
(a nauti is the standard unit of speed in water, based on the cruising speed of a depaun)
A number is sometimes applied beside a unit of measurement (though not in place of its denotation number) in order to show a related stat. Such as the friction and weight of water in the case of nautis (the two variables of weight and friction combine to make a number which can then be multiplied by the speed in order to show total energy forward per unit of weight)
This system also includes measurements for electrical energy, weight, distance, volume, poison ratings, heat and even magical potential among other things (the unit for magical potential however is poy defined and at the moment is purely tied to electromantic magic output independent of bio-output)
Action 2:
Work with gylden engineers in order to produce designs for the large engines needed to assist in powering kraken ships. Alongside other things which would be required in order to maintain and fuel such beasts. The engines are not required to work underwater as dwarven engineers will be used in its maintenance alongside depaun personal.

Posted on behalf of the Tarn

A1: Continue preparation to take Terrata Voss
A2: More ships! More musicians! More! More!

Posted on behalf of the FHR

1. Further refine powder manufacturing with the resources available to us
2. Modernize the Navy with Arc based and Powder based weaponry, along with modernized ship building and materials

>>4282950
1. B'yogi noticed things many things in fact. Certain elements interacting or not, creatures swimming or flying in the wind, and the stars staying in place never moving like shiny rocks. But there's one thing that fascinates them the most; where and how does the energy control things? Invisible energy is everywhere affecting everything. You can see it in the ripples of waters when something disturbs it or when someone punches another things throwing it back. We must study this phenomenon! (research physics)
2. Our warriors are stronger than ever able to have a chance against the vile b'ulets from the boomsticks. But it's not enough for armor can and will give in after a round. It's terrifying... But what if we can mitigate this by blocking the b'ulets even more? Speed seems like the answer for a better defense is when you don't get hit saving yourself and armor more. Though what is the fastest thing in existence? We are moderately a slow race in terms traveling when not in darkness. Faster even the approaching night is the bright rays of the sun... H'pabi, please give us a bit of your wonderful light! It burns us, but it is your Light that awoken our minds branding us with sentience! Our priests will create a grandiose light house/statue in Jubilation. Embue even just our present and future warriors with speed of your power!

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SCENE ONE

The peace was indeed short lived. Once more the seas increase in strength, becoming almost as harsh as before the calm. It is still possible for the more hardy ships to sail, but for how long not even the weather watchers can say.

>Vossik
Amidst rising tensions, back-channel deals, and threats of internal revolts, the Vossaya seals the deal with each of the breakaway Voss; The Free Voss of Wyrum becomes a city-state, though 'city' is perhaps too grand a title for a dozen mossy towers in a swamp, and the northern Elves welcomed back into the fold with the recognition of their town as Annet Voss.
More are brought to the makeshift field hospitals every day. As yet none have died, which is a blessing, but with so many sick no doubt secondary diseases are soon to happen. The blessing is cut short however, for the first Elf dies of the unknown infection, coughing up white-flecked blood, unknowingly aspirating even more spores into the camp. Given the suddenness of the outbreak, an autopsy is performed on the deceased. Hundreds, if not thousands of rice-grain sized lumps are discovered in his lungs. Mistaking them as merely a strange chemical or bodily reaction to the "Dyeworks-Rains Disease" they are glossed over... Until they start moving.(>>4282987)

>>4280950
>Akkhar Dwarves
For untold millennia the once named Ashbeards were known as a dark peoples, for they toiled in mines and travelled down smoke filled halls, the only water they'd ever see was that being boiled to make ale. Now with the rise of this new natruz'jotkol soap decades of hard-built grime is scraped away in seconds, revealing beneath skin not too dissimilar from that of their brother Dwarves. Really now the only way to tell an Akkhar from a Gylden is the formers' generally lighter coloured beards, along with a small protruding ridge just behind the top teeth. But of course, one must be quite familiar with a Dwarf before he lets one stick fingers in his mouth.
Well, that was a surprise, but a good one to be sure! The measures & timings were rather finicky, even having to wait for favourable weather, it is a small miracle that Hrumar had mixed the perfect solution by chance. Or perhaps by Therkuunaz's intervention!

>>4282453
>Gyldenthrong
[R] The small handful of FHR scouts confirm reports trickling in from across the upper regions, of a storm rising(!) from the summit of the mountains. Even the more fantastical element of a pink cloud blowing west. The Men believe it possible signs of a dormant volcano awaking, radiating tremors are expected.
A crank, a gear, a jam. Housed together in just such a way they have an 80% chance of exploding terribly, and a 20% chance of not exploding at all. Well, at least until a Dwarf is sent in to inspect it. May you grow fat at the table of the Gods, Neffi.

Rolled 1 (1d3)

>Gyldenthrong cont.
Drthakrig is an ancient name in an ancient tongue, and yet it travels through the Gyldenthrong, even into Nomach and lower Tarnia. Their deeds of yet are few, but valiant: Slaying the feral hogs which gored innocent woodsdwarves, Rooting out a den of highwaydwarves on the Pilgrims Road, and though not within their purview, Saving fisherdwarves after a nasty wreck. And whilst not particularly heroic, another deed which brought them fame was the clearing of a way to the Ashen Brewery from Gnavkop, always ones for the strong stuff. Two prizes however would hang heavy over the heads of the Drthakrig, the extermination of the Gaunt Men on the ice, and the final eradication of the damnable Tallaght of whom tales still persist!

>>4282987
>Cravers
The wind is checked, the Tallaght given a good kick, and the charging rods lowered. Another rosy cloud rises, slowly drifting over the Elves.
> 1. Blows north
But ho? The winds are deceitful, veering northwards... over Renthum and her farms. Oh how gracious Grist'thromir is to the Flesh!
> 2. Blows straight west
West, west into Nomach does the wind blow true! Pokos and Oldek both! How strange those dark Hacmosi will look growing white fleshrooms.
> 3. Blows south
But ho? The winds are deceitful, veering southwards... over the markets of Volodek and Zvamholm. How unfortunate for them.
And now, we wait.
The awe the Nu Delta Grist'Lung inspires would be easily reproduced, now that the plans exist. First is the base of bone, supports of rigid flesh, and the beginnings of veins and organs.

>>4283064
>Karnis
As proven, the larvae are given the right doses of Queen's Joy and all it's variations to produce strong soldiers, as well as a vanguard of Zo'Karn to protect the peak above Cenotaph. Perhaps wishing for a repeat of past discoveries, larvae are set aside for testing. First the lizard, which while delicious, doesn't result in anything. Next the scorpion which, oh, perhaps next without venom. Alright, next the scorpion without stinger, hmm, nothing new. Sidewinding snake? Nada. Then a terrible thought passes through the researchers minds, as if all at once. What about Mercurial Honey?
Nests, stores, and of course the landing pad are carved out of the mountain, stone being sent to repair the once-Dwarven capital now called Cenotaph. They are high within the cavern of the city, away from the prying eyes of Dwarf, and whatever else might wander through.

>>4286458
>Meluzina
The craggy stone is chiselled flat for new blocks to be slotted in, gaps in the old copper patched up, and rubber worked into all the little crannies. Then, for perhaps the first time since they were breached, the huge doors are once again closed. Not a sliver of light enters, nor the ever-present noise of Vadna or the Cravic miners. It is darker than even the Void here, none dare speak. The doors will hold, now it must be seen if the Meluz can.

>Meluzina cont.
Not wanting to reintroduce the smells of old into the exhaustingly cleaned Castor's Keep, the Snakes build for the goats a stable to keep them in the colder months. Though not too knowledgeable on the beasts, the herders say they truly feel the animals are grateful for them.

>>4287340
>Llychlyn
From the Ffrigadau Llychlyn much is pared back to produce a streamlined warship of reduced size. The whizzing vessels now rival the Tidal living-ships for speed!
The key to the llongau bom would be rigidity, to stay the course set for it. Having to ditch notions of flexible boards, free-rudders, and all other manner of Clan Llewellyn knowledge would be the hard part, and to throw so much good lumber and craft skill. But this is not the time to bellyache. With hard hull the first llongau bom "sails", unfaltering with the tide.

>>4287477
>Tidal
The standardising of weights and measures throughout the Tidal Empire has far more drastic effect than was possible theorised. No more can a Dragon be cheated out of what he is owed, nor overpay for his goods, but most crushingly no longer can Clan Amplect claim to have the fastest swimmers with the revelation that their nauti was an awful lot slower than the average. Whether these units will catch on outside the Empire is another matter.
It's all in the gearing, you see? One this way, one that, and instead of a piston one has a propeller.

>>4288013
>Tarn
More Tarn come to Senday in merchant ships, bringing with them their heay weaponry. Minimal infiltration by sympathetic Hacmosi bring word of an illness in the east of the country caused by their dyeworks there. It is best to be on lookout for Elves of a lustreless complexion or exhibiting a distinct wet cough.
With Tramh sent with his flagship the "Star of Xycthos" to quell the beast and her waves, it falls to his estate to organise further excursions. All goes well, and another three ships are bought to be filled. Flotsam has been washing up as of late, probably from those foolish Wolf-Women of Llychlyn chancing the rough seas. A particularly ornate piece is brought up by scavengers, "basedfchx" it looks like, definitely one of those funny Llychlyn words.

>FHR
[D] The calm of the sea as of late had lulled the people and the Daiimad into complacency. Llychlyn theatre or Gylden epic would have one believe that disasters happen at the dead of night midst a thundering storm, but there was no such warning. It started as a loud crack, like a large whip next to one's ear, then almost a full square mile of New Andreth crashed into the deep! Stone & earth, Man & beast, collapse down into the water at terrible speed. Untold hundreds are certainly dead, centuries of history lost. That more of the city was not affected is a miracle. The culprit is likely unseen subsidence, water slowly eating away at the foundations of the Capital of Man. Of course, it crosses the Councils' minds to blame the Elves, known users of magics, and hater of the freedom of Men.

>FHR cont.
Powder arriving from Llychlyn is of generally poor quality, either in manufacture or having been wetted on the journey over. It is therefore deemed necessary to produce the powder in the Republic from here on out. As to the barrel or so from Llychlyn, it is sifted into grades for use either in gonnes, other explosives, or to be tested for possible uses. Charcoal is being made locally, and the rock-fertliser is easily bought from the Gylden Dwarves, but that damnable sulphur! The Tarn say the have scraped every grain they can, and sent it to the Children of Fanw, and as for the other Dwarves, they're too busy dissolving things in acid to start true production. What is currently in the FHR will unfortunately have to do, unless brimstone starts falling from the sky!
Arc-rods and trial-powder-weapons are loaded onto naval vessels, along with a refurbishment of the steel plates in many of them.

>>4288063
>B'yogi
There are three laws of B'oogian Movement. 1. Lazy things remain lazy & jumpy things remain jumpy, unless another thing gets involved. 2. Punchiness equals heaviness times speediness. and 3. For every action there is an upside-down and backwards reaction.
The lighthouse of H'pabi's Blessing serves dual purpose, a beacon to the few travellers still sailing the south seas, and a site of worship to marvel at H'pabi's light. By day, highly-polished bronze mirrors shine the light in all directions, and at night those same mirrors magnify the light of a fire-pit tended by H'yomi. A few B'oo claim they start to feel more comfortable in the light after visiting the holy place, but without rigorous testing it can't be proven.

DIPLO
>>4282453
It is a long journey just to reach the old capital, and once there the Dwarves are met with the disturbing site of a wall of flesh, studded with eyes. As if recognising them the flesh parts, revealing jagged teeth within. Disgusted by what they have just witnessed they take far longer to realize the incredible work the Ants have achieved within the ruin. For no longer can it bear such a title, as the Karnis have toiled diligently to remove fallen rock & Ashen, cleaning the stone, rebuilding collapsed columns and façades. It is spectacular! Tired from the constant up and down of the tunnels, squeezing through cave-ins, and dealing with the smell of death, the Gylden rest for a while. Ants hurry about in their business as they gawk. It looks like they carving some new nests, high up out of the way. Oh to be able to climb like an Ant, but then, Ants don't have beards, it's a give-and-take. (wanted you to have a chance at some Flesh Union diplo while you're passing through, do another Kezgrate diplo this turn and you'll get to them. >>4282987 >>4283064)

>>4282488
The Golden Dwarves are informed of infrequent finds of small pieces of a dark green stone pulled up whilst farming in the lower reaches. The Wyrum Elves had little use for it, save polishing the larger chunks as a curiosity, though generally it was tossed back into the marsh. Should the Gylden wish, they are welcome to it, in exchange for a little gold, of course. (marked M. on the map for Malachite)

Dark eyes sparkle at the possible riches just one good egg could bring. Backroom talks begin with some of the less reputable Dwarven merchants on how a heist may be achieved. Unfortunately they amount to little more than just talk, as Gryphons are jealously kept locked away in Renthum, quite literally in fact. Should such a thing end up in the lap of of a Dark Elf, the Dwarves will be the first to know.

END OF SCENE ONE.

Posted on behalf of the Tarn

1) Ensure that Terrata Voss will fall into Tarnish hands. The bulk of our navy is already there, all we have to do is race the FHR. Using our contacts in the FHR and our color changing cloth, the Tarns can anticipate the official declaration of war and beat them to the punch. Given the nature of the battle(a whole armada vs a single city) as well as the extensive investment of state resources into taking this specific city, this should be a cinch.
Action 2: Keep the music going. Resupply ships and additional reinforcements are sent to Tramh and his armada as they weather out the gale. Though frankly even the Tarns aren’t sure why they’re doing this at this point

>>4288089

Llychlyn at this stage was prepared, at least, mostly. But right now something needed to be done to make a high explosive that Llychlyn could use. Gunpowder was suitable, but it seemed none in the lands of the east had them, but Llewelyn would have a potential solution. The west...Just as we discovered the lands north and east so too will we discover lands west. While there was plenty of rumor of lands to the south, due to the fact some grave beast was coming from there, and likely coming closer every day, it would be impractical to send them there...But west...Maybe there was hope there. Still, something that has become quickly apparent to Llychlyn with such weather is that if Y Llynges Frenhinol is to stand up and defeat such a creature, its crews and ships should be prepared for the worst storms. Ships would be refitted to have shutters over the holes made for oars so should the weather prove too harsh or flooding cause the ship to come too close to the water, they don't flood the ship either. Additionally, Clan Llewelyn's oldest and best sailors would take on the role of teaching the next generation of seafarers how to fare well in such stormy weather and keep the ship afloat and in good condition. Even now, despite such weather, it would be key for ships to still sail in the case some other nation had some explosive or another, or other important goods that needed to be taken to Llychlyn. It also had been some time since any particular news came in...This would need to be addressed...

>Diplomacy, Tarn, Akkhar, FHR, Gylden & Tarn.
As this went on, Llychlyn would be swift to send out people to the Akkhar, FHR, Gylden and Tarn. They simply wish to know how their efforts had gone, and to check if a stable supply for sylffwr had been found. They also would inform about Llychlyn's efforts in the navy, and how they had been great, with smaller ships capable of matching even the dreigiau, or depauns ships. Additionally, work on mechanisms for ignition and timers for explosives had gone well. Yet without stable supply of explosives, it will be much more difficult for their efforts to fight off whatever beast comes. They hope that, with their training and further work from Llewelyn, their ships could continue to arrive semi frequently in the near future, unlike that of other nations. Seeing how efforts were being made to essentially make them fair better in storms at the moment, but time would tell how well this goes...Hopefully at the end of this at least, Llychlyn would better know what the other nations were doing, and be able to deliver that information to other nations and help with the effort to fight off whatever lurks in the waves.

>Action One. Work on making ships better for dealing with windy weather and stormy weather.

>Action Two. Work on making crews prepared for when the wind blows and working together in storms.

>>4288086

>Action 1: Southern Rail
The Gylden/Akkhar railway agreement is signed ( >>4286154 >>4286243 ), and the Gylden Dwarves get to work in collaboration with their Akkhar kinsmen to go about building this southerly extension to the rail system. New tracks, new station, new bridges and viaducts; and many, many tunnels; especially to take the railways into the Akkhar capitol of Zarjotun'torzdun. But this should allow the Akkhar a far greater degree of access to the Gyldholm markets for their recent innovations.


>Action 2: Steam Propellant
The Tidal desire for new, steam-driven engines to power their Kraken ships, and the money they have to spend on it, attracts more of the Gylden engineering guild to the project. New college buildings are opened to train up the Dwarven engineers that the Deepaun are planning on hiring, and the engines themselves are refined through further experimentation and many prototypes.


>>4290889
>Diplomacy: Lychlyn
The Lychlyn are told of the efforts the Gylden Dwarves have so far made; of the Tarnish cooperation that bought breakwaters and gates to the rivers of the south of the continent, and the building they've done of coastal walls and defenses... which were offered to help Lychlyn as well by both parties, now the Dwarves think of it. Did the messengers fail to reach their destination?

Explosives? Well, the Gylden have made explosive devices... of a kind. The children of Fanw are informed of the mechanical Kran'garjum devices that are designed for explosion, and scattering of shrapnel, but... they don't think they're quite what the Lyychlyn had in mind. But the Gylden have other inventions to talk of, such a shame that the Children were unable to attend the demonstration of the new-opened railway! The Akkhar have already signed agreements to build one to reach their capitol, and the Deepaun are making purchase of modified versions of the engines to power their Kraken ships, as well as hiring Dwarf engineers to work them.


>Diplomacy: Karnis
The Flesh-maw unsettles the Dwarves. Though they can admire the work the Ants have done in restoring the interior of Aeuntirgarten, they're not sure what to make of the fleshy thing. What's it for, they ask? But they do not stay long, for they have a mission, and the ants are busy... they soon find themselves heading along the tunnels to try and find the >Kezgrate

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>>4288094
>>4287477
> Action 1: Construct the University City of Pthero
(a word foreign to the Dwarven tongue which means research, chosen as an applicable name due to it's non-Dwarven and international origin)

The University will stand exactly at the border between the Ruins in the Tidal Empire and the Dwarven Watchtower.

It will be considered it's own administrative zone, with the only Demand the Dwarves have being: Any student no matter race and ethnicity is welcome to study there if they pass the extraordinarily hard entrance exam.

> Action 2: It's going Down
The Dwarven fascination with with the Ocean was always minimal, but it is no less of an important field of study as any other. As such tidal water-tight bag technology is used to make underwater suits. Pure oxygen is stored in compressed tanks and slowly released to a Dwarf in the suit who breathes it in trough his nose, but breathes the air out with his mouth into the water. Adlfrth Dipdorf XXIV is the first Dwarf to successfully walk under water for a prolonged period of time in his underwater-suit.

>>4288088
1.

A great mass of Cravers can be spotted in Hel'grind near the borders, fleshshaping the Chern'bolg of their party into terrific many limbed beasts, singing hymns all the while.
https://youtu.be/ltf6jaU9Ioc

2.
More work upon the 2nd Grist'lung

>>4288088
Actions:
-"Mercurial Honey?" Nethula could hardly believe what her scholars were proposing. "You would ask of me to feed our young such an elixir? You might as well demand of the trees above to produce husks instead of seeds!". "But your majesty, the casts were only discovered by our great Mother through sacrifice. The swarm cannot be scared to take risks." Of course Nethula knew this part of her mother's history, that the young were coldly expected to be given for such experiments. Thought it is true that some broodmothers are cold towards their broods, trying to amass a larger number, there are compassionate ones that loved their children. It were these that were pained when their larvae had to be offered to an uncertain fate. Nethula would seek to change this, implementing a program around the issue. Broodmothers could choose to offer a small portion of their larva for the trials. Those who do receive a reduced expectation on their harvests, while those that don't must offer the expected harvest but may keep that portion of their larva. The larva from the broodmothers that choose to opt in for the program are respectfully treated as they undergo the process, viewed as a precious seed. Administering the unexplored substance, in this case Mercurial Honey, is called the sowing. Now all they can do now is wait and see of they produce a bountiful harvest.


-The Zo'Karn are the nimble needles of the Swarm, relying on their great numbers to achieve their goals in battle. It is time for the Karnis to produce a new member to their Arial branch of the family. Corpses of the Zo'Karn are transported to the Mausoleum and left to Rikal to reshape. The Kahro toiled away with the corpse, ripping and stitching parts of numerous Zo'Karn and So'Karn together. These amalgamations were to become the Zo'Kahro, the soldiers of the skies. Their bodies would almost be the size of a So'Karn, however its exoskeleton held striking resemblance to the nimble Zo'Karn with it's sharp yet more elegant features.

>>4291699
Sorry, it's me.

>>4288086
Quick post. Sorry Lux
1&2. Move the capital inland. We can't risk anything now.

>>4288089
Action 1:
Continue research into the engines, mostly focusing on avoiding fires, damage to goods and waterproofing for the metal portions of the hulls using the standard measurement system to their advantage.
Action 2:
Import ice cream machines, learning of how they work and using them. Esch trade ship has one installed in a crate form so that an “ice cream shop” can be set up for those who are buying and contracting within the markets. This will serve as a test run of having dwarves on board as they will probably be needed foe the engines in the future. They also serve as icemakers for use in preserving high value perishables and giving the drinks of those buying such things an extra edge.
The machines and acompaning personal are also imported into the empire proper, going around and catering with the substance alongside ice to guests.
>>4291575
>>4288013 ( TARN )
>>4291780
(Diplo)
The tidal empire is in the process of retrofitting their ships with humongous engines powered by coal. Such great machines creates an equally great demand for coal. Thus the tidal empire has decided to fund the construction of a railway to the main coal mine of one of you three coal having powers. It is to connect to its nearest coastal trade zone within the empire which owns the coal (it can go through a major city but only if that is on the way to the nearest trade zone)
Whichever nation can offer the cheapest results will be given the funding in return for the lessened cost of coal to the dragons.

>>4292144
The Akkhar Dwarves offer their Coal mine, as they feel the railroad will help both their nation industrialize and increase our friendship with the Tidal.

>>4292144
The Free Human Republic has been mining coal for decades, and thus is open to the idea of this railroad. The only payment requested is steam engines, as the FHR can use such things in it's industry and military.

>>4291390

Sadly the only messages Llychlyn had gotten were from some time ago. Interestingly, the Children of Fanw there would be more concerned with what happened to the messenger than the messages themselves, though understandable given the weather of late. Still, they'd explain with regards to explosives they had a desire to get some sort of explosive compound other than gunpowder, or simply some other nation finding a good source of sulfur. As for the engines, Llychlyn would very quickly find interest in them, especially at the news of ships potentially utilizing them. They'd be swift to state that Blodwyn and Eheubryd would spare no expense in getting such for their own ships as well, along with the knowledge of how to produce them at home if the dwarves are willing.

>>4288088
>1: home reservations
As of right now, we believe that the mountain is prepared for the catastrophe. Anything that happens afterward will be luxury, and based on what spare time we are given by circumstance. Meluz in all populated cities are able to reserve living space inside the mountain, free of charge. It is first come, first serve. In that case, it's good that some of us enjoy being stuffed together with a lot of our family members.

Of course, individual meluz and families will be assigned certain rooms, based on the number of people they bring in.

>2: plumbing
Alright, so if we plan on staying here for all of calamity, the worst case scenario is that we end up like the dwarves. We must create a sewer system, which flows deep into the ground, so that we don't have to deal with the stench. But what hole goes deep enough to last all of calamity? To find it, we must dig.

Posted on behalf of the B'oo

Build a underground city below Jubilation
Research ways to enforce the earth so earthquakes and whatnot don't collapse them so easily

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SCENE TWO

Conditions remain much the same, if not a modicum more calm. On the isle of Llychlyn, the Akkhar peninsula, and the southern Gylden coast, wood flotsam becomes a common sight.

>Vossik
By the Lightbringer! Hideous living mushrooms have sprouted within the lungs of the victims of "Dyeworks-Rains Disease"! More dead are autopsied with the same results. The bodies are burnt at once, and though the decision is an awful one, the sick are euthanised and they burnt also. It is not until the first nurse begins to aspirate white-flecked blood that the true extent of the disease is realised. Every part of the field hospitals are burnt, twin infernos fill the mountainsides with dark smoke. Suicides soon follow. It it is a terrible loss of life. The dyeworks is shut down as an investigation is held, compensation being ordered to be paid to hundreds of kosts. And then the pink speckled rain falls on Renthum.

>>4288106
>Tarn
[B] Around the piping and vats of now empty sulphur, a rather ugly yellow moss of sorts has grown. Every so often it is stripped away to avoid it damaging the equipment, and dumped at the old Soghoian waste facilities. The smell of the stuff had been down to its origins, and dump site. But with supplies dry, everything is tested these days, and the Gods must have a sense of humour, as trapped within the dead moss is that stinking gold. Dried and ground it is almost thirty percent sulphur by volume. Testing shows the powdered moss to be just as combustible and volatile as sulphur alone.
The final plans are approved. Within days, Terrata will be under siege.
It is as if all of Xycthos has gone mad! Specialist vendors & artisans are sold out of instruments, banners are torn from windows to adorn the ships, even the temple of Persa is raided for supplies. The mania reaches a crescendo as a moored warship is seized by the mob to sail south.

>>4290889
>Llychlyn
What good is a ship if it can be sunk by the weather? All matter of methods are tried, from the rigging to the bilge. What works is implemented post-haste. Of interest however is an unknown substance seen in use by the Remnant peoples, a black stuff with a foul smell. (rubber)
Rigorous testing performed both on land and training ships show it is not a lack of knowledge or forgetfulness which causes mistakes or even breakdown of command, rather it is a matter of resolve, morale. As the navy has modernised, it has let fall by the wayside many habits and superstitions seen as merely idiosyncrasies of old weathered sailors. But with seas growing worse by the day those old sailor tricks are trickling back in. Whistles heard over storms, shanties to raise the spirits, a glug of Akkhar brandy to warm the body.

>>4291390
>Gyldenthrong
The Southern Rail stretched Gylden engineering past anything that had come before. Flattening land and tunnelling was of course nothing new, but the sheer scale of the work was immense. Not only this, the line included the building of three stations, including its Volcanic Terminus, the first and longest ever iron-construction bridge, and the longest ever tunnel dug under Gylden orders, though this was primarily performed by Ashen Dwarves. A great number of these Ashen upon completion would join with the Akkhar, their old kinsdwarves, as Zarjotun'torzdun was still a holy site to them. (>>4291575)
The 'Omadintz Hall for Nautical Engineering' opens with funds from the guild and Depaun. Here prototypes are tested for efficiency, water-proofing, and many other criteria. One promising lead is the separation of component parts, allowing for partial submersion for brief periods, though taking up more space. The subject of fuel substitutes is also raised, with coal being a heavy, dirty commodity that Tidal vessels would otherwise not normally carry, there must be something more pleasing.

>>4291575
>Akkhar Dwarves
First are built rather utilitarian university facilities, though of dimensions tall enough to accommodate the Sea-Dragons which push the limits of Dwarven architecture. Next come the basic amenities; lodgings, breweries, and the like. As more is built, more come, growing the campus to the size of a small town before the first lectures are even begun.
Though portrayed in Dwarven pamphlets as an astounding success, this was far from the truth. First, the technology supplied by the Tidal relied on a minimal of inside stress, causing restriction in movement inside the capsule. Second, was the immense pressure placed upon poor Adlfrth, both on his descent and ascent, inflicting upon him pain in his legs & chest, a dizziness that still came & went, and an irregular heart beat. Third, the translucence of the cephaloidal shell meant only vague shapes of darkness could ever be made out.

>>4291581
>Cravers
The tearing and melding of Flesh on such a scale had not been seen since Neverborn was rooted to the Charnel Lands. Limbs, pulsing veins, organs of every function, all pieced together haphazardly. Priest and Monk work side-by-side on their enormous project.
Much of the second Grist'Lung's structural framework is completed, leaving only the slime vats to be attached and final calibrations tweaked.

>>4291699
>Karnis
It is a delicate procedure in which the correct dosages must be thoroughly considered. A single drop is the first to be administered, then two, then three, and so on up until the hypothesised 'safe' dose. But with so many larvae so generously given up for testing there still remain enough to be, cavalier. And so the few remaining larvae are given a double, and one even a triple dose! Unsurprisingly this last dies rather quickly, followed by two thirds of the next highest. There is hope for the last third given a double dose, but these two eventually succumb. On the other end, those given all the way up to six drops seemed to suffer no ill effects, though were not granted the benefits of being given Queen's Joy either. It is in these middle Antlings that promise lies, seven to forty-one drops. As they develop it becomes eminently apparent that those given between thirty-six and forty-one drops were, defective, and terminated to spare them suffering. The lower seven to twenty-four drops grew to be larger than most, but awkward, clumsy. But that sweet spot, ten drops between, there lay power. Able to perceive this plane and Her own, to flit between them on a whim. They suffered many of the effects of other mercury-users, altered gait, dysfunctional glands, laboured breathing, but could with minimal assistance thrive. If it was worth the loss of life in the testing, only the Matriarch may decide.
One more abomination is brought into creation to terrorise the skies.

>>4291780
>FHR
Whatever can be salvaged is pulled out of the muck, along with the dead and soon-to-be dead. The whole city is surveyed for signs of damage, the ground tested throughout, every possible issue addressed. The oldest parts of the city thankfully lie on bedrock, saving the expense and anguish of moving or losing the heart of Andreth. Everything that can be moved away from the slumped land is done so, with cranes, rollers, even brick-by-brick. The new cliff is shored up, the water drained, stone packed wherever possible. This will be the only damage Andreth will ever suffer! As with any time of crisis, faith spikes. Temples, chapels, and holy sites see the highest attendance since the plane-shift.

>>4292144
>Tidal
Compartmentalisation is suggested, not only of the engines, but entire rooms and decks. Then should a fire or flooding take hold of one compartment, it is at the very least slowed from spreading. Though inefficient, storage of fuel away from the engines is also advised.
Tidal and Ashen dealings had been mostly pleasant, as far as a Dwarf can be pleasant, and these offshoot Ashen are even more agreeable. Ice and Ice cream sales are a nice addition to pot, if only just making a profit. But most pleasing is that the ice cream draws in potential buyers, and recent logbooks confirm it. (>>4291575)

>>4292381
>Meluzina
Lines stretch out the doors of every town-hall and council-office in every town in all of Meluzina. Some of course are sure that it is all over-hyped, or that Castor will save them, or that even if it is as bad as "foretold" they're hardy enough to survive.
By the will of Castor there is not much digging until a hollow is found beneath the warrens of His Keep. At the bottom lay stagnant water, with the smell of Dwarf strong in the air. After shouting down profanities in Meluz and Ashen, and without hearing a response, this crevice is deemed a good cess pit.

>>4292383
>B'yogi
The town beneath Jubilation is cut into the soft sandstone gingerly, in fear of collapsing all of the city above onto their shadowy heads. B'oo disagree what the caverns should be called, to keep the name of the H'yomi city overground, or use a new name. Joy, Celebration, and Sorrow are all floated as possible names.
Much is learnt from the H'yomi who maintain Jubilation, for it's position on sandy terrain has proven most difficult to keep well. First is the staking of deep foundations, which is what those big stones must have been which were found whilst digging under their city. Next is keep the moisture of the ground steady, not too damp, not too dry. Last is to not build too tall, that's just inviting collapse. There are other methods for shoring up smaller patches of land, retaining walls, and the like, all of which are studied by the Shadows.

END OF SCENE TWO.

>>4292311
>Diplomacy: Lychlyn
And the Gylden would be willing to build engines for the Children of Fanw as well, and to teach prospective students in the Omadintz Hall for Nautical Engineering. Though they do ask in exchange to send some students of their own to Sharpa-Gryn to learn of the children's intriguing explosive powder, and help out their development of said.

>>4292311
An Akkar Dwarf diplomat arrives. He stumbles clearly very stressed out. Carrying a bucket full of oil as carefully as possible. In the bucket there is a stack of 100 small squares.

As he is lead into a room he explains what the thing he brought is... it's an alternative to gunpowder. Carefully with shaking hands he takes one of the 1-1-1cm cubes and puts it gently on the table then he tells all Lllychlyn present to stand back. Confused they follow. I mean this amount of gunpowder would barely cause a small bang?

The Dwarf then kicks the table and a loud bang can be heard with light crackling from it. After the onlookers calmed themselves and their ears they would see the table broken in half. (I sure hope that wasn't an antique)

This is what we Dwarves call Goatwood. It is made out of wood and goat poop. We are willing to open a factory mass producing the stuff in your land if you start mass herding goats for their poop.

Tl;DR
Spend an action to start herding a fuckton of goats and I'll spend an action to build you a nitrocellulose factory.

> 2nd Diplo
Wanna buy soap?

>>4292411
Adlfrth will be fine. He'll get used to it. The wuss needs to stop complaining. Do Dwarves toiling for days without breaks in front of superheated forges complain? Of course they do, but they enjoy it nonetheless. If he's alive the experiment was a success.

> Action 1: Refinement of Petrol
Using chlorine and our expertise with acids we find a way to make an acid so strong it is capable of melting candles! During the annual candle-night festival a lab party ended with unexpected cheer as a candle fell into a bowl of acid and dissolved. What is this magic!?!?!? Candles were always resistant to acids! As our Vulcano God granted us another gift?!!?
Additionally after evaporating the acid the candle left behind a black liquid, which burns well or even explodes (petrol). Trough our expertise in distillation we soon earn how to work cleanly with the substance. It is discovered how to refine plant oil and animal fat into petrol.

> Action 2: Plastics
With petrol, nitrocellulose and chlorine gas at our disposal creation of plastics is easy. Chlorine gas is pumped into petrol solutions under the presence of an electric current strong light and while cooking. Giving birth to the first plastics. Ones very brittle and barely useful, while another type of plastic including Goatwood (nitrocellulose) is much harder and industrially useful, but... explodes sometimes.

>Diplomacy, Akkhar.
>>4293137

The diplomat in question would be given a mix of reactions for their display. For one, they made it clear the Akkhar had some sort of explosive that could replace gunpowder. Yet on the other hand, the diplomat in question was clearly...Reckless...to say the least. Still the information brought is key as it was clear that unlike gunpowder this would be much easier to produce. Needless to say, the offer of simply 'farming' a few animals in exchange would be fairly swiftly accepted...They'd at least be able to make a use out of the more infertile fields in Llychlyn...It certainly would be a bit strange, though. The soap they had would also enter trade in Llychlyn as a more of a luxury product than a normal commodity, the older soap which they usually used still being used by those with tighter budgets.

>Diplomacy, Gylden.
>>4293047

This would be considered a fair trade, the Gylden have been friends of Llychlyn for some time and teaching them about gunpowder wouldn't be too key. It's not a component of a wonder weapon after all. Regardless, they'd provide the ships for transport so the a few students from both nations and the actual engines could get to where they were going, as stormy weather seemed to be less of a threat and more of a nuisance now days...

>>4292408

With the current diplomatic arrangements, there would be a bit of incentive to set up farms in the fields barren of game and incapable of growing naught but grass and weed. It would actually get some use out of the land, and it would allow the collection of the materials needed for the explosives Llychlyn was going to need in the near future. Still, that didn't mean that ranching wouldn't have its differences. It would be fairly common for the ranchers in Llychlyn to mostly keep a distance and not get too close unless absolutely necessary. And when an animal had been selected to be culled, they'd separate it from the others by a fair distance and then hunt it like it was a wild creature after a slight start. Interestingly, in the very rare case of the animal managing to make it back to the heard without getting shot and killed by an arrow, they'd usually leave it be. Naturally, given the fact that the request from the Akkhar was goats, it would start specifically with goats, but some other cattle would come over in time. As one might expect, food that was ranched would be cheaper than food properly hunted due to a mix of culture reasons and the amount of effort involved to get one versus the other. Naturally this would lead it to become the staple meat for those who couldn't afford the time it would take to hunt their own food, or simply didn't have the money to buy from someone who actually hunted their food alongside fish, though fish would still be preferred more due to the view it was still a form of hunting and the general familiarity of a sea based diet that Llychlyn had gained over the years.

Meanwhile, some of the more mechanically minded of Tudor, those who worked on the timers earlier would be sent to the Gylden to learn at the Omadintz hall for Nautical Engineering, along with some from Clan Llewelyn. The former to try and learn the workings of steam engines, and the latter to learn more generally how it could potentially be applied to ships and also learn a thing or two from the Gylden method of shipbuilding. Though, the majority would be from the former. With any luck, the Gylden and Akkhar would have provided key roles in the ability of Llychlyn to protect its sea's and defeat whatever beast is in the depths.

>Action One. Try out this 'ranching' thing in more infertile fields with little to no game. Maybe we can get some more use out of them.

>Action Two. Learn from the Gylden the power of steam.

>Rumor?

>>4292144
The Tarns likewise are open to allowing such a construction. They point out that they are already the largest supplier of coal by sea, and of the three contacted are most able to scale up their operations, due to the size and age of their existing trade relations and coal mine.

>>4292408
Action 1: Electricity.
A Tarn, placing a chunk of magnetite next to a rapidly spinning iron rod, is astonished when the iron core shocks him! Soon a larger prototype of the system is built in jaakal. It's only a proof of concept, but maybe...

Action 2: More music
Why stop at Xycthos when one has access to
a global trading empire? The price of musical instruments and musical sessions skyrocket as giddy Tarns buy up whatever they can. Meluzina flautists, Gylden drummers, even odd FHR throat singer, are all hired at extortionate prices and sent to the Southern Seas.

>>4292408

>Action 1: Lychlyn Powder
Dwarf students of chemistry return from Lychlyn with knowledge of their explosive powder, and look to the hills where they can build a well-drained site with good transport links to begin production of their own, whilst the trade markets will be scoured for chemicals or the appropriate substitutes to allow the Dwarves to enter production of sufficient quantity for their own uses.


>Action 2: Lowland Rail
With completion of their first railway project, the Gylden begin work on a second to link to it. This new railway is planned to link to the first and share the northern stations of Zvamholm, Zuvraktuv and Goldmine when their engines run north; but beyond these the plan is for the railway to continue on a more directly southerly route; connecting stations at the Royal and Diplomatic Estate and Gyldholm Port & Market, then further south to Vankung and Æblekag over new bridges and viaducts to reach Lapizkad. Further branch-line expansions to Daitaz'gatjag and Gnavkop are tentatively drawn up, but only for if the budget holds well... there can be no cheapskating where national infrastructure is concerned.


>>4294079
>>4293370
>>4293153
>>4292144
>Diplomacy: Southern Nations
The Tarn, Akkhar, Deepaun and Lychlyn are all informed of the sighting by Gylden coast-dwellers of wooden flotsam along the southern coast. It is ominous.


>>4294079
>>4286458
>Diplomacy: Tarn and Meluzina
The Gylden have some proposals for running the railways to the north and the east, if the Meluz and Tarnmen would find them of interest? A grand overland railway could, perhaps, connect up Vogaz'dun and Xythos and Tempel before running north to Megalo, Dynatos Thoryvos and Otedkl'latgjal? That is, if the Tarn and Meluz would both be interested. The Gylden Dwarves have some other ideas as well, of running trains underground into the mountains themselves; but it is all of course dependent on what the eastern nations would allow and wish for.


>Diplomacy: Kezgrate
The Thane of Dukkezop, leaving the working ants behind him, continues his expedition along the old Dwarven under-roads, north-west from the Cenotaph that has been made of Aeuntirgarten...

>>4292416
>1: further expand the mountain's interior
We must have more space! If we plan to support a population that will undoubtedly grow in confinement, then we must expand!

>2: peak nursery
So what do we do about keeping a steady supply of wood in the coming time of apocalypse? No matter how much we bring in from the surface now, our storage will eventually run out, and thus, we would be unable to heat our new burrows. Whatever wood-bearing plant we find near the peak must be planted and nursed for the sake of supporting our need for wood. Though the trees may be young at the start, we are sure that we will thank ourselves for harvesting and re-planting whenever we can.

>>4294994
>Diplo: gylden
Just what have you been doing over there? A railway? What's that? Oh. Oh, I see. Sure, as a mode of transportation, it looks very promising. We have a few places that might benefit from the power of these new machines. Of course we agree to the suggested plan, but there are a few places in which we would like to construct railways of our own. Since you happened to mention the concept of an underground railway, we would like to construct a smaller system of rails in our newly acquired mountain home, which lies in former ashen territory. Of course, your large-scale locomotives won't fit down there. We see that the network of caves in "Castor's Keep" grows more vast with each passing day, as we're ever expanding them deeper underground, and further into the mountain. Our people would be at the utmost convenience in their new home if they had a network that allowed them to move faster.

>>4292408
1. Purchase and begin to reverse engineer steam engines.

2. Begin initial espionage into Vossik land

>>4292408
1.
The army marches on Tyr, the great flesh abominations tearing walls and taking fire, while the Craver target fire mages with Gastric Casters.

2.
More Grist'lung building.

Posted on behalf of the B'yogi

1. The underground system is coming along wonderfully though there been complaints of the heat being stifling to bare living comfortably. The M'olies don't seem to mind, but the H'yomi are of a weaker stock. No wonder the Three see them as our pets; we have to take care of all their needs or they would die! But as their maste- We mean their benevolent sponsors, we shall improve their quality of life. We will research cooling systems to release heal from the underground and refreshen air much faster.
2. H'pabi's Blessing of increasing our resilience is a good start, but we can take it much further. We will gather the strongest B'yogi and conduct testing and trials to increase our speed and strength of bettering functioning bright settings.

>>4292408
Actions:
-In order to prepare Cenotaph as a point of defence against whatever is stirring South,the outside of the mountain is further fortified. Tunnels area dug leading to the surface, where they carve fortifications alongside the Southern border. Inspired by the large weapons the Ashen fielded against them in the passed, they started developing artillery of their own. Their first venture in this form of fortification would be in the form of a large ballistas able to shoot large metal spears at great ranges.

- The new Zo'Karo are taken a step further. Their design given to the Monks to tamper, they work to rework the stinger to inject spores into their foe instead of acid. Diligently they attempt to shape a spore sack to replace the acid stomach of the Zo'Karo.

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SCENE THREE

There is another spike in the sea's ferocity, crashing hard into the breaks and walls of the southern coast. Only the very (fool-)hardiest of crews would brave them at this time. More and more flotsam arrives, no longer just wood, but scraps of cloth, mangled hunks of brass, and on the Llychlyn shore of the mainland, a disembodied foot.

>Vossik
Immediately those who were known to be outside when the rains fall are sent to new makeshift hospitals in the mountains, far from the cities. Those having to travel are forced to wear masks of damp, tight-woven cotton, more, all of Renthum is locked down; No one in, or out. Given how many were infected, no doctors or nurses are sent to the camps. Thousands are moved, the capital becomes a ghost-city. Among the infected were both Scarlet & White Robes, who found their healing magics unable to help, the poor and the noble, and dozens of city-guards. All knew they had a death sentence. A whole month of mourning is declared.

>>4293153
>Akkhar Dwarves
Debris coming from the south has clogged the inlets of the vast Dwarven pipeline.
The candle story is what is told, as Dwarves are always one for a good tale, alas the truth is far more mundane. Studious testing of everything to hand. First came the creation of a fine powder, which the researchers claim is a 'solid acid', created by some secret method of metal and acid mixing, and then fire is involved. All very high level for the rest of the world. This the Akkhar call a "vogaz'nagkt", or catalyst in the common tongue, and already they have their mind set on a use for the stuff. Mixed with seed oil from their presses, and once more worked in a hidden fashion, they produce a dark liquid they claim holds a potential revolution.

>>4293370
>Llychlyn
(just a note that the Akkhar are overselling their nitrocellulose, it's a little less destructive than that)
Water has recently slowed to a trickle from the Dwarven pipes on the mainland. What are those hairy louts up to?
[R] With the ever angering seas, it may soon be impossible to transport between the island of Llychlyn and the mainland. Sailors have been monitoring the waves as best they can, and devise that the hours surrounding noon give the calmest passage. More, though it pains the advisers to say it, with Tidal ships being able to submerge themselves, it may be most opportune to deal with them at Goniat. The western mouth of the Sea of Glyndon being usually more agreeable, they could be left to the more dangerous waters.
Why had this not been done sooner?! The goats are easily kept and eat anything given to them. The meat's a bit tough, but then what are these strong Fanw-given teeth for? Of course, there's the stink, made worse by the Children's acute sense of smell, but that's not much to put up with for more meat, milk, furs, and horn on the market.
The Gylden are eager teachers, showing how with the arrangement of this gear here or that crank there, an engine can be made for all manner of uses

>>4294097
>Tarn
A large 'Gylden Steam Beast' is commissioned from the Lowland Dwarves, transported by tusker safely to Jaakal, and installed in the old chapel of the ironmongers' guild. The engine turns a wheel, a gear, the rod, at speeds impossible for even a Roodkhaane strongman! Slowly a chunk of raw magnetite is slid towards the spinning rod, inching closer and closer and- zap!
"Stop! Stop the ships!" An hysterical woman screams through the crowd, "You send these people to their dea-!" She is drowned out by the mob. They call for the musicians to play for them; "Sweet Girl of Tempel!", "Reed River!", "B'ikka the King!". She is dragged away still raving of a watery beast.

>>4294994
>Gyldenthrong
As Llychlyn and the FHR had found before them, it is sulphur that is most difficult to procure. But the Dwarves get to thinking, what is the sulphur actually for? Both their rock-fertiliser and charcoal burn nice enough, right? The Llychlyn ratios, minus the yellow powder, are mixed then lit, producing a decent smoke cloud, and with some Gylden engineering a slightly more favourable ratio is reached. Yes, even without sulphur it should do quite nicely, if not as brilliantly as demonstrated by the wolf-folk.
The branch line required almost as much work and funds as the pilgrim line, including a second iron bridge over the Astor, two new footbridges, and a special elevated station at Æblekag. A high stone bridge had to be erected to keep the flow of the Gylder and her tradeships going, and another south of Æblekag for the same reason. Almost immediately complaints pour in from the Zuvraktuv-Gold station of overcrowding because of the new line. (there is a Gyldholm docks station, I just can't fit the icon in nicely)

>>4295141
>Meluzina
In all directions the old corridors and stores of Castor's Keep are expanded, frequently breaking into other tunnels. The Ashen were evidently mad when they first dug out these halls, which double back on each other, or miss others by just a hands-width of stone. When all is said and done the Meluz manage to map out three layers of passages and rooms, all of which are rather awkward. No matter, the Snakes are an adaptive lot, they'll manage.
Castor smiles on His children, for in the closeby slopes are a fast-growing fir, having been brought or drifted over from the Elves forested hills. The nursery requires little management, a simple log (sorry) of what is felled and what is planted is all that is needed.

>>4295342
>FHR
A Gylden Steamer arrives months after the order was placed because of the rough weather at sea, but at least it arrives. After a brief demonstration of its workings, it is delivered to the Engineers' College to take apart and back-engineer. Much of it is made of bronze- no, brass, an almost uniquely Dwarven metal, with a few steel pieces between. The principles are rather simple, but truly ingenious. The pieces are very precise, even for Gylden work, slotting together just so. It takes two days to detail each individual component, and a further two days to put the thing back together, how did those fat-fingered Dwarves do it?
The first step is infiltration. Hacmosi sympathisers, Men of a Tarnic or Othinian look, and two Half-Elves of strikingly Vossik appearance. Given the turmoil already stirring, who is to notice a merchant or farmhand? The Men lookalikes are filtered into Terrata & Volodek, where greed supersedes all things, here amongst the stalls intrigue of every level can be heard. The Dark Elves can travel into the low-mountains with ease, as well as through all of Nomach, including the heathen temple. And as for the two Half-Elves, they face the most difficult task, to insert themselves right into the heart of Vossik society. Even with the strict oversight and suspicion of the Elves, only three Men are turned away from the port cities. When questioned they believe it to be because they wore a dagger or cloak in the Andrethi manner, and not the Tarnic or Othinian.

>>4295360
>Cravers
(battle post coming after this)
The [pentagon] Grist'Lung is complete, the slime vats filled, awaiting orders.

>>4295382
>B'yogi
Air circulation seems to be the problem, vents are dug straight down from the streets of Jubilation which supply cool drafts of fresh air most wonderfully. But it's still not enough for the H'yomi! It seems they won't be happy until the B'yogi ship ice all the way from the ends of the world! No, no, there's certainly something more practical. What about the sea? That's cold, right? So the M'olies are tasked to dig a tunnel and sort of easy-draining pool to provide chilly sea air and foam to the underground. Ah. That's done just the job. (and some free sea-salt to boot)
What had the B'yogi learnt if not that belief is the strongest metal of them all? So with prayer to H'pabi, and faith in His gift, the Shadows become day-walkers. Like the H'yomi however, they must rest when H'pabi closes His eye at night. There is always a give and take in the material.

>>4295445
>Karnis
[B] The union with the Flesh, Craver and Kahro, has been a boon all of it's own to the Ants. The Union raised the Sable to the Karnis, lifting them from obscurity into an empire which rules half of the north. Still, the Gods, whoever they may be, see fit to bless the Ants once more. Within her neo-chrysalis she stirs, cleansed of her impurities. The flesh-priests and Ants stationed to monitor her had long since given in to slacking, preferring to play dice or drink spiked honeydew than watch a corpse. But as her colossal foot stepped out of her pod, they realised they were sorely mistaken.
Taking lessons learnt in the Ashen wars, the Ants quarry a series of walkways and towers high in their mountain. From around the fallen Dwarves' domain, rock-hurlers and the magnificent trebuchet they had used to break the Sable's wall are wheeled precariously into position. Their workings still require some figuring out however, as they were designed for hairy hands and not segmented legs.
The procedure involves the addition of a very foreign matter to their creations, and so although previous variants may be laid, each Zo'Karo requires individual attention. Testing on Tuki birds shows a success rate of roughly 60%, jumping to 80% on an additional sting.

DIPLO
>>4294994
It is only on survivors' of the Ashfall's word that a group of Dwarves were thought to be this way, but the lack of noise and light even this far out is worrying. The further the band climbed the more their fear grew, and then, as they were approaching the "mine fork" the Ashen guide called it, by Guldfar the smell! Smeared along the walls, Gods they don't want to know, the floor, and ceiling too! Jabbering in the darkness of the gold-path. A torch is thrust out. Gnaven help 'em! Can they even be called Dwarves?! Little more than skin and bone and beard, maybe a baker's dozen of the poor souls.

END OF SCENE THREE.

THE FALL OF TYR
The flesh tear over the river from Hel'grind into Tyr. The city was ill prepared for such an invasion, having been assisting Terrata in her own defences. The few stationed soldiers are young recruits, barely more than forty years old, the Scarlet Robes sent being quite the opposite, nearing retirement. Flesh is blasted with fire and ballista bolt, before the casters and operators are cut down or else sprayed with caustic slime. Tyr falls within two hours, having no walls, and being residence of primarily farmers and craftsmen. Othinian, Elves, & their admixture, male & female, young & old, all are consumed by the rolling mass. The stone towers and wooden houses are ransacked and collapsed. Fire spreads quickly through the dry oasis city, furthering the damage.
It is only when the Cravers reach the river separating their prey from Terrata that the port city takes notice of the carnage which has so obviously ensued. Having relied of sea-travel to connect them, the Elves cannot reach the Othinian client kingdom with the Tarnic semi-blockade, their weapons failing to reach so far across the river and surrounding farmland. Over the course of the day word travels up into the mountains. The Southern Mountain Pass is closed, Annet and Tyrhen are put on alert. War is declared on the Cravic beasts. Yet, with so many enemies on so many fronts, and more falling to the Rains Sickness every day, it is little more than symbolic.

>>4296017
Still in disbelief at the prophecy's truth the empire of paitoy puts the engine project into the back as such constructions will be less able to brave the seas.
Action 1:
Further refinement of airtight containing is developed, with that goods may be peddled around through underwater routes although transportation to and fro for non-dragons will be heavily restricted due to the limits of transporting living things in small boxes.
Action 2:
Refit all our ships to be able to transport effectively underwater, this little event will truly mean a new golden age for our trading. Prices up and demand as much!

>>4296017

With the goat ranches, along with ranches of a few other animals, Llychlyn could finally work on producing a stable supply of high explosives, something that would be key for Llychlyn to be able to defeat whatever was in the sea's. However, as of late there was some concern. What if the navy wasn't able to traverse due to the horrific weather? Of course, some returning from the Gylden with new news on steam engines would be able to alleviate some issues, as a ship powered by some sort of steam engine would be able to simply not use sails in such weather. But, the wind wasn't the only issue. Regardless, there were a number of hurdles that Llychlyn would need to deal with when this monster finally came, especially given how the gwefr dyfnder would actually need to be utilized by ships in order to actually be of any use. Still, working on any explosive device would give Llychlyn experience and in the worse case scenario where the sea's prove too violent for any ship to sail, some other method could be figured out for coastal defense. In fact, a few already had some idea's though those required some things Llychlyn didn't have and naturally were going to be on the drawing board for some time. Still, even so, Llychlyn didn't have all the time in the world. And if the weather was a sign of how long was left...There wasn't much time. Hopefully, when the beast arrived, with it would be the eye of the storm. Then, at least, Llychlyn would be on even footing...

Even so, Fanw willing, there would be enough time for Llychlyn to prepare everything and fight off whatever is in the sea's...Maybe Fanw even would come and join in the fight, or the old queen. There was still plenty who believed that in Llychlyn's darkest hour, Fanw along with the old queen and a number of other important people in Llychlyn's early years would return to defend it...Hopefully, this won't be Llychlyn's darkest hour...And if it is, hopefully, those beliefs are true.

Mae Fanw gyda ni. Rydych chi'n gwybod beth sydd yn y fantol a beth sy'n rhaid i ni ei wneud, ni fyddwn yn methu yn ein tasg.

>Action One. Start testing to get a gwefr dyfnder

>Action Two. Start work on producing a good amount of High Explosive.

>>4296017

>Action 1: A search for Sulfur
Although the results for producing the powder were... adequate, the Gylden Dwarves behind the production know that the results could be improved if they make it properly in the way the Fanw intended. And so they hire the charters and send out their own researchers to conduct a search for the missing chemical. We'll check caves, farms, wetlands... even the runoffs of swine-piss if that's what it takes to get this working right. 'Inferior Products' are things for peoples who don't try hard enough.


>Action 2: A yearning for stone
Kalnzkag'kupkurg, despite being founded after the Ashen collapse, is the town with the highest percentage of former Ashbeards in the Gyldenland - although Ulzunteg'dun was founded far earlier by the Ashenbeard kingdom itself, it had always been a trade town where Ashen and Gylden had mingled. But Kalnzkag'kupkurg has always had a strong Ashen majority, and even those who have adopted Gylden ways know their Ashen roots. Therefore, as the town grows it does grow a little in Gylden ways, with the early wooden wall giving way to solid defensive works of earth, wood and stone as the slightly-spreading town requires them; but to a greater extent the town spreads downward. Yes, the lower levels are lit by glass and mirror, as the operators of the several guldfar's gaze machines stationed in town put their expertise to more passive design of civilian implements to keep Guldfar's light shining in the hearts of even Dwarves below the ground; but these living-levels and suburbs and subterranean farms are dug deep into the earth itself, as many Ashenbeards simply seem it more comfortable to have a geological roof above their heads.


>>4295141
>Diplomacy: Meluz
The Gylden would be glad to help the Meluz design themselves these engines for underground, and are told of the Akkahar Dwarves' capitol - to run the railway inside that mountain, the Gylden had needed many tunnels dug and bridges built. But perhaps the Meluz would like something similar? The Gylden suggestion had been for a connecting railway through the Tarnlands, but the Meluz might wish for an entirely internal line as well, running from their new mountain holdings through Parochi and down across the country, perhaps even reaching as far as the Mare's tail?
>Diplo: Akkhar

Food and Ale, that's what these Akkhar need most right now. The Thane of Dukkezop has his expedition give them a little of the food supplies they'd bought to trade for the mineral wealth of the mountains, seeing the Ashen as in to pitiful a condition to try and charge starving Dwarves.

> Action 1: Repeat plastic action from last turn
> Action 2: Build Nitrocellulose factory in Llychlyn land

Action 1: Expand NAvy and prepare for amphibious assault
The Tarnish shipbuilding efforts rise to a nearly frenzied pace, building warships at a rate almost unheard of. Some are of the new make, intended to fight the sea serpent, but the vast majority are tusker-haulers purpose built for an amphibious assault. These are anchored just off the coast of Terrata Voss, awaiting the color cloth change that signals that the time for war has occurred.

[R] The Tarns consult their diplomats in the FHR. When will they begin their attack on the Vossik?
[NM] Huh. So she's real after all. The Tarns begin to ask this "Augursoul" questions. Why is she here? What happened to the old Augursoul? Why is she the last?

>>4300505
Action 2: The Ultimate Orchestra
Its the greatest symphony the world has ever seen. One hundred ships, each carrying an enormous steam-powered instrument, meticulously tuned by the finest of Tarnish engineers. When taken out for a dry rehersal, their combined sound can be heard for a dozen miles in any direction. Satisfied with their accomplishment, the Tarns bid their ships adieu as they sail to glory in the Southern Seas.

>>4296026
>1: Castor's greatest gift
Deep within the heart of his inner sanctum, hundreds of meluz pray to Castor. We pray for something that will allow us to move this stone easily. Something that will help those who refuse to enter his sanctum to survive. They still believe in him, and so do we. As we have worshiped him for ages, and held strong to the rules of the magnificent ground below our scales, only now, in our hour of greatest need, do we ask for something in return. The power to mold stone with our bare hands, and wills of steel.

>>4299191
>2: Help the gylden build their rail roads
From fear of letting the great flood into the sanctum, where it must never go, we refuse to connect the sanctum to anything other that itself. Aside from that, we help the gylden lay down rails and stations to all of the desired locations.

>>4299191
>diplo: Gylden
Who are these Akkhar you speak of?

>>4296017
>>4296034
1.
A fleet of Bloats are sailed north, pass the Karnis Desert, to ferry the Flesh Horde deeper into the Elven lands, towards Dravana Voss.

2.
Another Spore Storm, released west.

Posted on behalf of the FHR

1. Supply weapons to Hacmosi
2. Invade the Vossiks, seeing as tyr has already fallen and they’re weak

> The B'oo
The B'yogi R'thi was amazed with the technology the Ak'har Ones invented. A glass holding creatures and plants of variety of species and locations. R'thi was visibly excited with what his fins wobbling and him gnashing his teeth!

R'thi speaks in a B'yogi accent more akin to someone drowning, "I am impressed with your people's advancements in technology. It's a marvel to beholden to. We are of a science folk as well though we have been set back due to national security. We have barely discovered electricity! We have much to learn. It would be most beneficial if our people could talk about trading goods and information if it pleases your kind."
> The Akkhar Dwarves
The Dwarves pleased to have their technological prowace aknowlaged, would be happy with the shadowy finned creatures. Though they would find it weird that they always talk as if Drunk even if fully sober.

A relationship of trade is agreed uppon and the Akkhar Dwarves also wish for the B'oo to show them their innovations. Thutrgav Fourbeards is to be sent with B'yogi T'thi to visit their homeland so they can learn all they can from the shadowy finned creatures. He is given a diving suit and oxygen tanks in case they need to go under water and is ready to depart.

The Akhhar Dwarves are happy to share all their technology with the B'oo if they can offer something in exchange: Fridges, Freezers, Liquid oxygen, nitrogen and try ice, natrium, hydrogen, chlorine, sulfuric and nitric acid, as well as petrol, porcelain, wolfram, flame throwers and pumps

>>4296033
Engrossed by games and drinks, the guards continue for another round.
"Really? Another double six, are these loaded or something?" bemoans the Priest-of-Flesh set to maintain the pod at the meteor
"No," quips Nethazar, "I'm just that lucky."
It takes them another round before they realize who sat down with them. Clumsily the group jumps to attention, with one ant so intoxicated she gave up on standing and saluted half passed out on the ground. With a hearty laugh Nethazar commands them to follow her.

after a few day's travel she arrives at the Labyrinth unannounced yet welcomed with rapturous cheers. How could this be? Not a single ant cared, all that mattered was the fact that they great mother had returned. Once she reached the palace, Nethula herself is there to greet her at the doors, overjoyed to see her mother again. The two entered the throne room, where Nethazar was brought up to speed on everything that's transpired since she was put to sleep.

"Most impressive, daughter. I could not have chosen a better successor. In the short time I slept, you've reunited our nation and made such wonderful strides. Truly you are of my blood." Nethula's antennas dance wildly at hearing her mother's praises.

"Yet your crowning achievement is the mercurial honey. I suppose the queen wasn't lying". Curious, Nethula presses "The Queen, your majesty? Have you met her?"

"Yes and no, my child. I was alone in my slumber, but even there I could hear the beating of her wings and the chorus of her voice"

Before she can ask anything further, Nethazar interjects "You will remain the Matriarch, Nethula. You have done well in your service. I shall be here to advise you, but for now I shall oversee the mercurial project. Now excuse me, daughter, I must rest"

Actions:
- After recovering her strength, Nethazar begins directing the continuation of the mercurial testing. She takes to the concepts quickly, as if someone's already explained this to her... As she inspects the larva offered for the latest runs, she walks passed each of them. Occasionally she stops, gently picks one up and hands it to a retainer. After she's done, only a handful are selected. "Yes, these are pure. Only they can open the way"

-Continue studying the Ashen siege weapons and rework their designs to be compatible with Karnis physiology in order to allow So'Karn to operate them.

File: Map65.png (584 KB, 2048x2628)

584 KB PNG

SCENE FOUR

(map also shows the results of the elven wars)

The ferocity of the seas peak, it is suicide to sail in such weather! Even the Tidal are confined to their islands. Thankfully, weather watchers predict this to be a passing spike, not the new normal. But this tyrn boat travel & trade are halted completely south of the Mare's Tail. (each player is given a third action next turn on the condition that it is related to the bad seas)

>Vossik
Trapped on all sides by enemies, the Elves fall back to their favourite hobby, internal squabbling, yet even this is hampered by the Rains. Though field hospitals true purpose slowly slips into common knowledge, angry citizens begin to take to the streets, against the direct orders of the Vossaya. Little can be done when the workforce takes up arms, even as war threatens.

>>4296746
>Tidal
It is a Tarnish good which helps to improve the quality of airtight containers; Rubber from the Men is easily moulded with hot water to form seals which can then be attached to existing containers. Word has it through the trade-whispers that they obtain the rubber from the Ants allied with the Flesh, furthering suspicion, though if such is true perhaps the Dragons may cut out the middle Man. Or perhaps the Man and the Ant both, if this substance may be produced in Tidal lands.
The refits themselves are relatively trivial, it is the size of the Tidal navy which presents issue. In time each ship is fitted with at least a small water-proof hold of some sort, even if just large enough to house a particularly fat Dwarf.

>>4299115
>Llychlyn
The pieces are all there; explosive powder or wool, timer, shell. But o!, how should the rune spark if it is not observed?! Here once again the Remnant peoples unwittingly give the answer, for they use a small tool of metal and stone with which to light fires. With a small alteration, the timer coil can be fitted with a small chip of flint and the housing lined with a ridge steel plate, which on the final turns strike together in a shower of sparks. The thing itself becomes an expensive toy, a thrill at dinner, a clockwork sparkler. Assembled, the powdwr prototype is no bigger than a milk jug. Timer set, it is sealed then lowered into an inland lake, anxious observers count down until... SPLOOSH! A small column of water shoots into the air. A remarkable success!

>Llychlyn cont.
Akkhar aided researchers begin the extraction processes. The urine derived component is abundant, more so even than in Dwarven lands, the faeces derived component however is lacking. As a standard to measure Llychlyn-produced extracts against, the bearded-ones had brought samples of both acids, and through an unfortunate series of rather smelly accidents, it is discovered that the 'sylffwr' the Children were after on the mainland, was a key ingredient to dung-acid. Minute amounts of the stuff are dredged from near-literal mountains of droppings, and in the time taken to retrieve it, twice as much may arrive by Tarn or Tidal boat. Thankfully sulphur from the latter sources may be easily synthesised into the second acid, requiring only heat and a cavalier attitude to one's own nostrils. Taught to only a few of the wolf-folk, including Blodwyn herself, the two liquids are combined with select flora to create the volatile material. The Dwarves warn that storing more than a small amount may have catastrophic results, and to not eat it, no matter how tempted one might be. Therkuunaz rest ye, Nendrir the Fat. (>>4300405)

>>4299191
>Gyldenthrong
The Meluz offer the strength of their Bullish breed, and the tenacity of the others, in the construction of future Gylden rails. (next rail building action will go further)
The results from the centuries of Gylden prospecting is scoured for any possible source or sighting of sulphur. Teams are sent to every nook and cranny of the kingdom, even into Wyrum territory. Mining records from every shaft ever sunk are checked. Still no source can be found! Then, as if Lykkelig Himself were playing a long joke on the Dwarves, reports from the salt flats are left on a clerks desk. "Foul smelling yellow crust removed from deeper deposits, reburied nearby pending authorisation to dump at sea.", Guldfar bless bureaucracy!
The Ashen are stone-dwellers at heart, perhaps more than they even know. With Gylden approval, they begin the mining of an underground portion to the city of Kalnzkag'kupkurg for themselves. Of course the Golden brothers are welcome, though few would take them up on the offer. The mined stone is used to replace the palisade with something a little more Dwarven, the green-hue walls soon become a emblematic of the city, even being added to their crest in the Hall of Boroughs at the diplomatic palace.

>>4300405
>Akkhar Dwarves
Always ones to push what can be done, the Akkhar draw up hypothetical means of turning their combined efforts into something new. Through a series of pipes, tanks, and runes, they pour in the previously discovered dark fluid in one end, ding the lightning plate in another, sit on yet another, and... wait.

>Akkhar cont.
Taken by Clan Llewellyn ship to their home isle, the Dwarves are given a small plot to build up their factory for the production of this explosive. Far from the cities, just in case. With them is brought twice their weight in ale and wine, enough to last them the few days construction and teaching should last. Yet once the factory is built, those Dwarves waiting to go home are met with dismissal. It is too dangerous to travel by sea at present, but with good, strong alcohol stores running low, it's going to be just as dangerous to be around the Dwarves as they sober up. (>>4299115)

>>4300505
>Tarn
[D] A blight afflicts much of Tarnia, it's origins unknown. It is thought to have started as a localised condition, brown curling leaves in the kitchen garden of one of Roodkhaane's mess halls. From there it spread with new trained guards to Xycthos and Tempel, then later to Jaakal. First it was nothing major, a few leaves plucked off here and there, but with increased contact throughout the kingdom it mutated, jumping from greens to grains, and further, to the opium plants. Three quarters of the grain crop withers in the field, the other quarter growing weakly. The poppies of the Sleeping Field shrivel before they even flower. In under two months the Tarn face starvation and withdrawal, the collapse of their second and third largest exports, and fear that the plant-disease may return next tyrn. Already there are growing tensions, riots may soon erupt.
[R] The answer? Right. Now.
[NM] Bombarded by every question at once she raises her hands, and with the presence only the Augursoul possesses being felt, they are quieted. "All three have the same answer. The foulness you allowed to seep into your midst has brought this upon you, and for your deeds, all of Tarnia is punished," the assistants are astonished at her accusations, though before they can tear into the girl she speaks again, "You cannot hide your sins from the Gods, no matter how far below the earth you commit them."
(given the FHR's attack, I am amending this action to your own attack, which will be in the coming war post)
It is the most ships harboured in Xycthos since the coronation flotilla, and now they play louder than ever before. There is cheering, crying, singing, sobbing. The mood is, different, to the other launches. A grim mist obscures the fleet as they sail into the worsening waves. The steam-organs are still heard, though muffled. A morose silence falls over the gathered crowd. Something feels wrong, morbid even. More flotsam washes ashore each passing day.

>>4300983
>Meluzina
The Meluz have been loyal, dutiful subjects of their God for generation after generation, venerating Castor alone. They ask now for a gift. Not in fear of the Void. Not in the attack of the Flesh. Not in the mercurial disaster. Only now do they feel they face an overwhelming foe that He must help them to overcome. Meluz know magics to exist, at least in some parts of this world, and through the whispers of traders has it become known that Faith is what grants the wielders of magic their power. From wherever He nests, Castor hears His children cry out to Him. Four He chooses, one of each race, to bear the boon He grants them. It is a heavy gift He bestows upon them, for to move stone one must be like stone. The four are young, one barely finished absorbing his yolk, when they are gifted, their bodies seize, their joints stiffen, the blood runs even colder in their veins. For their suffering they may now move, ever so slowly, stone as if it were wet sand. Their mothers weep for them, for the pain shows on their brave faces as they work their power.
(with Meluz help, the next Gylden rail building action will go further)

>>4301023
>Cravers
(see coming war post)
The wind patterns prove untrustworthy, and though the cloud blows west it carries only a short distance, over the Elven outcasts and the Dwarves. Oops.

>>4301029
>FHR
Superior Andrethi steel weapons are gifted to sympathetic Dark Elves, which by now is many of them. Unable to wield the shock-rifles, and burners being outside their abilities to maintain, the arms are primarily swords of Human design, spearheads to affix to Elven poles, and crossbows of a superior design. These are smuggled into Nomach, city & farm both, ready for the uprising.
(see coming war post)

>>4301500
>Karnis
Under Nethazar's keen eye, larva and dosage are precisely paired, thirty drops here, twenty-six drops there, all to produce a consistent brood of seers. They share their grandmother's, gift?, to see as they please or instructed into the realm of The Queen. The beating of Her wings becomes the metronome of their lives, they move in unison, as does the old Matriarch, as if ruled by one mind. What Nethazar wishes of such a legion is known only to her, but who would dare question the Karnis Queen?
It requires some finesse from Cravers amongst them, but soon enough the Ashen war machines are fitted with levers and bars fit for mandible or foot use.
[L] Nethazar returns to the royal chambers of her daughter, who is overseeing the quarrying of a second suite for her mother. The old Ant carresses the jade columns she had dug so long ago, "They are well placed her," she offered, "A sign of your right, and duty.". The scribes are sent off with the plans as the two Matriarchs speak, the mother sees in her daughter's compound eyes an understanding, one she had tried to hide from her. "What he said, it is true," Nethula is hit once again with the memory of seeing the Lord of Flesh in all his grotesquery, "He has been, I hope, a good father. To you, and all his children."

END OF SCENE FOUR.

THE ELVEN WARS

-Flesh in the Mountain-
The bloats struggle as far as they can up the Elven river, unloading their hordes only a little further up than the ruins of Tyr. The easiest target is attacked first, a small appetiser before the large meal of Dravana, the terraced fields of Vossik farms are devoured by the sprawling Flesh. Elves flee the farms to their old ally, the Ants of Lychgate, who graciously bring them inside their walls. Ravenous after their little snack, they turn their focus to the kosts. The mountain being too steep they are forced down the path the Elves have laid out for them, first crashing into the lower walls, all the while being bolted with arrows and fire. In typical Chern'bolg fashion, though now unrecognisable as such, the Flesh smashes itself against the stone until both give out, slaughtering the Elves on the wall. Up they clamber, gorging themselves on the terrified farmers and merchants unfortunate enough to be within reach. Met by a second wall they arrive just in time for the Elves to scramble to close the iron gates. Moving faster than could be expected the Flesh wedges itself into the gap, pouring through, tearing it from its housing. More innocents are swallowed into the mass as it continues to the city. Dravana takes aim at the encroaching monstrosity. (what happens next? tune in to the next Elven Wars post)

-The Battle of the Dam- (for real this time)
The approach is seen by the Dam-Guards, and as Men crest the hill they are met with a barrage of holy fire, cast from the hand of Scarlet Robes atop the reservoir tower. But these were not soldiers, instead rooted out Othinian spies dressed as such, sent as unwitting scouts. Having revealed their position, precise arcs of shock-rifles blast into the Elven casters to the horror of nearby soldiers. With the opening shots fired, the Elves pull the dam, sending torrents down the Sendack river, flooding the plains below. Fortunately for the Andrethi, the already lowered reservoir and Senday's seawalls protect the port from any damage. The fires lit by the Elves quickly burn out thanks to recent rains dampening their destructive path, and with little more than arrows to protect them now, the Elves stand no chance against the amassed FHRDF might. The Elezen are outnumbered roughly 10 to 1, and seeing defeat as inevitable throw down their swords and spears, crying out in broken Tarnic "Peace! Peace! We weave!", a mistake of homonyms for 'we surrender'. Still with weapons aimed, the Men approach the cowering Vossik. They beg in their own tongue and Tarnic. They are lined up, searched for further weapons, then their hands bound into a chain-gang ready to be marched back to the FHR. They pray to their heathen God all the while for mercy. The reservoir tower is searched, stripped of the few supplies, and toppled. A contingent is sent to the nearby farms, and when discovered to be Hacmosi run, are left be.

(Tarn post up when I hear back from Tarn)

END OF INTERLUDE.

>>4301557
FHR Penal Platoons:
The fate of a Prisoner of war in the Free Human Republic is not a kind one. Sure one will keep on living, however, they were, and are, fighting men. As such, there is a cause they can play in the dominance of Humanity in the war they were fighting in. All POWs are formed into Penal Platoons, units assigned to suicidal tasks and led by Hardened Captains of the FHRDF. Said captains are armed with Machete swords and Spark pistols. The intention of these weapons is not to assault the enemy, but to execute the POWs in the case of cowards and those who might try and mutiny. Granted, mutanies wouldn’t get far, as they would likely be shot down by the FHRDF formations behind them. By war's end, there will be no respite for these prisoners, and they are ultimately executed, albeit as painlessly as possible; prisoners they were, but they performed some duty to help in the war effort, and that is enough.

Actions:
1. The members of the Engineering district further delve into the mechanics of the Steam engines.

2. Artificial sulfur, or sulfur alternatives is again subject to researched. Surely there is some way to create an alternative to Black Powder.

War actions:
With the dam secure and dismantled, the eyes of the FHRDF turn to the unwalled city of Gilden Voss. While 5 Cohorts of men and women are sent to Hacmosi lands to assist in their liberation from the vile mountain elves, the majority of the forces are sent to take the city and Raze the place to the ground.

>>4301550

>Bad Sea Action: Further Defenses
The ferocity of the roiling seas keeps the Gylden worried, for they have heard well of the rumors of monsters in the depths. And so they work to further strengthen their defenses against the perceived threat from below the tides, coastal walls growing stronger and new braces of defense engine wheeled into place. Even a few cliff tops, such as the cliffs a few miles out from the royal estate, now start to sport warning towers and defensive bunkers, with the whole coastal zone now regarded as a potential area at threat.


>>4294097
>Diplomacy: Tarn
The Tarn are asked again about the Gylden Dwarf's proposed idea for a railway ( >>4294994 ) ... surely, with the seas so bad right now, this fast overland link between the main Tarnish cities, Gyldenland and Meluzina would help us all to find alternate routes for currently displaced trade between our nations - as well as help send the Tarnish cities our excess Gylden grain, as we hear you're having some crop problems? But in the end, it is for the Tarn decide what they want in their lands.


>Action 1: Snaking Railways
The Gylden Dwarves begin a new Railway project. If the Tarn decide they like the idea, we can take the planned route - ( >>4294994 ) - and if not, we will try to find an agreeable Tarnish alternative, whilst the Northern Gold Railway Company (based out of Otedkl'latgjal) will proceed ahead without the connecting stretch to build railways across the length of Meluzina, though avoiding the sanctum as the Meluz have requested.


>Action 2: Playing with Powder
With the Black powder mix made potent with the sulfur, the Gylden Dwarves present the explosive powder to the Artillerists of Torz'vogaz and their on-site Kendt'koldrag trained engineers. The smell it makes, the sound of the kaboom... it has an underlying satisfaction to the Dwarvish mind. Truly a Guldfar-blessed substance! And the Engineers start to use it, for properly encased and shaped it makes a wonderful propellant for shaped, heavy metal projectiles... let the Dwarven canonande ring out triumphantly!


>>4300983
>Diplomacy: Meluzina
The Meluz don't know of the Akkhar? The Gylden tell them of the southern Dwarf land built around Grey cloud peak, that they are descendants of the Ashenbeards, but ones who have rejected that heritage and see themselves as a new-forged people. Their lands are pretty cold, though; it's not a surprise that the Meluz haven't met them yet. But with a railway running to the south from Gyldholm, the Dwarves are sure the Meluz representative to our capitol will see some, sooner or later.


>Diplomacy: Kezgrate
Food and Ale, that's what these Dwarves need most right now. The Thane of Dukkezop has his expedition give them a little of the food supplies they'd bought to trade for the mineral wealth of the mountains, seeing the Ashen as in too pitiful a condition to try and charge starving Dwarves for these essentials right now.


[R]umour?

>>4301550

At this stage, there was two things that were clear. The plans for the gwefr dyfnder were solid. While the original plans were roughly the size of a barrel, the test at least showed that the project was sound. But right now, there was something key that needed to be done. The securing of a source of sulfur as even recent efforts have been...lacking in procurement. Seeing how their was none one the mainland or their island, it was clear that there was only one thing Llychlyn could do to potentially find some sort of source, something Clan Llewelyn wanted for some time. It was clear they'd need to find some other land far from here if they were to have any chance at finding sulfur. So, a small expedition would prepare to sail to the west, the belief being that the further away they got from the mainland, the more calm the weather would become. Of course, at the moment even if they were already finished with their preparation they couldn't leave Llychlyn's shores due to the weather, once it died down a bit, which it hopefully would, the act of even just finding some far off land would be quite important for Llychlyn, regardless of whether it had Sulfur or not, but if it actually had that wondrous material, Llychlyn's efforts would become much more potent.

Still, even so it was clear that there was a risk that the weather would be too much for Llychlyn's ships in their current state, and that the navy might fall, at least to Blodwyn. While she wouldn't state such things, she would prepare for that outcome, and set up a number of defenses on coastal cities, specifically for fighting back against whatever monster come from the waves should it try to strike Llychlyn cities and towns. Of course, there were plans in place to make ships more survivable still, but it was deemed important to Blodwyn to have a final line of defense rather than have the 'wooden wall' be the one and only, especially given the worsening weather. But, the plans to make ships more survivable would go through, and instead of simply improving upon the ship, once more the quality of the crew came into play. Timau rheoli difrod. Or damage control teams. While carpenters were used before for on voyage repairs, there is a difference in that their job is to swiftly patch up leaks that can be repaired more properly later when the ship is at no threat of sinking, and naturally because of this they are trained to deal with even horrid amounts of flooding. Its a risky job, and naturally the pay is quite high, but it is also one that requires quite a lot of skill and discipline. Regardless, they'd be key to keeping ships afloat when the time comes for the battle against whatever lies in the deep.

>Action One. Prepare coastal defenses against whatever lurks under the waves.

>Action Two. Timau rheoli difrod are formed. Damage Control Teams.

>>4301553
>1: the escape tunnel
With the help of our new earthbenders, each major city in meluzina will be connected via underground tunnels. This also includes Castor's Keep, as the citizens in question are to end up there when the flood comes. The entrances are sealed tight, with doors similar to the ones that used to guard the inner sanctum.

>2: accommodations
As it is the primary place that they will be working, our new earthbenders, and their families, are moved to the Keep. They are given the opportunity to make their rooms as spacious, or cramped as they please. It's our duty to make sure they're comfortable. Any supplies they may need, we will give it to them on request. One butler and one maid will be assigned to each of the 4 families.
This once getaway city is now slowly becoming a holy city.

>>4300405
> diplo: Akkhar
Using the train station in Gyldholm, a meluz representative heads off to meet the gylden. With him, he brings a fancily decorated clay pot, full to the brim with gemstones such as onyx and emerald. In the bottom rests our refined metals, silver and iron. They've been refined using old ashen techniques, and as such, they are very strong. In the form of the pot, and a flick reed inside, he brings remnants of meluz culture and art. The very bottom of the pot is filled with a very thin layer of grainy, dry dirt. A show of religion, in that the ground is the base of everything.

result of the meluz / akkhar collaboration

Meluz receive blueprints for cold-makers, and now know how to make ice cream.
In exchange, they will be shipping hot air balloons to the Akkhar in the next turn, and giving them the blueprints for said hot air balloons.

In exchange for plastic, petrol, and ice cream, the meluz will give a large supply of onyx.

THE ONGOING ELVEN WARS

-The Capture of Terrata-
Terratan sea defences cause the army to disembark close to the training college of Scarlet Robes. Gouts of fire are cast towards the Tarn, creating for themselves a ring wall of flame, but not outright attacking the invaders. Let them burn themselves dry! they are not the target. Ballistae a trained on the approaching Tarn, skewering Men to the sand, but the operators are slow in reloading, unused to repeat fire, and by the time their third volley is loaded the Men are at the walls. FHR fire bursts weaken the stones, allowing Tuskers to quickly to take the curtain wall down, funnelling Men into the port city. Merchants and fisherelves stand little chance against gleaming steel, throwing themselves to the ground, begging to be spared. Guardselves fire what limited bolts they have only for them to plink of breastplate or helm. Coloured Robes had been called back into the mountains for some unknown Elven purpose, leaving a handful of spear- and crossbow- elves to defend Terrata. Of course some Elves fight back, throwing chamber pots or bricks from their windows, killing in all only four soldiers. The rest of the city is easily brought under Tarnic control. The terms of surrender are to be drawn up soon, the Elves wishing for life to carry on much the same, merely under a new council.

END OF INTERLUDE.

Posted on behalf of the Akkhar Dwarves

Action 1: Plastics 2
Action 2: Aeronautical experiments. At the world university Dragons would he asked to participate in a specific experiment. The Underwater suits the Dwarves used seem to have had problems at high pressures as such maybe they can have another use? Dragons often report they can't fly infinitely high because it gets high to breathe. How much higher could a dragon fly if we provide them with oxygen like we do to Dwarves going under water? What phenomena could a Dragon which flies up that high observe? Is the world flat or round? Is it still far away from the Grand Cheese in the Sky? How well does the suit work?

Also posted on behalf of the Akkhar Dwarves

Sea Action: Underwater troops:
Our diving suits are improved and an underwater army is created armed with tridents.

>>4301550
With the advent of the storm the empire has become divided. As travel has become extremely limited from the holdings of paitoy to the holdings of the other dragons, though bothrio (the capitol of whatever clan is in power) still stands strong, it is only the southern island in which starvation is truly beginning to take root. Especially as the little breadbasket of the coast has also been cut off.
Thus an exodus of paitoy dragons swims along the bottom of the seas in order to flee into the trench, where there isnt as much of a currents problem in order to reemerge and get to bothrio. or to simply try to weather the storm in the trench.
Action 1:
Some of the forests on the bothrioan and northernmost island is cut down in order to make way for farmlands and in order to produce more storage options.
Action 2
As it is nearly impossible to get any large quantity of grain from the gylden instead great levels of preserved food are bought from the tarn and brought to the islands to be stored. Much of the large coffers of the trade ships is expended in order to do this.
Action 3: (storm related)
The shadow temple of lightning is called along with all others adept at lightning magic. They believe that using their magics they may be able to charge the storm in such a way that the force will be either completely broken and will then dissipate or that it could be diverted in order to reopen the southern farm island. Thus the great casting is attempted using a very large gathering of dragons only ever seen during the passing of empire. They also use electricity from other dragons who can only produce it passively in order to boost their power.
And with a great bout of worship to obadinia, with sacrifices, chants and praises being lifted the attempt is begun on the island of bothrio.
They will try their hardest to break or divert the storm, for the empire.

>>4301553
>defense action: wall around Megalo, and her sister cities
The sand from the mare's tail is poured into bags, which seem to be heavy enough for the proposed plan. This tide is coming, and once the water level reaches a certain height, we can't have our belongings soaked as we flee.
Using the bags, stacked on top of one another, we make walls around our most populated cities. Here's hoping this is able to keep any coming tides at bay.

>>4301557
A1+2: the final piece of the orchestra is complete. An enormous Meluzinar ship-flute, exquisitely built and tuned. Playing each note requires the full strength of a bull Meluz and has over 1000 different tones and intonations. The flagship of the Tarnish orchestra departs with the rest of the fleet. Glory awaits!

>>4303347
The Tarns are very interested indeed. Their treasuries are depleted at the moment by war expenses and the like, but they will put their weight behind the Gylden project soon enough.

>>4301557
>War Action
The Tarns, satisfied with their conquest, now turn their attention to their next objective. The port city of Volodek has be reached out to and they’re assent to a peaceful annexation had been obtained. Now, the Trans put that plan into motion. Flattery, bribes, threats of violence: the Trans use every tool at their disposal to capture the city peacefully. It’s at this point that the bribes originally paid to Volodek councilmen finally are leveraged: a great number of city officials are “reminded” just how dependent they are on Tarnish generousity to maintain their current lifestyles.

>>4301550
1. The Flesh Horde waits outside Dravana, gathering spare mass from corpses, as Kahro worms are shipped in to bolster the horde with the dead walking.

2.
A Raut'Let hive is produced, and prepared for a long transport by Bloat to the conquered Tyr.

>>4301554
Actions: 2x
-Part1: Begin digging out a large network of vast caverns deep beneath the region.

File: Map66.png (588 KB, 2048x2628)

588 KB PNG

SCENE FIVE

Though conditions improve, it is still far too dangerous to return to the frequent merchant routes of yesteryear. The upper Sea of Glyndon is navigable on better days, allowing contact once more between Llychlyn and the mainland. Still more flotsam washes up on the southern coasts, including a mangled iron pipe, similar to that of a steam-organ.

>Vossik
Much of the Republic falls into mayhem. Although harvest are good, there is little effort to bring them to the cities, where this Rains sickness is rife. Each day more dead are being burned. The army of Flesh is at the gates of Dravana, Men march into Nomach, it as if the Lightbringer has turned us over to Baalur.

>>4302665
>FHR
With every piece of the engine drawn up, production on the whole may begin. The FHRs rolling machines make many parts of the process easier, though the precision needed for other parts is baffling. It would take months for a Man to cut away each gear-tooth for the innumerable cogs in the Gylden machine. As other engineers work on replicating Dwarven work, a smaller team are set to figuring out the principles behind the device, and after a few sleepless nights it all just, clicks.
Countless trials are run to replace the limited and expensive sulphur in black powder. All manner of alternatives are tried from salt to ground limestone, if the Republic had it, it was tried. Which led to the addition of red-rust, the scourge of ironmongers, which when tried produces an extraordinarily loud bang, as well as the easier ignition sulphur lends. It's production is simple, if painstakingly slow, simply allowing slivers of pure iron to rust in water, which is then passed through a fine cloth and dried. Another addition which creates a terrific explosion is a single drop of the liquid metal which the Ants provided a small sample of long ago.

>>4303347
>Gyldenthrong
[R] Many moons ago, Jotte's second wife gave birth to their first son. He is now a boy of twelve years, though standing at only 6'6" he is rather stunted for his age. Something gnaws at Jotte, a worry that his son will not grow to be a true Giant. The oral tradition of the Cewri had been mostly lost by the time the Gylden took them in, but on story still remained; That in all four corners of the isle there reside a portion of an elixir, one of untold power. The Cewri word for it is "Gweion", for which the Giant cannot find a suitable translation.
[L] Zuvraktuv is a rather sleepy city, all things considered, home mostly to miners and farmers, a few fisherdwarves, and of course the cult of Undseelig. Now, Undseelig is often one of the forgotten gods of the Gylden, Their aspects being lent to Æblemor, Læge, or even Lykkelig in more modern worship, yet in Zuvraktuv They remain a prominent figure of worship. This isn't to say that manual labourers are the ones glorifying the Nude Dwarf, no, Their mystery is taken up by the more leisured classes. It is rumoured that on certain nights, in certain parts of the city, there rage seedy dens of vice, given over to the most hedonistic interpretations of "Love" imaginable.
A mountain mist drifts from the peaks of Sigod's Spine, bringing soft rain down on Kalnzkag'kupkurg. The refreshing summer shower meanders over the city and mine towards Wyrum before drying up. Dwarves claim the water had a reddish-pinkish hue to it, likely iron contamination from works high above. The chilly rain brings after it a slight cough to some caught out in it, though it's likely nothing a hardy Dwarf can't handle.
A defensive system of walls and towers line the Gylden coast. Not against another nation, but against the very sea itself, who delights in sweeping away any caught in her grasp. If there is one bright point in the terrible weather, it is that they drown out the alluring deadly whispers of the Golden Gyre, who struggles to shine foaming waves.
With the Tarn debating amongst themselves if the railway should be built, and with Meluz eager to help, the Northern Gold Railway is okayed. Within hours of word arriving, the foundation stone is laid at the Megálo station. From there the west line goes to Parochí and Zedfeld, and the north line up to Dynatós and Otedkl'latgjal. At the second city of the Snakes, the east line takes the hardest turn possible for a Gylden locomotive straight to Thési. It is most definitely a marked improvement from worn dirt roads!

>Gyldenthrong cont.
It is astounding how fast the mind of a Dwarf may work when presented with the request to blow something to smithereens. Not a turn of the moon passes before the engineers of Torz'vogaz present the "Krigatorz", the killing fire. Simply put, it is an iron tube on wheels, which through a hatch may be loaded with black powder, a solid ball of iron slid down it, and with a torch just so, send said iron ball hurtling faster than the eye can see. Once the patrons have regained their hearing, the artillerists are awarded contracts for Gnaven-knows how many more.

>>4303503
>Llychlyn
A huge effort is poured into the construction of sea walls, earthworks, and wavebreakers along every coast of the isle of Llychlyn. Irrigation ditches, flood-pools, and all other manner of defences are dug to help drain or capture, whichever is necessary.
(not much more flavour I can add, good work)

>>4303559
>Meluzina
Still getting used to their powers, the four work slowly, but steadily, to join the two closest cities and later the capital up to a main tunnel into Castor's Keep. In their appointed chambers they rest, practice their craft, and receive gifts from thankful Meluz. The youngest of the four, the Garter, still left with the lingering selfishness of a hatchling hordes these presents and offerings in a cubby he has made for himself. Meanwhile regular Meluz carve more comfortable dwellings for their own kin with pick and toil. Given the city's rapidly increasing reputation as a holy site small rock-cut shrines are commonly hewn into the corridors and halls.
With Thesí and Otedkl already protected, paranoia falls to the protection of the inland cities, seeing sand-bag walls placed haphazardly all around. Though probably of little actual benefit, it at least eases the mind.

>>4304575
>Akkhar Dwarves
From their machine of disparate parts the Dwarves separate the sludge into a waste(?) liquid and strands of a strange new material.
(>>4304781) A noted flyer of a Dragon is affixed with an oxygen tank and readied for the highest flight of her life. On the most calm day possible she practices short flights with the heavy tank, adjusting the harnesses and her own positioning. It is another turn of the moon before it is clear enough for the test. With a prayer to Obadinia, and a running start, she takes off. She takes the time to acclimate before reaching a little higher, then a little more, and then to her height record. From here she can barely see the stone roof of Pthero for the hilly countryside. A large gulp from the tank, and she pushes herself higher. Here the air is so thin, she feels little resistance, gliding slowly she takes in her surroundings. The world she sees, has the slightest curve to it, and, looking up, alas she is still many nautikee from the moon. Up so high however, even with the provided tank, she feels a little dizzy, having to crest gently back down, where she is surrounded by Dwarves hurling all sorts of questions at her.

>Akkhar cont.
Pilfering a few rubber seals from the Tidal at Pthero, roughly a dozen improved suits are manufactured. Still the major flaw is the lack of a window or opening of any sort to see out of. But if the Akkhar want it, the Akkhar get it. Though mostly a token and symbolic gesture, the Sea Brigade is formed.

>>4304781
>Tidal
[B] Obadinia, though not always obviously present, is a large part of every Dragon's life, from their naming ceremony to their final swim. The most recent way the great one has made Their presence known is in an adaptation granted to Shelled Kraken. It is a rare mutation, but one notable and useful, for those affected have a modified organ within them, allowing for deeper, longer dives. It is their shells which give away which beast possesses such, bearing a much lighter pattern. Given this, two are straight away brought to be built upon, making changes to the regular 'hulls' to be suitable for prolonged submersion.
Despite the teachings of some more radical members of the faith, one cannot survive on sea vegetables alone, and with currents shifting on a whim a delicious catch is no longer guaranteed. So on the islands of Bothrio and the Book Factory, swathes of forest is cleared to make way for farms. The soil is rich, the summer seeds taking to it well. Soon the granaries will be filled once again. As a last resort, some Tidal have found that the hunks of pink Flesh which infest the northern waters can be ingested, if first treated with wood ash, boiled, and heavily salted. It is disgusting, and holds little nutritional value, but is filling enough to stave off hunger pangs.
The Tarn unfortunately have suffered in their own way, a blight sweeping across their nation, even their poppies have failed. They have limited supplies of salted meats at extortionate prices, along with dried beans from Volodek which their populace find unpalatable. Meluzina has fish on offer, thanks to the trapping effect of the Tirod Bay, as well as farmed lizards and frogs, though if the Dragons could be brought to eat them is another matter.
A display of magics so vast has never even been thought about before, let alone tried. Minor trials of this ritual have been run on boats sailing east, with mixed results, but with so much at stake it must be done. Members of every clan are called up from the deep to lend their power to the collective, hundreds if not thousands gather at Bothrio for the event. The noise is deafening, so many chanting, praying, reciting hymns to the great Obadinia, culminating in an enormous blast of electrical energy shot straight into the storm clouds! There is silence then, all their breaths held in anticipation, and all at once the heavens open. Several days worth of rain drop at once, washing away spectators, thank Obadinia they are Depaun. The crowd is elated, but drained, the pale blue of the sky is a welcome sight. What is not talked of is the sticky residue that stains the plinth the head priest once stood on.

>>4305004
>Tarn
The orchestra ship to end all of them, loud enough to shake the columns of the capital, complex enough to confuse every Dwarf on Sigod, beautiful enough to envy those snooty Elezen. The crew gather at the harbour awaiting their send off, but none come. Soon heavy downpour darkens the skies, and the mood. But having come so far, the flagship will sail off to its own roaring! The eerie notes echo through the deserted streets of Xycthos.
Volodek turns coat in less than an hour. For most, there will be little change, except who the tax-bastard is.

>>4305028
>Cravers
The guards fire whatever they can at the amassed Flesh, including blasts from Scarlet Robes, doing little more than angering the roiling beast(s). A mass evacuation begins, sending able civilians east through the mountain.
The buzzing creatures await the re-arrival of the bloats for their journey, eager to taste Elf for the first time.

>>4305032
>Karnis
Beneath the jungle of the Crypts the Ants set about excavating a nest unlike any other. As for the purpose of such a project, Nethula is tight-mandibled.

DIPLO
>>4303347
The skeletal Ashen devour the proffered rations, crawling up to the Gylden explorers gasping for more. Given their state they are likely only days away from death, giving rise to wonder how they managed to survive so long at all.

END OF SCENE FIVE.

THE ONGOING ELVEN WARS

-Wretched Gilden-
Around them comes news of the total destruction of Tyr, the capture of Terrata, Flesh in the mountains, and a sickness devastating the capital. They have reports of mass graves, torturous deaths of civilians, corpses in the streets. As the FHR army marches on in force, to the tired Elves of Gilden Voss it is the final sign of the Lightbringer's abandonment. The city has a majority Elezen populace, though it still houses many Hacmosi and Pokon (mixed race) Elves too. The FHRDF will not receive the battle they hoped for, the people of the mining-town are broken. Walking through the streets it is obvious that citizens have fled, or cower in their homes. At the temple of the heathen god the pews are filled with the dead, having consumed poison en masse, even the young. There is no defence whatsoever, the ballistae stand empty, the armouries still locked tight. It is not a glorious triumph to take Gilden Voss; With the bodies and wretches, it is barely a triumph at all.
The nearby gold mines are empty, the smithies silent, the workshops abandoned.

-Nomach "Liberation"-
The cohorts arrive in Oldek, where the messengers sent before are still in dealings with the Council of that city (you never replied to Diplo in the last thread) on what shall happen in minute detail. There are lives on the line, after all. The arriving soldiers are given further accommodations whilst the plans are drawn up. In the painted chamber, a backroom of the guildhall where these talks are being carried out, Dark Elf courtiers have drawn up their own list of wishes for the future peace. They slip into the Assembly Hall where arguing has once again broken out, handing their scrolled list to the Prince. He clears his throat, and when this is not enough shouts impressively loudly for such a slender figure before reading off the requests:
>That the Men do no harm to the Elves of Nomach, including the Elezen and Pokon who make their rightful home in the kingdom
>That Nomach be once again made its own kingdom, without being subject to the Vossaya or the Daiimad
>and finally, That life be returned as much to normal as possible once peace is achieved

END OF INTERLUDE.

Posted on behalf of the B'yogi

1. B'yogi have noticed things in the H'yomi; their spawns. When a male and female mate, there's a chance the female becomes pregnant. The gestation period varies, but the result is the same; the female births a this thing called a "child." Tis most curious how H'yomi reproduce; seems like a waste of time to us B'yogi. The spawn(s) seems to be a combination of the parents showing varies degree of its parent traits. We will figure out how does this happens. (Research genetics)
2. The seas are getting more and more restless endangering our coast lines. H'pabi might be in a bad mood... But the Three test us so we may grow. We will research coastal enforcement to ensure ours don't get easily destroyed.
3. The foundation is being lay, but we must do more! In a event of apocalyptic disaster, we should have back up plans. First we will improve our s'ubmies to make them bigger and strengthen them.

>>4305067

>Action 1: Bang, Bang
The news of the success of the Krigatorz spreads through the Armaments workshops of Torz'vogaz like a burst from the burning powder itself. Long locked in economic struggle with the workshops and guild-houses of Æblekag for crossbow sales, one of the Torz'vogaz companies decides to try and miniaturize the Krigatorz to create a hand-held version, much smaller in scale, that can easily be wielded by a single dwarf for his personal hunting or defense solutions. The Engineers see a gleaming golden future, if they can devise an effective enough weapon to win the military contracts...


>Action 2: Thane in the Mountains
The Thane of Dukkezop is saddened by these near-skeletal Ashenbeards, and taps his own wealth to organise a vast relief and response effort. More food is ordered to be sent north, as sooner or later the expedition's supplies will all be eaten up, and with it comes many personal household guards up from Dukkezop. At Kalnzkagkupkurg, the Thane pays for a new bridge across the Volozvam; and beyond it hires many former Ashenbeards from Ulzunteg'dun and other scattered settlements to dig out a new tunnelway through the mountains to reach this Kezgrate bastion, which he starts drawing up new plans to restore into an active Dwarf town. Why, yes, he does seem to be assuming control here, but it's surely all for the best... these Ashen can't even feed themselves.


>Diplomacy: Cewri
If it exists, the Gylden do not know. But the elderly Rathi sits down with Jotte to talk some more about this elixir of the Cewri legend, trying to discern any further detail that might be uncovered through them - although an elixir of untold power is of interest, it would simply not be practical to search the whole of Sigod without anything less nebulous then 'search all Sigod for something' to go by. Though if Jotte has any leads of his own... of course Rathi will help him in his search.

>>4306123
Action 1&2: Industrialization
Action 3: Improve our underwater units. Either put in plastic/glass seeing apparatuses on their helmets or teach them echolocation done by knowing a hammer on their trident and listening to the reverberating bell noises.

>>4305070
>1: Remodeling castor's keep
It will be centered around a ravine, connected by bridges and staircases of stone. Many more floors than before, and all of them in commune with one another in this massive social center. This place. A meluz can breathe in here.

>2: send the akkhar a bunch of hot air balloons
Getting help from the network of gylden rails, the meluz ship hot air balloons, and the blueprints to make their firing mechanisms to the Akkhar.

>>4305065
1.
The Hive is moved to Tyr.

2.
The horde begins assault Dravana, the beasts smashing through the evacuated town, determined to root out any life which dwells within. Those elves left behind will be held... for now.

>>4305065
1. In Denza, casts are made, for the finer parts of the engines that cannot be reproduced with the techniques and materials we have on hand. We will have our engines.
2. Tidal defenses are established by all settled areas of the FHR. Those already existing are strengthened.

Rumor as well

War action:
The Hacmosi terms are acceptable, and post war proper borders are to be solidified. For now, the forces sent are to assist the dark elves in their revolt.

Back on the northern front, The forces of the FHRDF split, one half towards Coertyha Voss, the other towards Dravana Voss. It is better to adapt more to mountain combat before taking the capital then after. Of course the FHRDF is well aware of the creatures that lurk in the passes and crags of the mountains, and thus a similar campaign of extermination is processed as in occupied lands. They are an unacceptable threat to logistics, and the loss of materials and supplies is unacceptable in the war effort.

Meanwhile, ships make their way down river, those that can at least, to Dravana Voss, using their Arc artillery and cannon to demolish what Vossik structured line the way..

>>4305074
The Caverns are just the beginning of a grander dream, for the Labyrinth is not truly yet complete. These are just the foundations, in which the first grand vaults of the Karnis would be housed. These were massive stores of resources, from food to minerals to weapons that can be easily distributed as required to any front. It will serve as the heart towards greater expansions yet to come.

actions:
-The connection experienced by Nethazar and the newly born Ze'Karn was highly overwhelming at first. It was less a single mind dominating others, but much rather they shared the ability to send and receive thoughts from one another. The network their minds formed was a stunning force at first, but slowly they made sense of the experience. Slowly they achieved a sense of synchronicity, each ant still possessing individuality but able to work in concert with their fellows on a level not seen before. With these results, the same process is repeated however careful care is given to grooming the young larva. They wait and see if their efforts to birth a Queen Ze'Karn.

-In order to stock the Vaults with a strong supply of food, the Karnis will need to prepare the garden above. Effort is spent learning of new ways in which they could further increase the yield of the great forests, trying to further enrich the earth and promote even larger plant growth. Many ideas are flung around until one finally sticks to the wall. The ants dig out small chambers for waste collection close to the surface on the outskirts of the colonies. Within the colonies other rooms were carved in to allow ants to relieve themselves into storage which could easily be replaced and transported to these outside collection pits. The waste is then ultimately distributed throughout promising areas to enrich the earth.

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A1: Expansion
The final piece of the puzzle to complete the full Tarnish circle: expanding into the two marked tile. With these positions, the Tarns will have borders with every major nation other than Lychlyn. The longest sailing time between friendly ports will be less than 2 weeks, allowing ships to carry much less food, in turn reducing cargo prices and increasing cargo-per-ship substantially. The two ports import food over sea, representing a significant monetary cost, but the reduced costs that they allow is more than worth the investment.

A2: Given how long its been since the roaring seas began, many citizens have stopped believing that the dreadful monster is coming at all. Still, supply ships laden with food continue to sail out, resupplying the great orchestra fellets.

War Action: the Tarnish army moves in conjunction with the FHR to take the land immediately west of Terrata Voss. The enormous tusker-haulers smash formations to pieces before disgorged thousands of troops to mop up any stragglers.

>>4307446
>>4306123
I wantz Rummor

>>4305070

With the northern sea's calming down to an extent, the expedition would be able to set sail. They'd sail to the northwest before simply changing westerly after the sea's became calm enough. Their goal was simply to find land, and seeing how much supply they had been given, it was likely they'd find land before they ran low on supply and had to head on back. Still, even if they found land, the second step would be sending a team to see if there was any sulfur nearby. Regardless, once they either found a major, large land mass, or a source of sulfur, they'd drop off a portion of their supplies and people to start a colony there and send the rest back to inform Llychlyn of their success, along with how the weather was like all the way over there...Hopefully it'd be much calmer once they sailed far enough to the west...Hopefully. Regardless, if this worked, even if they didn't find Sulfur, if the weather was better there'd be a decent place to set up shop for those who wish to be safe when the Fanw forsaken monster from the depths comes.

Meanwhile, one Iolo Tudor, would have been quietly working with clan Nist for a while. He had learned of how steam engines worked with the others sent to Gylden lands and of their potential applications. Yet, he had a different idea. Instead of having the engines used to power transportation, what if they used it to turn things other than wheels on tracks or screws in the water? Seeing the use primarily attached to spinning, initial work would be on textiles and the like...Early tests would be shown promising...Perhaps production could be increased with these steam engines without sacrificing quality? Regardless, a few small facilities using modified steam engines would be made, specializing in textile production, time would tell if this would be able to branch out to other things, and how viable it actually was, but it would be key to the production of many things in the defense of Llychlyn in the future should these early Ffatri work well...

>Action One. Send out the expedition.

>Action Two. Early Industrialization.

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SCENE SIX

(Map does not show outcome of the Coertha battle, as I am stuck trying to write it and want to get up this Update)

Though still too rough for fishing dinghies or pleasure yachts, the seas are calm enough for the larger merchant navies to sail again. Care has always been taken to avoid the Golden Gyre in the past, but as the surrounding waters calm her eddies grow more dangerous.

>Vossik
The Rains have passed, those afflicted destroyed, and with news now filtering in to the Vossaya of invasion, massacre, and insurrection, their ire manifests. Every available Gryphon rider is pressed, the kosts scoured for Elves to take up arms, the Elezen shall fight to the last! Scarlet and White Robes, the few that remain, are pulled from religious service and into military duty. The client kingdoms are lost. Terrata and Dravana have fallen. Now only the high mountains voss remain.

>>4306123
>B'yogi
Ever curious, 'Peeping Boos' become a real problem in Jubilation. How can the H'yomi not understand they watch for science(!) and not some other thrill, for though the B'yogi have formulated many emotions inside themselves, lust has thankfully not (yet) been one of them. So they fall to their old friends, the Watchers to observe for them, following paired H'yomi for tyrns at a time. Now H'yomi are not always paired, some go gallivanting off with many H'yomi, which other H'yomi say they find distasteful, and which many B'yogi have to agree as it interferes with their research. But enough are followed to ascertain lineage, and a hypothesis established. There is, inside each H'yomi, a recipe, and when two H'yomi mate they combine their recipes together. Sometimes this makes for delici- strong children, and other times it is like both parent's recipe calls for a handful of salt which ruins the dish- child. The B'yogi promise that despite appearances, folk tales, and observable behaviour, they do NOT eat children. Not one.
Aping designs covertly seen, defences are built and sunk in areas most at risk of H'pabi's wrath. If this is not enough however, most drastic measures may be taken. So S'ubmies are enlarged, strengthened with steel ribs (thank you for the idea Garnish!) and readied on the coasts to be filled with B'oo.

>>4307440
>Gyldenthrong
Since the red rain there has been a spate of a coughing sickness, commonly bringing up white-flecked blood. It may be a poisoning of some sort, Guldfar only knows what chemicals the Ants are using in their metal working endeavours at the old Ashen capital. None have died so far, but a few look to be a Snehvid's door.
Making the Krigatorz design in miniature is an easy task for the Dwarves, as is hefting the 40 pounds of solid iron, less so is dealing with the recoil, backfires, and burning which accompanies the firing of these lot'krigatorz. Of course much of these can be fixed with further testing or protection, though another problem presents itself. The casting of the inch or so sized slugs is imperfect, and the bullets themselves often become stuck, or shoot off on their own trajectory. What is needed is a softer metal, at least, that is what is theorised.
The perfect spot is found, where the mountain drops sheer into the river, where a bridge can be built, and elaborate entrance be carved. From there a rudimentary tunnel can be dug as straight to the poor Ashen as possible. (You're not being paid overtime, Dwarves, let's get this tunnel done before the end of the world, please!) The corridor is steep, steps carved in some areas, in order to reach where the Ashen had fled in the civil war, but it is worth it to be Lord over oth- help those starved brother Dwarves.

>>4307446
>Akkhar Dwarves
[R] Whilst performing his daily rereading of his Lotzuren'lun, a Dwarf by the name of Kalmr Marzungt begins to decipher the barely hidden subtext of the little rust coloured book, namely that 'none are free if a single king reigns'. He drops his book, struck by some hitherto unknown indignancy, the land is full of kings! All three of their neighbours are in fact lorded over by monarchs! How could the collective have let this stand?! Unless, they to are ruled over by some sovereign. Corruption must be weeded out! No prince or aristocrat may be left with a head on his shoulders! TO ARMS!
Gylden engines are snapped up as soon as they come on the market, delivered by train to the capital, and immediately put to work. Anything that can have a drive-belt or shaft added is affixed with one. By the end of the tyrn, one can barely hear oneself think for the whistling steam and clanking gears, as all of Taggortz becomes powered wherever possible.
(It was just a one time extra action)

>>4307451
>Meluzina
The Ashen way is tried, and found wanting, it is no way for a Meluz to live. Monumental excavation work is undertaken, assisted by the Gifted, to create an aerating hollow through Castor's Keep, complete with numerous sealable vents to the mountain peak. From this radius, terraces, corridors, and private rooms. Far more fitting.
Four good size balloons, along with all necessary equipment is sent be rail to the Dwarves. Still in short supply, only an armful of gas-canisters are sent, but the clever Akkhar are sure to fabricate some equivalent.

Rolled 3 (1d3)

>>4307453
>Cravers
The swarm heads south, darkening the sky as they pass overhead.
[D] Long speculated, oft ignored, the inevitable comes to pass. Unable to support the bloated mass atop itself Neverborn collapses down to its foundations. Spurs of bone, ragged flesh, and ruptured veins are all that remain standing, as the surrounding forest is flooded with gore. The source from which every artery stretched across this plane draws power is no more, leaving only the Maw-cities to struggle to sustain them.

>>4307603
>FHR
[R] With Volodek taken by the Tarn, Andrethi Men are once more free to browse the market city. However of greater intrigue is a new building just south, on the outskirts of the sister city of Zvamholm. It belches smoke into the air, and then disgorges Dwarves, Tarn, those Snake-like grittidim from the north. They have not been known for magics, so teleportation is out, but then how do they- an enormous Gylden engine set on wheels, pulling behind heavy laden carriages departs the building. Now that, that is intriguing.
Though the Gylden work appears to be meticulously done by hand, why waste the time when a cast can be made? And so the forges of Dezna are turned towards the reproduction of the Dwarven engine. After all the work is done, the pieces for two new engines are manufactured, carefully pieced together, and loaded with fuel.
Wary of the effects of the unrestrained sea, tidal defences are sunk all around the Republic, protecting rivers from surges, farmland from erosion, and Andreth from further damage.

>>4307649
>Karnis
Nethazar guards over her new brood, though she did not lay them, and though she would not say it aloud, it is to these larvae she feels the closest.
1 or 3: But even with the luck of the Matriarch, one cannot always win. Though the Ze'Karn are healthy, well, as healthy as a mercurial Ant can be, they do not birth a queen.
2: Once again the Matriarch's luck holds strong. Though she is still a little grub of a thing, Nethazar knows. This larva, this one shall be a queen.
Though individual Ants may find the practice disgusting, they do as and where they are told. The green of the jungle is just that little bit brighter after the Karnis have worked their night-magic.

>>4307782
>Tarn
With so much food needed in Tarnia, the Gylden and Tidal cannot support them alone. The opening of new lands along the north trade route should ease the burden, away from the risky southern waters, opening up trade opportunities with the Union of Flesh. It too allows for far more booty to be sent home from the capture of Vossik territory. Rationing is implemented no longer only on trade ships, but throughout the kingdom. To save from palaces being burnt in grain riots, royalty and nobility are also forced into the system. It is at most a stop-gap measure, to avoid cities erupting into flame and violence.

>Tarn cont.
(I'm commandeering this action for your own good.) As the last bags of bean flour and smoked tusker is loaded onto a supply ship, a mob descends upon the port. Men are starving, and the court deems it fit to send the little they have left to some doomed voyage?! It has been tyrns since the first set sail, and the seas are worse than ever! The boat is raided for the meagre amount aboard, even the hardtack is eaten. The crowd having feasted on the spoils make their way to the palace, just shy of grabbing torches and pitchforks, to demand better rations. Shrewd as ever, the king puts to it that the long-promised Gylden rail shall be built, funnelling gold and grain into Tarnia! Workers on the line will receive extra, of course, as thanks. Where this extra comes from, is not mentioned.
If they are still starving, the Tidal prove that Cravic flesh can be ingested, if first treated with wood ash, boiled, and heavily salted. It is disgusting, and holds little nutritional value, but is at least filling enough to stave off hunger pangs.

>>4307895
>Llychlyn
In search of safe lands, sulphur, or Fanw-bless-'em, both, a crew is sent into the calmer northern waters. The ocean is vast, wider than ever thought possible, stretching on far over the horizon. There is momentary excitement as a pod of whales surfaces nearby, breaking the monotony of salted-goat and endless blue. Then, ahead! Islands! poking barely above the waves, a string of green islands. They're just big enough to build a jetty on, and not much else besides. The largest of them could possibly fit the Eglwys fawreddog y ffyddloniaid, if you removed the side chapels and gardens first. Crawling over them are strange, shelled creatures, with the flippers of a seal, and a head unlike anything on all Llychlyn. A quick test pit reveals sandy soil, but alas, no brimstone. Pilfering a few of the odd beasts, the crew sets back off home.
Fuelled with wood or coal, the Gylden engine can do away with reliance on temperamental water wheels or wind mills. A stationary engine could be used to automate the movements of a loom, or spin yarn far more regular than by distaff. Or, with a series of belts, turn a line shaft, and then even more machines. Ah! the possibilities! Eyes turn to the book-press, what if...?

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DIPLO
>>4307440
Much of the complexities of the ancient Cewri language have been lost, but Rathi, still sharp in his old age notes that the word 'corner' sounds off. Whether it is Gylden influence on the Giants, or simple evolution through oral tradition, the Dwarf cannot say, but the old word for 'finger' fits the pattern of the language far better. He tells this to Jotte, whose eyes alight as if suddenly realising something, he asks Rathi for a map. Taking an old Ashen map from his wall, Giant sets it at an angle, and points to Gyldholm now to bottom of the page with his thumb. His large, remaining fingers reach all over the sheet, which Rathi crosses with a gotten pen. "Ingredients, where to find them, at least," speaks the stunned Giant, "Mixed into Ichor." The Dwarf scowls at the map, trying to think where each finger had landed. The pinkie location he knew straight off, the poppy fields of the Tarn. The others, they were out of his purview.

END OF SCENE SIX.

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THE ONGOING ELVEN WARS

-Flesh Over Dravana-
Amalgam beasts harry the outer city, destruction following with them. They continue their march through the narrow mountain path smashing past the flimsy, hastily erected barricades right through into Dravana Voss. The mass cannot slow in time, toppling the first few kosts they literally run into before their momentum is slowed and they can loot the city. The horde of course steal whatever has a sharp edge or that they can shove into their maws, but the attending Flesh-Priests and -Captains understand the value of craftselveship; statuary, fine art, bound tomes, fine cloth, trinkets and relics of all kinds. Few Elves are found in their towers, and those that are are dead or dying. A pity.

-A Stolen Victory-
The combined forces of Men disembark in the hillside, struck by the eerie pervading quiet. Moving further along they are shocked to find heavy stone walls smashed to rubble, the farm terraces picked clean, mills and kosts burnt or collapsed. Not even carrion can be seen or heard. Stepping over the ruins talk of trolls and gryphons keep them on guard, yet only bones are found. It is soon apparent the cause for such devastation, the leavings of the Flesh are strewn through the mountain pass. A second wall, a second pile of stone. Rising up the mountainside, Dravana comes into view, or rather, what is left of it. As the Men reach the city limits they are met by a hideous monstrosity, even for the Cravers; A living(?!) mass, heaving its way through the streets, ridden by the ape-like Chern'bolg who too have been, worked on. A Flesh-Priests greets them in Tarnic at where once stood the city gate. "Ah, welcome, have you come to gnaw at the bones?" Behind him visceral carts pulled by squat crocodilians are being loaded with fine art, masonry, and all manner of artefacts.

-Nomach Reborn-
With the FHR agreeing to Hacmosi requests, the Prince of Oldek thanks the Men and retires to his chambers. Maps of a renewed Nomach are drawn up with the most recent surveys, including Andrethi, Tidal, and Shadow claims, especially along the coast. Before the Men leave this map is given to be okayed. (see attached)

END OF INTERLUDE.

>>4308677
>Lorepost
Why do we ask for so little from our loving God?
The consequences of asking Castor for too much may be deadly. He controls when the caves collapse, so we are lucky to have his permission and gratitude in building a sturdy community for ourselves, even with the threat of this oncoming tide. He controls when we lose ourselves in those caves, never to see the light again. Having access to the surface is a privilege for creatures like us, but thankfully, Castor understands how important it is for his subjects to sun themselves, and warm their cold blood. Only may we ask him for powers which his dirt cannot provide. No harvest rituals, no mining profits, nothing like that. Even then, hundreds of years may go by without little more than a question from us. He is as old as the ground we stand on, maybe even older, if there are other grounds. Patience will do us all very well, as it has before. Castor listens, and he will respond. The sages know that, and so too does every one of his devout followers. That's why asking for precious gifts is so highly regulated. Sure, others may think themselves worthy of Castor's gifts on an individual level, but in truth, no one person deserves so much power. Asking Castor for power alone is like asking for death. Only when his people band together, and show him that they need help will he give them what they want. It's all a matter of discipline and devotion.

>>4308678
1. With the first engines finished, it is time to utilize them in the most human of pursuits; Industry.

2. Renthum Voss is to be taken, Razed, and a new city is to be built in it's place as regional capital of the annexed territories, as such, architects are put to work in drawing up schematics for buildings fit for mountainous terrain.

War actions:
The elven forge city has fallen to the flesh. This is unfortunate, but it is no matter, as the campaign doubles down south, onto the area bordering the capital and then the capital itself, a city not even protected by walls. The men of course take no chances, and Arc Artillery and cannon bombard the city before infantry push in to engage defenders.

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>>4308674

>Action 1: Inthane Declarations
The first warning that the Dwarves of Gyldenland get that something is wrong is when the Dwarven residents of Dukkezop awake to find that the Thanal guard have left their posts, leaving only the town's Teimgandt division to keep order as the common Dwarfs wonder where the nobles have buggered off to. And as they investigate throughout the day, they find that many of their fellow Dwarves are also missing, most of them Dwarves in direct service to or employ of Dukkezop's Thane. The news spreads wider, and an investigation quickly begins to find what has happened, and why; with parliament's ledgers clerks uncovering the details of man massive financial transactions; the purchase of huge numbers of Ashenbeard deep-fungus starters and hundreds of goats, as well as seed-grain. The purchase of large quantities of weapons and tools from Kendt'Koldrag and Torz'vogaz, including eight gazes, and many hundreds of supply-carts and mining props from the woodworkers of Æblemor. And there are records of sales, too; the sale of controlling interest in the Ulzun' goldmine back to the Guldfarite priests, the sale of the Asbestos mine to a consortium from Jorgaster, and the sale of the Thane's own estates to a particularly embarrassed town burgher in Dukkezop itself who admits after a great deal of questioning that the Thane's final orders to him had been to ensure his silence for large sums of gold. A picture quickly develops, the wayward Thane has sold off most of his possessions throughout Gyldenland, and those few possessions that he had proved unable to shift have been gifted to a lesser cousin living a dilettante's life in Zuvruktuv.

And then, a messenger from the mountains approaches Kalnzkagkupkurg across the bridge new, and states that he is to be the new customs inspector between nations. For the wayward Thane's servant announces that he and his followers have crossed the internationally recognized borders of the river Volozvam and left the Gyldenland behind them. Whilst he wishes no ill will or conflict to his fellow Dwarves, he has a request that the Gylden Dwarves now give him his proper respect and due. This land to their north is now the independent Dwarven kingdom of Volokalnz Invulden. He is not satisfied to stay a mere Thane, or even to adopt the Gylden title of Kalnthrunr for his own Kingly head. No,the only title fit for the noble king of the Volokalnz Invulden? Is that of Invuld. And as Invuld, he will reign on this mountain from his new capitol of Vomvolo'kalnz, and forge a new way for the High-Mountain Dwarves of Sigod to live.


>Action 2: What's up?
Just a little south to all this madness, the Disciples of Læge get to work trying to treat the sick Dwarves of Kalnzkagkupkurg of this strange and new infliction, attempting to expand their knowledge and find some sort of cure, or remedy. Or just a way to stop this infection.

>>4307649
>Diplomacy: Karnis
Just what are the ants doing in there? A Dwarven emissary is sent to ask them, for there are Dwarves getting sick in Kalnzkagkupkurg, and mists and red-water from the mountain are believed to be the cause. Could the Karnis check? There might be a chemical leak or something going on, and if there is the ants should probably be made aware of it.


>>4308680
>Diplomacy: Cewri
Looking at the map, Rathi strokes at his beard. He doesn't know himself what ingredient might grow on the southern bank of the Zuvkol, but the river-mouth is close enough to Gyldholm that he's sure someone in the markets will know.

For the others... well, the Tarn will be need to be asked for access to (or to the produce from) their poppy-fields, so perhaps they should be asked for the others as well? Rathi knows that Tarnish trading interests are spread wide around the world, and in the far north as well as the south.... accessing their trading network and trying to obtain these ingredients through it might be the most efficient and effective way?

>>4308679

Llychlyn had done quite a bit in its attempts to protect its shores, and it might be enough for ships to sail and defend Llychlyn when the time comes. Yet, despite this, efforts could only go so far without a supply of sulfur. And while the initial expedition was promising, it was still yet to find what they were looking for. Still, there was one thing that was clear, regardless of what happens, Llychlyn would likely need to repair. And with such promising industry only further being worked on and expanding, being able to rebuild might be easier when the time comes. As such, plenty of factories start to be built in Allfshys and the nearby hills, the foundations carefully worked upon for the ones in the latter. The reason for this was simple, being inland would protect them more from a threat in the sea. Regardless, the kinds of factories that existed would greatly expand, as efforts to make refineries to make iron, steel, copper, and other metals in bulk would be worked upon, and powered tools to cut and carve logs would be made. If Llychlyn could secure a supply for sulfur, and by extension explosives, with such industry their weapons against such a beast would be able to be put to good use.

Meanwhile, in a similar note, Rhisiart had an idea with the new textiles powered. What if he could create a press that utilized this new power? One that would put curved type on a cylinder that would then press against paper and parchment. If his idea's were worked upon and sound, it is possible such a factory with such 'rotary' presses could print many books in but a single day. With the technology available to them, it shouldn't be too hard. Rhisiart made the first presses in Llychlyn, it shouldn't be too difficult to make such improvements with a little help, now, could it?

>Action One. The creation of Rotary Printing Presses

>Action Two. Further Industrialization.

Posted on behalf of the Meluz

>1: build a small rail-network in castor's keep, using gylden tech
something to help people navigate the ravine easier.

>2: set up an ice cream parlor in megalo
The akkhar just gave us these things. They're called cold-makers. They also just gave us ice cream. Let's see how sun-bleached meluz like it.

Rumor?

>>4308678
Actions:
-The fledgling caverns beneath the territory of the Karnis undergoes additional changes. The ants work to dig smaller tunnels beneath its floors and erect numerous beams and pillars secured within the earth. These would allow for a network of veins and flesh to safely root and spread it way throughout the cavern.

-The efforts to spawn a Ze'karn queen might have been fruitless, but there are still seeds with which to sow. Just as any other Karnis, the Ze'Karn must meet their end at some point and time, thus grooming of these new ants is kept going at a steady pace. The corpses of the Ze'karn are given a high priority for retrieval, and additional rations are offered to ants that manage to recover them safely. The corpses are used the same as any Karnis that dies in service to the swarm, they are recycled by the Kahro. These corpses are too valuable to be simply mangled and stitched together however, and their delicate biology can be easily butchered by less experienced corpse crafters. Only those who are talented enough at their craft to be recognized as 'tailors' may stitch and sow these fine specimen in order to create the Ze'Karo, a being that can benefit from ant's abilities.

>>4309322
>Diplo: Gyldenthrong
After the dwarven inquiry, Nethula ponders on what response must be given. Ultimately she settles to trust the folk of the South, and share with them what they've learned. A diplomat reaches them and promptly explains to the gyldenthrong that the ants have had visitations from one they call "The Queen". A lot of events have transpired, but they've received consistent warnings that something terrible was stirring in the south. Recently their mother has returned, and she echoes the same worries. "This all might sound strange, but the swarm is taking the danger seriously. We have taken precautions should anything happen, and it seems one of them is interfering wit the health of your people. We will take measures to prevent any further ill events from befalling your kin."

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SCENE SEVEN

(many apologies for the break in updates)

The threat of storm and wave often keep all but the hardiest of sailors off the seas, yet now there come balmy days and fishing boats once again sail out.

>Vossik
Civilians are sent east, to the protected Voss of Tyrhen and Annet, with many having to take refuge in the surrounding hillside. The shoddy city walls of Annet are fortified past the level of even the battlements of Tyrhen. With so much horror around them, prayers to the Lightbringer ring out of every home.

>>4308932
>FHR
Scores of menial labours, once employing a large portion of Dezna, are mechanised with the use of the Gylden engines; Rollers, Hammers, Presses, anything a belt can be affixed to.
(War post happens, then this action) With the way to the capital blocked, and the southern army held up, the attack on Renthum must be postponed. The efforts of the surviving first cohort frantically dig through the stone and earth to those beneath, arc-rifleelves standing guard, lest this trick be pulled a second time. Bodies are pulled free including those still, barely, clinging to life. If Men are one thing, they are resilient. And if they are two things, they are vengeful. This little stunt may have cost the lives of Men, but it will cost thrice the lives of Elves.

>>4309285
>Gyldenthrong
Volo- Invul- Has he gone mad?! At least he has well prepared for his insane power fantasy in the mountains, but without Guldfar's Second Gift, who knows how long he and his fellow Gylden maddwarves will last. Thank the Gods he has claimed uncontested lands, it is one thing for this to be a national embarrassment and quite another for it to be an international incident. The Ants should probably be made aware of this dispute, lest something untoward occur.
First the Disciples treat the poor Dwarves in their own homes, in the comfort of their own beds, but as physicians start to fall ill it is advised to set up a field-hospital away from the healthy populace. Of the sick, even in the Ashen heavy mining town, it is primarily Gylden. Whether through happen-stance, some innate Ashen defence, or some punishment, it cannot be said. Hardy as they are, those afflicted invariably pass, all the while hacking up white-flecked blood. One of the Disciples inspects the handkerchief of one of her patients to find the flecks, moving.

>>4311080
>Llychlyn
[D] Eheubryd has been distant of late, totally focused on her duties, eating little, and sleeping less. Visitors are turned away, servants' trays are left untouched, her own sister has not managed to talk to her. When she at last crashes from exhaustion, having to be carried to her bedchamber, she sleeps for a full day. Whilst she is asleep, Blodwyn manages to gain entry to the Queen's study; The room is a mess of papers, unrelated tomes and scrolls strewn about. Had it been a stranger seeing it, they would think it was a ransack, but Blodwyn knows the mind of her sister, she was looking for something. And by the state of the study, she had yet to find it. She goes to see her sister, only to find the room empty. Checking the wardrobe and ante-room again, she rushes out to announce the Queen has disappeared! The grounds are searched, then all of Allfshys, before a nationwide hunt is announced for the missing monarch. Tips and rumours flood in from every part of the island, most are thrown away immediately, but soon enough a trail can be picked out. A woman in modest dress, but only one shoe, on the west road, mumbling to herself. "Gaunt", "Frail", "Mad". Headed south. Headed to the Ice.
Given his modicum of fame, Rhisiart has little trouble procuring materials and labour for the fabrication of this new rotating press of his. It is damn hard work getting it all just so, and the forging of new type to fit the drum costs him a small fortune, but when all is said and done, this may just put his name out to all Sigod. The first demonstration is to his benefactors, and those who had helped along the way. It would be a limited run of prints, detailing this momentous occasion; including a specially forged, never to be reused, Clan Seal stamp which spans three whole lines. There is excitement as the machines warm up, and then for the calibration run, and finally for the real prints! Several are done before Rhisiart notices a crinkle in one of the sheets which he goes to fix. The crowd looks on aghast as the press continues whirring, straight over his index and middle finger, mangling them terribly. Ever collected, he withdraws his crushed fingers, wraps them in a cloth and pronounces, "There has been a minor accident. There will only be a short delay.", before exiting the building to seek medical attention.
Steam driven factories and mills dot the landscape around Allfshys. Smog rears its ugly head, and the invalid are sent to the Lunedannedd for their health. Such is the price of progress.

>>4311370
>Meluzina
[R] Since the dire warning of the southern waters, the Void has been uncharacteristically quiet. Astronomers and stargazers of all sorts journey to Ásteri in hopes of hearing once more from the enigmatic darkness. Calls have been shouted into the night sky, hoping for a reply, but none come. Prayers to Castor of the same nature go unanswered, though perhaps it is unwise to ask Him below of It above. Then, as is want to happen, a frail message filters in: five.. five.. five.. five.. five..
Employing skills learnt in the laying of the northern rail-lines, a more compact, and more importantly fully underground rail system is built through Castor's Keep. Extra vents are excavated to release the steam and smoke of the engines, but the smell of coal always lingers in the air. It becomes a somewhat comforting smell, homely almost, a reminder of how far this land of Castor's has come.
The supplies of goat milk can barely keep up with the near-instant demand! Working the cold-makers is tiring, tedious even, but with so much desire, it is not to difficult to acquire an additional Gylden engine, and perhaps another cold-maker or two, and automate the process.

>>4312909
>Karnis
Slowed by the disaster in Neverborn, a vein bravely makes it's way from the Mausoleum to the Ant-hewn cavern. The Karnis work tirelessly under the reinvigorated leadership of Nethula, guided by the wisdom of her mother.
Rikal, even in his final years, is given the first Ze'Karn to work upon. The grey flesh of his being is weak, barely able to keep off putrefaction, but his mind still is sharp as his scalpel. Initially he must dissect the body to understand what might differ between a standard Karnis drone, a mercurially afflicted drone, and this newest breed. With this sacrifice complete, he formulates how these Karn may become Karo, whilst maintaining their gift. Failure is inevitable in such a new endeavour, but persistence is key. Toiling through day and night to perfect the transplanting of this shared link into a Kahro wormling results in at least eighty scrapped corpses, almost the entire 'supply' before the first tentative positive. It is a fuzzy link, one which constantly falters, which Nethazar equates to the audible equivalent of a snow flurry. But after it all, a success is a success. Now to replicate it...

DIPLO
>>4309322
(>>4307782 see the above >> as diplo) It is a short walk, for Jotte at least, and with Rathi on his shoulder, it reminds the Giant of his fondness of the company of Dwarves. Too tall, and perhaps too heavy for the train, it is still a pleasant sight, waving hello to those on the chugging locomotive. Finally the pair arrive roughly where Jotte had placed his thumb, and with his advantage he looks about over the countryside for his prize. Seeming to find it, the Giant strolls to a truly gnarled old tree, feebly offering dull looking Gylden-ichor-apples. "Here. The first piece." Rathi, having a better understanding of ownership laws, asks the Dwarves in the nearby farmhouse if they may take the fruit, which the equally gnarled old farmer, despite appearances, allows. Now to press these precious few apples into an Ichor base.

END OF SCENE SEVEN.

THE ONGOING ELVEN WAR

-At the Sigod Walls-
The way into the mountains is barred. A wall of huge cut stones curves round climbing path open only at narrow iron gates. Arrows and bolts shoot from twixt the stones, followed by blasts of holy fire. Arc rifles and crossbow can do little against the shielded targets, a score of Men are pierced or burnt up. Only inflaming Andrethi rage, uncovered and wheeled into place is the latest of their innovations; an arc cannon. Four supreme casters prime the device before it discharges a monumental crash of lightning into the cyclopean rock, detonating it like a bomb. Shards of stone fly in all directions, hitting quaking Elves and too-close Men. With a literal crack in the foundation, the upper stones slump painfully, audibly, slowly, and then all at once. It is a small hole, but large enough for the FHRDF to advance up to Coertyha. After, of course, slaughtering the remaining guard. Andrethi losses are greater than expected, chiefly to heavy ballistae and the unlucky few boiled alive in their breastplates. The dead and wounded seen to, the march continues.

-The Pass to Renthum-
Disgusted by the Flesh and its workings, the FHRDF moves through the streets of Dravana and out of the city. Continuing up the pass, slowed by upturned wagons, mounds of rubble, and the generally unkempt road, the spires of Renthum peek through the mountaintops. Even from here black birds of death can be seen circling the Elven capital. Suddenly, the quiet is broken by a shout, an arc-bolt shot into the mountainside, and in the confusion, tons of stone and earth are forced down upon the path! Men are crushed dead where they stand! Vaygr-damn the bastards Elves!

-Southern Decision-
With the southern way clear, the army marches upwards. Coertyha is off the road through the slopes, an easily avoidable, and likewise easily siegable, city. Given the narrow passage up to the Voss, less than half the cohort would be required to hold off any Elven escape. Ahead however lies another heavily guarded wall, and a certainty of further casualties. The Commander is asked of the next move.

-Nomach Rebellion-
Given the withdrawal by the Vossik of many of their own, especially those of rank, from Nomach, it is much less a rebellion than a change of flags. Word is sent to the King in Pokos, a figurehead of a monarch, who signet-seals anything that crosses his desk, including the formal secession of the client kingdom from the Republic. Of course, Elezen and Pokon Elves still inhabit both city and countryside, but between Hacmosi rule or the point of an arc-rifle, they are sensible enough to choose the former with little complaint. Until relations are established with the Daiimad and the Shadowlands to the west, more contentious borders are left rather more vague.

(Nomach will now be essentially a large tribe. I will respond to diplo for, and all other interactions with, them from now on. They will not post actions of any sort, but will defend themselves if attacked. To outsiders they would be welcoming, and in regards to other nations would appear to be friendly with the FHR, the Gyldenthrong, and the Tarn, and ambivalent to others. >>4308932, >>4307782, >>4309285, >>4306123, >>4304781)

END OF INTERLUDE.

>>4313933

Blodwyn, upon seeing the state of the study would be concerned. Given the past few weeks, her behavior was unusual. While she once would try to make room before for other things, for both herself and for her clan and kin, this was...different. When Blodwyn heard that she collapsed, she would have started to head over to her room, and while passing through the study, well...Eheubryd wasn't this messy, while it was clear she was searching for something, this...This was frantic...Did...Did she get a vision from Fanw that she hadn't told anyone? What was she looking for? She'd have to ask, and hope she got an answer, though upon entering her room and seeing it empty, she'd swiftly rush to organize searches and would prepare to head out at every opportunity. Eheubryd may have become fairly old, but she still had a good fifty years in her at the bare minimum, and their mother vanished in a much more sudden way without any indication, as if whisked away by Fanw...This was much different with the way they were acting. Blodwyn, and the rest of Clan Cadigan, would search anxiously for any report, sound rumor, anything. And once Blodwyn heard that there was a woman on the road headed to the south, she would do three things. Send a short message to Llunedannedd to arm a large team with picks of blessed steel, well guarded, and head south once more to that old Fanw Forsaken place, to get a group of guards to join her journey to find to where Eheubryd might be and lastly, a short prayer to Fanw before she went...Hopefully she wasn't in the forests by now, or Fanw forbid the ice... Of course, if another people were in this situation, this might simply not be cared about, as there was a heir to the throne, but this is Llychlyn, family is not something to throw away, especially when the bonds between kin last for hundreds of years...

Meanwhile, after the incident with the rotary press and Rhisiart's finger, along with previous reports of work related injury with other machines, a number of safety guidelines and preventive measures would start to be made. This would be costly in some cases, but proper instruction on work safety, and a number of design changes with certain machines should see incidents like this decrease drastically. Of course, this would be a bit costly, but from a practical standpoint it would be better to make sure your workers are safe than lose them and not be able to replace them, or worse having their clans who blame you for their death armed with bow and axe at your door like it was before Llychlyn unified. Besides, there were already a number of clans willing to chip in to the effort, large and small.

>Action One. A journey to try and save a sister, and strike at a potential source.

>Action Two. Increased Safety Measures.

>Rumor?

>>4313932
1.
>FHR Diplo as well
>"O Woe, Woe unto those not of Flesh. We wish you great success and carnage against yourselves. Enjoy the corpse of the Voss."
Taunts the Flesh- Captain as he marches his horde back to the ruins of Tyr with his loot, directing the monstrosities back down the road. Once in Tyr, the Raut'let are primed with wyrmlings.

2.
The disaster is mourned, but the Lord of Flesh is not one to cry over collapsed flesh. A missive from Nethula on the topic of a great hollowed cavern she is constructing, a fine place for a New Neverborn, greater than ever. First the spilt flesh is stabilized for transport.

3.
The beginning of the Grand Transplant begins, first excess flesh is laid in foundations, carpeting the caverns, the vitals of the Gene Forge and Blood Pumping, left somewhat unprotected, but unable to be moved until the flesh of Neverborn is waiting for them in the Karnis Crypt.

>>4313932
1. Many laborers find new, and better paying work, in the FHRDF. In fact, a major recruitment drive is underway, with many being sent off to the campaigns. With improvements in the industrial base of the Republic, better quality armor and equipment in more plentiful quantities makes its way into the hands of the soldiers.

2. More and improved siege engines are developed and sent in with the next force destined for the mountain cities.

Colonise the 4 provinces next to the Flesh Monsters which contain the natural resources

>>4313932
Action 1:
A final round of upgrades is taken upon the designs for the engines for the krakens. Improving the alloys, streamlining the process and making sure that the kraken can be comfortable throughout the process.
Action 2:
A relief program is taken out in order to recover from the storm and food stocks are spread out and increased in order to avoid such a hardship as what happened.

The ships are sent out once more in order to trade, although competition from the tarns is hurting profit margins considerably.

>>4315505
The fact is, the Tarns are our friends and clients. They asked before taking one tile of land from our holy isle. Not only would we take great offense at this unannounced visit... you are assuming that any of your ships will make it to shore, especially considering how your people are the descendants of our now dead Oppressor

Posted on behalf of the B'yogi

1. We will continue our underground project; the surface word is getting quite dangerous. We will build another city underneath Passion. We cannot have our production industry be terminated!
2. With that on our plan, it will prove a problem. With our current technology, waste is created; smog, useless metal, toxic material and other hazardous things that can be fatal. We B'yogi fare better than the H'yomi since we don't have organs like they do, but it can still harm us. We must find a way to dispose of waste! We will research ways to lessen our waste production. Maybe find a way to recycle materials of all kind.

>>4313932

>Action 1: Forging Ahead

Though the forge-complex of Jorgaster is productive and reliable, a number of the working Dwarves start to think that the facility management has become slow to adapt to changing times. How many years now have Dwarves had the steam engine? Why, there's a railway passing right by the town itself, can the management not see the advantages and benefits?

Deciding that if management won't act, perhaps they should; seventeen smiths of various stages of accreditation, including two masters, hand in their resignations to the Jorgaster Metalworks Company. Pooling their resources and seeking investment from the amrket, as well as support from the burghers of Kezvogaz'unteg, they already have a site picked out - the Iron deposit north of Gnavkop. Here they can dig a mine, and right next door build a grand new forge incorporating all the advancements of this new age of steam to produce steel of a quality that the Jorgaster management might only be able to dream about. Best of all, not only is the site close to the southern rail-line, but right next to a brewery - who could ask for better?

The Jorgaster Management is not blind, of course, and they watch, and take notes of developments... far better that risky and uncertain innovation is carried out upon someone else's Gylder. If it works? They can simply adopt a new-proven technology themselves.
>>4312909
>Diplomacy: Karnis

Something terrible in the south? The Gylden representative nods, they've had warnings of woe already from the Akkhar, the Tarn and others. Something from the deep, cold south waters; they believe it's what's been causing all the terrible weather of the past Tyrns. The Gylden have been taking precautions of their own in cooperation with the nations of the south, new defenses and coastal protections. They'd assumed that the Karnis would be either too high, to underground or just too northerly to be affected; but if even they are taking precautions... perhaps they know something the Gylden do not yet?

The Ants are thanked for taking measures to prevent further ill effects; as this all seems to have been some regrettable accident the Gylden state itself will arrange Kriggyld for the afflicted and their families.
>>4313935
>Diplomacy: Jotte
Rathi enjoys the sign of the train as well, though he does say he'll have a word with the companies when he gets home, to see if putting a Cewri-sized carriage aboard would be feasible. In the meantime, he has an appointment to book with the cider-pressers, and then arrange some meetings with Tarnish traders to see what leads they might have on the produce... and perhaps to hire a trip on a Tusker, if the Tarn will be unable to deliver. Have the Cewri ever thought about riding those beasts themselves, he wonders aloud?
>>4313938
>Diplomacy: Nomach
With the reestablishment of the Nomach, the Gylden send a representative to establish diplomatic and trade relations, acknowledging the current holdings and border.

>>4313932

>Action 2: Miner Enrichment
Gold and Coal, Coal and Gold. The former Thane and new-proclaimed king of the Volokalnz Invulden works the ancient Ashen mint-map slowly with his fingers. According to this chart his lands have both, and this time they are his. The Guldfarite priests might serve as miners, but they will not be owners as in the Gyldenland. He instructs the opening of new mines using what are judged to be the most effective methods. And considers the map again, moving his thumb to the reading of precious stone... whilst opening two mines, why not buy in bulk and plan for a third?
>Diplomacy: Wyrum Voss
The King of Volokalnz sends an emissary to the free city of Wyrum to establish trade links between their new nations, and to note that the Wyrum have yet to establish a mine for their Malachite deposits. He is currently establishing mines of his own in the mountains... and he is very happy to lead the construction of a mine here, too, as his Gylden brothers have not yet taken this opportunity before them.
>Diplomacy: Vossik
The King of the Volokalnz also sends an emissary to to northern elves to attempt to establish relations between them and his new kingdom, gifting them ales and a sundial of stone and brass. The Vossik republic holds two wild and unused mountainous domains adjacent to his capitol domain, and from his Ashbeard histories, he can see that there are historical Dwarven claims and rights to both. He asks that the Elves officially secede these lands back to his new Dwarf kingdom as a show of goodwill and a guarantor of peace and prosperity, surely the Vossik have enough troubles right now without these causing a bother between nations. In return, right now, he can promise to pay a fair Dwarven price for these lands as compensation for their troubles; but he notes that this is sadly a limited time offer.

>>4313934
>1: mountain-top cold-makers
"Alright, there has to be a way to automate the process of cold making."
"What if we used little windmills to turn the crank?"
"Sure, but what about the wind? It's not strong enough to turn such a small mill with the speed we need."
"Maybe not down here, but maybe castor's keep holds better height?"
"..."
"What?"
"Castor's keep is under ground."
"So?"
"So, there's no wind down there."
"Oh, come on. Just put the maker at the edge, and stick a windmill out on the mountain's surface"
"... That might actually work."
"I know, that's why I said it."
"Here, come with me, and go buy a cold maker! We're starting a business!"
"Wait, what?"
"You heard me! Get going!"

>2: mountain-top airship dock
There will come a time when we will want to take to the skies, and find other mountains to land on. With a great supply of gas, and a massive platform, we construct a platform, which will allow us to fly in the time of the great flood.

File: Caverns.png (30 KB, 415x306)

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Posted on behalf of the Karnis

Dig caverns x2.

Fluff to follow

Action 1 and 2: Improve food production by purchasing fertilizer.

>>4317065
Whoops, quick retcon
Action 1: improve food production by purchasing fertilizer
Action 2: Build Gylden railway

>>4313934

Lore:
The colonies had been fervent in their duties ever since the return of the Nethazar. The news that the Grand Matriarch had returned was the most joyous news to all when they first heard it, and even now some were simply content with the fact that she was returned to good health. But there were many ants wondering just how it was that she was restored? Some believed she simply healed, others that the Celestial core had reanimated her, or maybe that she's returned as a Kahro instead. One such curious ant would find herself with rare access to the chance of finding out.
Nethula enters the chamber where her mother, Nethazar, standing in the the center leading a concert of Ze'Karn in chorus. They were all resting in a meditative position, and all that could be heard was a feint symphony of chittering mandibles. Occasionally one of the members would silently rise briefly and then sit down as Nethazar lead the group in exercising their connection. After a few minutes the chamber falls into a dead silence as they stand upright with the Ze'Karn dispersing to attend to their next duties. Nethazar notices her daughter waiting next to the entrance and greets her with a smile, "So this is what a visit from the Matriarch feels like. What's on your mind?"

Briefly she hesistates. "I am as overjoyed now to have you here with us as the day you returned Mother, but there are still things you have yet to explain. You evaded my questions last time, but if I am to lead as you told me then I must know what it is I'm leading."

Nethazar glimpses around the room and lead Nethula to sit somewhere comfortably once she confirmed they were alone. "You have served the swarm well since I entrusted them to you. You've continued to full the role splendidly, and I must admit, I could be jeaprodizing it by keeping such secrets. To you then, I shall entrust this knowledge also." Nethula tells her what happened during her sleep.

"There was simply darkness after I entered the pod. No sound, sight, or self. It was as if I was asleep for the longest time before I heard it. The faint fluttering of her wings growing louder. Her numerous whispers turning into a legion's voice. Her presence nearly overwhelemd me as she lifted me into a bright light. Shortly my sight returned and I was standing on a mountain overlooking the ocean. As I stood there the Queen whispered from somewhere unseen numerous things. She explained the birth of the Ze'Karn, and the connection they have with her. As she told me of things to come, I could see them take happen across the horizons. As she continued, I could see in the ocean a shadow grow ever darker. Just before the dark figure fully emerged from the water, I was whisked back to just above my body with the Queen's voice ringin in my head 'Awaken'."

It was a lot for Nethula to take in. Could it be that the Queen might truly be some higher creature? She pressed "So she healed you?"

>>4317157
>>4317059
Nethazar, with a look on her face somehow expressing both amusement and frustration, replied with a grin: "In a sense, you could say that. She does love taunting me so. As she suspended me over my body, I could see the moments leading up to my reawakening. The room's guard was lax that evening. A figure manage to slip in through, evaiding the guards outside. She watched as it made its way up to the pod and made an opening. At this point I could see, the dim light in the chamber reflecting off of the intruder's greyish exoskeleton. It was the last Sable. The final agent of the Queen had snuck in to administer a solution that undid the poison and once more I was back in the world of the living."

Nethula simply sat there processing everything she had just heard. She was almost ready to ask more when one of her retainers entered the room. "Matriarch, finally I have found you. Apolagies for the intrusion, but there are matters that require your attention."

"Go on, duty calls you. We shall continue another time" and with that Nethazar departed as well. Nethula was certain there was more she wasn't being told, however for now it would have to wait.

Actions:
The earth continues to be disemboweled as more of its depths are excavated (2x dig caverns)

File: Map69.png (601 KB, 2048x2628)

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SCENE EIGHT

Were it not for dark clouds far over the horizon, it was as if the threat had passed undetected. The seas roll sweetly, gently. The huge stone and mortar sea walls, the enormous levees, the breaks sitting high in the water, all look as if an army were arrayed against an earthworm. Even that damnable Gyre eddies slowly, easily avoided.

>Vossik
Who knows how little time the landslide bought, but however much it granted is spent wisely. Elves are sent to the protected Voss, whilst new kost are being built every day. A message is sent to the Ants. (see diplo)

>>4314115
>Llychlyn
[R] The sea calms herself, travel once more is permitted. Guilty pleasures and creature comforts flood back into the market, the mood immediately improves, even in these trying times. And with trade, comes gossip, news, and rumour. The mainland is at war! At least, some of it. The Remnant to be precise, taking over the once Elven lands which have split in twain, the Mountain Elves and their dark-skinned cousins. Volodek was seized by the Other Men, the Tarn. The Dwarves have manufactured a machine which travels on metal roads at great speeds. There is a new sickness here and there. This and so much more finally reaches the ears of the Children of Fanw. (Take this rumour as that Llychlyn now knows roughly what is happening on the continent all around the trade routes)
Reports were still coming in, but those thought to be credible made seemingly no sense when collated. Some had seen someone matching the Queen's given description near the iron mines a full quarter turn of the sun after the same suspect had been seen at the copper mines, but then seen at almost the same time at the salt mines. It is as if she is flickering through time. No doubt that Fanw-forsaken place is to blame. The guards from Lunedannedd arrive at the Hole in the Ice in record time, if she were headed here, they would be able to stop her. Yet, deep below them, torch light, long echoing footsteps... a grinding mechanical noise. The winch is dropped at once to save the Queen from the depths! But once the lift touches the cold stone, the light is gone, and all is silent. No more reports come in.
Tales of Children being caught in belts, crushed by looms, killed in ways never before thought possible. The Gylden engine was fantastic, and fantastically dangerous. Shields, guards, complete redesign and training were implemented wherever deemed necessary, and wherever one could possibly in any way be harmed. Both young and old are taught to treat a Gylden engine and surrounding machinery as if it were a snarling beast, use caution and respect whenever dealing with steam.

>>4314125
>Cravers
Carts laden with plunder, the slow trawl back down to Tyr begins, picking off the occasional little rodent or bird stupid enough to wander into their path. Once back in the enfleshed ruins, the haul can be assessed, appraised, and decided what shall go to whom.

>Cravers cont.
That which is already rotting is sent to Abattoir or the Kahro, that which is still viable is sent to Priests and Captains as gifts, what better sign of appreciation for one's service than a piece of one's own capital? The limited regenerative properties stolen from those precious little reptiles manage to protect the exposed bone, the weakened Gene Forge, and the bruised Lord. When all is cleared away, there is very little which Neverborn requires to function, truly revealing how much the city had tumorously ballooned over the centuries.
How gracious and efficient the Karnis are, their serious of tunnels and corridors through their cavern allows the Flesh to spread quickly, easily through every layer. This shall be a fine home indeed.

>>4314624
>FHR
With the mountain campaign ongoing, minds focus on the homefront. Menial labour being mechanised allows for greater numbers of Men set to finer work, research, and development of all manner of machines. Of course, the FHR is a nation of soldiers, and these machines are first to be machines of war. Improved winches, heavier beams, stronger frames, no better ballista or catapult can there be. Innovation comes to the protection of the body, too, with worked metal, twisted chain, and a machine which may sew faster than any seamstress.

>>4315577
>Tidal
For all the troubles they cause, the addition of the Gylden engines aboard the Kraken sure do make up for it. Working hand in hand with the Dwarves to improve upon the special requirements of the Tidal, newer engines are forged, others brought in line, and the whole operation both streamlined and made safe. In addition, mats of a material the Dwarves call "Mountain's Beard" can be woven to protect areas from heat and even fire, should the unthinkable happen.
With the storm for the now having passed, harvests of what remains can begin, along with forage both in sea and on land. Effort is directed at preserving as much food as can be, and equally distributing the easily perishable. Granaries and stores are set up throughout the Empire, skills taught to all on the preparation of foodstuffs, and new methods tried. This last proves a wonderful success, especially fruit boiled with honey from the bees found around the Abacá plantations

>>4316085
>B'yogi
As the B'yogi degree, so it is done. A new catacombs of a city is excavated beneath Passion. Much of the precious metals, ores, formulae, and plans are stored in the cool, dry underground portion, as life continues almost as normal above ground.It is a gruelling but necessary job, one which only a B'oo can safely do; separating true waste from simple laziness. Standards are implemented and posted throughout the cities which produce such rubbish, what is to be composted, what is to be burnt, what is to be reused, what is to be put in a big pit and forgotten about. Thankfully, this last is mostly just H'yomi bodies, but they insist on dumping them with rings and jewels and all those precious organs

>>4316211
>Gyldenthrong
[B] O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! What clever fellows those Dwarves are! For their minds click and whirr even faster than their engines, always theorising and prototyping, to ever improve and adapt all around them. Angled wheels to take sharper turns, larger engines to pull greater weights, coke & creosote from specialised furnaces, chains & hoists embedded into tracks to allow for steeper inclines. This is but a small list of their recent innovations! One last idea is in regards to those death-defying Meluz in their flying contraptions. What if one were to tether a balloon to an engine? To move a wind-slave against its master?
Movement in the blood! How fanciful indeed! But this Disciple is not alone, others come forward with tales of white, grain sized contaminants in the aspirated blood of those afflicted. Under a good lens, it can be seen that these flecks are in fact, moving, and appear most horrifically to be shroomoid in appearance. More of the affected Dwarves die, as Disciples and others who have been in contact with them become similarly ill.
With coin enough to purchase the mine outright, and enough left over for a dozen engines, work begins immediately on construction of every conceivable mechanisable operation imaginable. So close to the river, a standard water wheel can act as back up in dire circumstances even. Belts, shafts, gears, smoke, the place is an attack on every sense, but progress is progress, and in short time the group have earned enough to pay back at least half their debtors, as well as purchase the mountains of coal necessary to keep everything running smoothly.

>>4316655
>Volokalnz
The mines are dug in the name of the Invuld, picking up where the Ashen had left off.

>>4316961
>Meluzina
As balloonists had discovered, the winds of the peak of Sigod's Spine are formidable. The mill used to power the cold-makers has to be forged in Zedfeld, and the pieces transported to the top of the mountain, all in order to withstand the worst conditions the winds throw at it. Though there are perhaps few who would care about such things, it seems quite obvious that the Meluz have created for themselves at least two new world records; tallest windmill, and longest gear-shaft.
And what better use for the displaced rock than the second construction in the peaks this tyrn? The stone is shaped to blocks and used in the construction of the third world record, the tallest ever platform, which some sceptics call the Folly Patio.

>>4317157
>Karnis
When one asks the Grand Matriarch a question, one can never be sure if what she reveals is the whole truth, or the truth at all. More, one will leave with only additional questions! But, as always happens, duty calls. All that is learnt in the digging of the first cavern is funnelled into the excavation of two further caverns. Still, bravely, that little vein creeps closer, bolstered by the works of the Craver on their island.

>>4317070
>Tarn
Whilst other Men purchase this rock for war, the Tarn have more humanitarian needs in mind, the one for which the material was first dug; fertiliser. The stuff is spread so liberally and widely, the stench permeates the whole Kingdom. But a little smell is a small price to pay to not starve. And with a belief that Persa will grant Her blessing to Tarnia, the blight is surely ended.
Much of the Tarnia Line had been built by inexperienced hands, under little appropriate supervision, but with the full weight of the Kingdom on the task the whole lot is brought up to high Gylden-expected standards. New lines are set to Jaakal, including a fashionable underground station, and another to the extensive lumber works in the far south.

DIPLO
>>4317157 >>4317070
Once arriving covered head to foot in gleaming gold, now they come in unbleached cotton. A representative of the Vossik Elves journeys to the Tarnish rubber plantation in seek of aid. Finding both Karnis workers and a handful of Tarn traders, the Vossaya in exile plead for one or both of the nations to harbour their people, for the Andrethi Men(ace) come only to kill them. They hold no reason, no understanding, they are drunk on conquest.

>>4316211
The old Giant chortles at Rathi's suggestions good naturedly. To ride on little wagons, one Giant per carriage, what a sight that would be! Else to ride on the Tarnish Tusker, like a Dwarf on goat- or boar- back! How delightful. (>>4317070 see the "Jotte" diplo in this post) Tarn traders reply that the poppy crop failed this year, and opium prices have skyrocketed as a result, but perhaps with the right words here or there, a sample may be procured at a more reasonable price.

The Dwarves are welcomed like old friends, well, as long as they have gold to buy and goods to sell. The currently most available Hacmosi commodities are worked silver, cut clear gemstones, dyed cloth of vibrant reds and yellows, and of course, beans and bean flour.

>>4316655
The Elves of the Wyrum Voss greet the Dwarves with some confusion, but is their own history not too different? To this new Invulden they grant access to the lower marshes, where malachite may be found, asking only for a little gold in return each tyrn. Using Gylden taught techniques, much of the sitting water is drained from the area, allowing for easier access to the deep level green stone.

A grand precession is raised to make this formal request to the Vossik Elves. First sneaking quickly through Gylden lands to get to Nomach, and then up to the mountains where... a wall has been toppled. Elven masonry is obviously inferior to Dwarven, even to this day. Clambering over the rubble they make their way past, corpses, up the steep mountain pass on their stout legs. Marching straight into camp of a cohort of the FHRDF. (>>4314624 Do the Dwarves take these as Elves, or do they recognise them as Men?)

END OF SCENE EIGHT.

>>4317415
A1: Fix Terrata
A2: Build Port in Craver land

>>4317415

>Action 1: Microscopic Visions
Under a good lens, how small a thing might we see, and might we study those small things in turn? The Gylden Dwarves get to work on a new version of the longsight tubes, though rather then seeing a thing far away, these are to see a small thing close by with exceptional clarity; machines of glass and brass and steel that can bring even the smallest of thing to sight - and perhaps aid us in measures against the ones that threaten us, for those of the disciples who have tended to the ill know they might face shorter time, and finding out through study what these things do and how they spread might prove key to saving our people from this blight... may Guldfar bless our research through the sights his light may bring.
>Action 2: Chemical Solutions
No thing is invulnerable. Even the mightiest of rocks might crack or split with water or frost, the sturdiest of oaks might burn or wither from draught beneath Guldfar's gaze. And so it is with these fungal things that move within the blood. There will be something that can prevent them, or end them... it is just a question of finding such a thing that will not kill the afflicted Dwarf. An order for general isolation and a cession of social contact is ordered among the Dwarves with symptoms, or those who have been or suspect they might have been in contact with them, to try and limit the spread as the Disciples work to find cures for the sick and themselves. Nothing is overlooked, traditional recipes of strong cider and vinegar are tried out on samples, along with bands of Æblemorine silver and protective Appleroot, even the blessed Gylden Ichor. We try out minerals dug from the earth and chemicals brewed within Akkhar plants, imports from Tarnia and Bothrio, Simhyn and Nomach, Meluzina and Lychlyn; dyes and gems and minerals and all sorts of plant and juices thereof; even fruits and poisons and other fungal moulds in our quest to find a solution and stop these things spreading.
>>4317423
>Diplomacy: Cewri/Tarn
There's no option but to try and procure a sample, Rathi thinks; even if the crop has failed he has to hope there will be some in the stores he could purchase or barter for. Is there anything he and his kin or Jotte here could do to help the Tarnmen with their harvest of poppies?


>Diplomacy: Saprotrophia
A Gylden emissary is sent to the Saprotrophia to seek out these walking fungi and to give them a stern-worded letter. They are to cease immediately their insidious campaign against the Dwarves of Kalnzkagkupkurg and the Gyldenland, and to aid the Dwarves in finding some measure of a cure or a relief for the afflicted.

>>>4288063
>Diplomacy: B'oo, Hacmos and Wyrum Voss

The Gylden railway companies have already built many lines across the east and the south, now,t hey suggest, perhaps it is time for their invention to reach westward as well? They send messages to the nations on the south-side of the Spine and Okankan hills to bring them the idea of a new railway. The Dwarf's own idea involves starting a new line to run from Ulzunteg'dun-Northriver north-west through the woodlands, either passing near Kalnzkag and Wyrum or else crossing the river at the Zamgatt if the free Voss cannot be persuaded. From there, it will run to the Dyeworks and to Pokos, then on to Olodek and the outskirts of Heed. If the Boo would wish, it could then run further; crossing the river to head for Insight/Inquiry and onto Passion and Jubilation... but, really, that would be for the B'oo to decide, if they even want it.


>Diplomacy: Meluzinia
We inform the Meluz of our thinker's idea, tethering one of their balloons to one of our engines, to see what they would make of the thought. Could a wind-slave be tamed by the motion of gears, the propellers of a steam-ship refocused against the ocean of the air?

>>4317415

With the reemergence of the Fanw Forsaken place of the south. The priorities of the nation shift drastically. Every effort is spared to getting many with blessed pick and axe to stand guard and work at chipping away at the place, and after, working on a way to deal with it a final time. However, such work will take far too long to do and have a reasonable chance to save Eheubryd. And so, Blodwyn, along with her guards, would go down into the depths, keeping religious charms on them, and protected by blessed steel. For the time being, Eheubryd's first child would temporarily be given rule with a council of advisors while Blodwyn and Eheubryd were gone. However, they'd spend most of their time following a set of advice written down by Eheubryd some time ago, and by Blodwyn that was written recently before she went into the depths with her retinue. Regardless of this, the plan for dealing with the cursed place was similar to the last. A large number of shifts to clear the place out diligently, starting with repairing any of the old infrastructure that was damaged, before getting to work chipping piece by piece of the place. However, due to the nature of the place, and given the way things have gone, all the workers would be given symbols of animal bone created by Howell priests, symbols of Fanw. And, when an area was cleared, priests would work to try and purify an area, using many rituals to try and make the area's cleared of the forsaken taint upon this word holy instead of cursed. No matter the outcome of this, so long as Llychlyn was victorious once more, they would not make the mistake of leaving this place unattended once more. There would have to be a diligent watch of priests to make sure it didn't return...And if bits of it did, well, they could deal with it before it grew too large, or until they found a way to deal with it once and for all, likely with Fanw's blessing.

There was quite a few things that would test the resolve of Llychlyn in the coming months, however, as a nation and as a people, they wouldn't simply stand by and let such things happen without counter action...

Fanw, tywys ni yn yr amseroedd ansicr hyn fel y gwnaethoch ers amser maith dros ein cyndeidiau hynafol, ac amddiffyn ein heneidiau rhag pa bynnag dywyllwch sy'n llechu o dan y rhew. Na fydded i ymdrechion y gweithwyr sanctaidd fynd yn ofer.

>Action One. The Fanw forsaken place must be destroyed once and for all.

>Action Two. We must tread quickly and carefully, there's only so long one can last in such a place.

>>4317417
1. Continue the transplant with the Karnis aid

2. The Flesh Horde in Tyr is used to form a Watchtower for the Captain.

>>4317420
>1: invent condoms
In the past, we have come to know that rubber is a very good insulator. It can make doorways airtight, and so, we use it quite a lot. Our more deviant minds have come to desire something that... assists in sexual activity. In all honesty, they're not the only ones. We desire to love one another without the immediate risk of copulation. Perhaps a thin layer of this rubber is the solution? Quick! Buy more from the tarn!

>>4317452
>Diplo: Tarn
Hey, we're buying your rubber, for no particular reason. Definitely don't scroll up to find out why.

>2: Evacuation plan
Alright, the tide could come rolling in any day now. The best way we can prevent against a major catastrophe is to get people into the keep now, while there's no danger, and no rush. But what about those who aren't so willing to go? There needs to be a plan of evacuation. A major section of our law enforcement will stay behind and help the stragglers get to the keep. If they choose to remain, then that is their choice. We cannot sway them. Still, there are those who may change their minds.

The young Dwarf has it explained to him that our war against Monarchy is as active as ever, but it is not waged with the sword, but with the power of science. Can we truly claim out system superior if we can only implement it by force? Or do we rather prove it's superiority by bringing the greatest prosperity to our people?

> Action1:
We have for a time neglected our Civilian needs. We make another few farms to have more food.

> Action 2: Fertilizer
It is not enough to have more farms, it is important to use them efficiently as well. In our Botanical Gerdens, Oogbert Bogathrowsky has noticed that certain plants if to long in the same soil. Asking scientists for help they get to work analyzing what makes the difference between old soil and new soil. Trough electrolysis they find it. IT'S PISS! PLANTS NEED PISS! Gey get to work and create Nitrogen based fertilizers. Said fertilizers will be used in the Botanical Garden, in Farms and fields.

Posted on behalf of the FHR

1. Mortars because we need longer ranged siege artillery

2. Steamships

Fluff to follow

>>4320252
1. Ballistics is a fascinating subject. Things go up, and things go down. In the Engineer's district, Ballistics has been taught for decades, and now using the science, a new type of cannon has been devised for our campaign in the mountains. By angling the barrel to fire the ammunition at a high arc, the shots will be launched over the walls of a city to strike at the structures and people inside. A perfect weapon for the FHR whom wish to raze the city regardless.

2. With the steam engine now in production, various uses for the machine are found and put to use. Arguably the most important of these is the implementation of the engines on ships, which when attached to propellers provide a constant and directable form of propulsion.

>>4317420
Actions:
-The lands of our oldest allies are in turmoil, brought down by their own in-capabilities. When once their proud nation stretched far, it is now a fleeting husk. The Swam can do little more now than to claim some of these lands, in hopes of preserving some of the Vossik's former heritage. (Expand West to Dravana)

-With the blessings of Nethula and Nethazar, Rikal is respectfully requested to continue his work on the Ze'Karo


>>4317423
>Diplo: Vossiks
The pleas of our the Vossik representative are heard and he is asked to return to his folk with good news form the Swarm. The Karnis could do little more than watch as their lands crumbled under their own management, but the Ants can help them to preserve what little they have left. What remains of the Vossik leadership is presented with the option of joining the swarm where their people will safe and flee to their land, however their cities and undoubtedly much of their culture will be lost. But, it does not need to end so. The Matriarch offers an alternative. "Merge your lands with that of the swarm and you will find your cities reinforced, borders secured, and, most importantly, identity intact"

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>>4317415
With the cessation of the great storm the clan of Paitoy is arrogant. For they believe that the worldstorm was only a coincidence and that the prophecy of the dwarves is but the ramblings of a fool. Nothing more than mass hysteria.
Yet the two other clans think otherwise, they take this prophecy seriously and are exerting their influence in order to try to prepare for the coming storm, which if the prophecy is true could spell the end of the empire.
Action 1:
Using the knowledge gained from the time of trial alongside hoarded up funding and resources the three main trade ships of the empire: The Najacer, Pilocer and Rocamria are given new hulls made predominantly of metal, though wood is used in much of their construction.
The warships turned tradeships of the Stilwaros and monsognos are also given makeovers, now essentially being tradeships just as the three first tradeships.
The Bisnocer, that legendary warship is also upgraded, using its smaller design to become the first experimental engine bearing submarine. Using a fully metal hull (with mostly wooden interiors in places not near the engine) alongside a well kept depaun and dwarven joint crew immense effort is put into making sure that it is possible to leave and reenter the ship without it being mostly flooded all the time like the other submarines. Unlike the other submarines it is supposed to be more of a transport vehicle instead of a melee vehicle. Using its superior speed to scout out and place down key units. This is due to its relative fragility when compared to its brethren as if punctured it could be forced to abandon its engine and dwarves to the deep.
The Bisnocer is put into reserve alongside the other warships and does fishing work alongside them.

Action 2:
In order to refine the massive volumes of metal needed to refit several of the ships a factory is created deep on the island of the ruined lighthouse. Travel to and from it is done on a river which springs from the highest peak on the island which is facilitated by a kind of aquaduct which itself allows for bulk transport out of the factory. It is placed there because of the areas seclusion which makes it ideal for the toxic process of refining and smelting metal.
It is operated by a guild of the finest smiths of the empire, whose arms are like industrial hammers. Allowing for the cheap and effective (though not perfectly precise, as would be the case with industrial mechanical hammers) smithing of goods, all done in a pit, with the melting process done mainly through electromancy.

Posted on behalf of the B'yogi

1. We have a theory there things we cannot even see with normal sight. Things so small that you will need special tools! We will research magnify glass.
2. Research warping magic. We B'yogi can use it, but H'yomi seem to go insane. Must be too strenuous on their fragile minds.

THE ONGOING ELVEN WARS

-The Lower Road-
Renthum is the prize, let the Elves of Coertyha stew in their fear. A dozen can hold the path to the city. Another set of gates stands before them. Another pile of rubble falls. Another stack of corpses. The road winds through the safety of a high valley, firs and pines grow unkempt. Out of the clouds, a gryphon dives, grabbing a soldier, only to be blasted into feathers on the ascend. On high alert now , move are dispatched in such a manner, though tricky like their masters, still some manage to strike at the Men. They are wild, riderless, little more than large vermin as far as the Andrethi are concerned. And then, there she is. That blight. Renthum. Huge black birds can be seen circling the city, an ill omen if ever there were one.

-The Upper Pass-
Those left of the penal squad are set to removing the last of the fallen earth. More dead are pulled. It shakes the spirits of some, and hardens the hearts of others. The march is short, ill-tempered, no warning given once they reach the city. A thin curtain wall surrounds it, or rather, did. Arc-cannons blast the thing to dust. The army swarms through their made entrance to find, it is deserted. The silence is worrying. A few nearby kosts are ransacked, finding they have long since been packed up and abandoned. Empty pedestals and niches show they've taken even their public art they were so prepared for the inevitable. There's little left to even loot! No matter, they are here for one thing. To raze these heathen minarets and towers til naught is left but ash.
The Officers have a fairly accurate map of the quarters of the place. Given the extensive clearing, it is unlikely much is left, but the Vossaya chambers are visited nevertheless. As expected, the papers, plans, right down to the quills and ink pots are gone, but despite themselves they must admit to the splendour of it all. A pity. Torches are set to it. Renthum burns. A beacon to all. A sign of the strength of the FHR.

END OF INTERLUDE.

>>4320231
The Tarns are nothing if not discreet, of course. The snakes will have their fill of rubber.
Once the condoms make it to open market, the Tarns rank among the most prolific customers. This in turn forces the Meluzina to become a bit more...creative with their designs. Who knew humans had such long and prehensile penises?

>>4320435
War Actions:

Renthum is ours, but the war is far from over. The fact nothing remains in the capital of all places is the most damning suspicion of all. It would be the Awoo and Half-Awoo who would come in handy in tracking the flight of those who had left the city. A total of 2 Cohorts would remain to secure the city and complete the razing, waiting on reinforcements as the other, larger force follows the trail.

On the Coerthya front, the new Mortars and artillery in general do well to, relatively quickly, begin obliterating portions of the city before the defenses are even penetrated. Said defenses would of course be pounded by Arc cannons and ballistic cannon, with Jezail fire picking off defenders from well out of the reach of bow, flame or ballistae.

Posted on behalf of the B'yogi

>>4318745
The B'yogi are interested in this R'ilwae and it brings much needed improved transportation speed to help us build our projects faster. We will accept and help with the R'ilwae Project.

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SCENE NINE

The weather watchers warn whoever they can. The winds blow wild and northerly, soon the storm will arrive. Already the waves return as before. In the blink of an eye, it will be here.

>Vossik
Tyrhen and Annet are fortified even further, awaiting a response from the Karnis. They mourn the loss of Renthum, and the likely similar fates of the other cities. Riders are sent through the Southern Mountain Pass by night to assess the damage that has been done. Upon reaching the second wall, they tear at their hair and garments in grief, for so viciously were they kinselves slain. Fearing even worse sights in Coertyha, they bury the bodies and pieces of bodies they find amidst the rubble. From them they take only their service ring, so they may be properly mourned back in the walled voss.

>>4317452
>Tarn
The port city is patched up, parts rebuilt, and otherwise brought up to Tarnic standards. The Coloured Robes of the outpost college cease their fiery display, for they see the city thriving, Men and Elf living, as much as they can, harmoniously. They venture to the gates, and ask for entrance, for clemency. It would be rather nice to have the magical on one's side.
With lands safely staked, ports are constructed to better accommodate those ships taking the long northern route.

>>4318732
>Gyldenthrong
It is much smaller than expected, the lensgrinders and metalworkers having finely honed their craft in the piece. Of course, the first thing sent to be seen beneath the glass, is the white flecked bloody handkerchief of a recently deceased sufferer. The thing is placed in a place well lit by Guldfar, the cloth slipped beneath the lens, and the dials twisted here and there. What the poor Dwarf saw, as if it were Cewri-sized standing before him, was a living creature; Obviously white in colour, but what could not be seen by the Disciples are the things tiny arms, and legs, and eyes! which flail or stare about, purposelessly. This confirms what had been said, and raises the question as to why the Ants have used mushrooms to aid against the storm.
The call for cures is called prematurely it seems, for vinegar alone is enough to snuff out the half life of the things. As does the more astringent ciders, popular with miners, the Ichor too. But then, how to safely introduce these acidic tinctures into the blood? What damage could they cause on the organs of the body?

>>4320133
>Llychlyn
Crews arrive ready to destroy the accurséd place yet again, but, once arriving on the frozen earth below, they find only the quarried hole. Blodwyn cries out in despair, in grief, for the place returned only to swallow up her sister, her closest companion, her only link to their mother. For there, half buried in the snow, is a small platinum ring, set with an opal stone, a gift she had given the Queen not a decade ago. She caresses the shallow inscription inside it, "FANW TYWYS FI".

>>4320157
>Cravers
With a stable base of Flesh firmly secured in the first cavern, the transplant of Neverborn's most vital organs begins. First, the literal heart of Cravic lands, which feeds the veins stretched all over and under Sigod. Second is the metaphorical heart, the Lord of Flesh himself. Though such an occasion should surely be one of fanfare, the delicate nature of the procedure can have no disturbance. A new chamber is dug deep, safe within the bowels, for him alone. Though a fraction of him cannot be saved, his new throne room is perhaps even grander than his old. May he spread himself thick. Next, the mystery of Neverborn, the Gene Forge, dormant, but willing to be a womb renewed in the caverns.
On the enfleshed ruins of Tyr, a creaking tower of bone and skin rises high. From it, in typical Craver fashion, polyps of eyes stare out unblinking from the deck. No ship or Man may cross the wide arc of the thing's vision without notice.

>>4320231
>Meluz
The properties of rubber are indeed fascinating, hard when cold, soft when warm, much like some Meluz in that sense. But in more, carnal, usage it is found rather unceremoniously to be of quite painful use. Alchemical minded Snakes tinker with the stuff for hours, at least they claim it takes that long, though none can say it has been time wasted. Through a secretive process shared only to those who need to know, the rubber is heated along with another Tarnic import of sulphur. (perhaps called Melunisation?) The resulting material is unlike anything seen before, perhaps only those mechanical Dwarves have anything close. The stuff is sent to other Meluz for their own secretive process to produce all manner of prophylactics, soon making them even for the Tarn themselves! Though, their requests are, rather strange.
In all things, it is better to be safe than sorry, and now is perhaps the greatest example of such. The evacuation takes far longer than expected, families adamant on taking everything in their homes that they can. Goat-pulled carts carve deep tracks to Castor's Keep, where new units are being cut day and night. Special services are run on the Gylden lines to bring Meluz from the furthest reaches of Meluzina. Little can be done for the stubborn, determined to be drowned in their own homes. The currently pleasant weather does not help matters.

>>4320232
>Akkhar Dwarves
He sees the error of his ways, perhaps in his youth, of only 48 years!, he is to eager. These things take time, and in time, kings will fall and tyrants shall be cast into the sea. Metaphorically speaking.
Of the vast tracks of Akkhar land, there is little that is arable, but what arable land there is, shall be planted thick. All over the northern hills, venturing into the forests, are dug hardy crops, resistant to the cold and winds of the Udron Peninsula. The Dwarves of next year shall grow fat on this labour!

>Akkhar Dwarves cont.
Those Dwarves. Those clever, stinking, Dwarves. Pots are placed in all taverns, on every tunnel intersection, handed out to homes, all to collect that golden nectar. Most nights it is collected up then sent to Guthlaqtz for processing. If they weren't a place of torment before now, the ever present scent of urea certainly edges it close.

>>4320307
>FHR
"A wicked weapon of war alone" one particularly irate member of Clan Belde calls the newly forged mortars. Given the recently largely-mechanised forges of Dezna more of these can be produced that would ever be needed.
The engines, even without the ornate detailing of the Gylden made variety, are stupendously heavy, requiring counterweights at the front, and ideally throughout the vessel. But this is a minor inconvenience to save reliance on trade winds or strong arms.

>>4320318
>Karnis
Already picked fairly clean by the Cravers, there is little left of value above ground. But Ants are a particular sort, it is rarely the surface world which interests them.
Rikal's mind is willing, but the old flesh is weak. For this purpose he has trained some latently talented Wormlings, though perhaps trained is the wrong word. Unbeknownst to the Ants, and allies in Flesh, the elderly Kahro has taken from his work on the Ze'Karn more than just experience; He has taken a vital piece of them. As the Ze'Karn are to the Grand Matriarch, his students are to Rikal. Whether the Karnis, or Cravers, or other Kahro for that matter, will ever know, it has yet to be decided. Now. The Ze'Karo. Perfection can begin. With young hands, the Kahro move as one, transplanting the linking essence from the corpse to the Wormling. It is, in a phrase, a resounding success. I will leave to you if you wish for this part to be canon: With the link between them strengthened, the message of the Ze'Karo is broadcast clear into the minds of Nethazar and her new young. Not one of rejoicing in birth anew. But one of pain. One of anguish. A wish. A wish to return. To Her.

>>4320349
>Tidal
The effort is immense, ships are recalled from their regular routes just for the work to be done. Every ship, every Kraken, the lifeblood of the Tidal Empire must be protected from the storm. Let the Paitoy scoff, for soon another Clan will rule, and the job will be appreciated.
The Factory is extraordinary. Day and night it goes without rest. Dragons are cycled so that there is never a second of downtime. At such a rate, the iron reserves brought there are already almost entirely used up, even the nearby mine struggles to support the demand. Were a fifth of it entering the market, steel and iron prices would collapse instantaneously.

>>4320355
>B'yogi
Perhaps it is a joke of the Gods that the same thing be discovered simultaneously at either end of the world. Using Garnish made glass, and skills surreptitiously learnt by Watching the Gylden, a lens is ground finely, and set into a frame of metal very similar to the Eyes of M'ed. And with two of them just so over the eye's of a H'yomi, they say the world looks all funny. Good ole H'yomis, always good for a laugh.
Now, to Shadow Step is one thing, as is to make oneself nearly invisible, but to warp! Oh to warp as in times of old, on the Plane-Between-Planes where matter did not, well, matter. Sense neither! It is an innate talent, some B'oo have it, most do not. Here on the material plane, it is difficult even for the most skilled to warp more than a few arms-length. But with dedication, with training, with Faith! it is not long before those most gifted can blink from one side of Fright to the other. Though, as if told to them by S'cie Themselves, that's basically the limit.

DIPLO
>>4318732
(>>4317452) The Tarn are a shrewd sort. Opium is offered at ridiculous prices, even for a dram of the stuff, but one fellow offers it for free. Well, for a favour. Perhaps this Giant, and one or two of his brethren could make a tour of Tarnia, as a morale booster. And if they just so happened to express certain favourable views about a certain small franchise of apothecaries-cum-chemists, why, that would be most beneficial.

The Dwarf and his entourage trudge through Tarnic sand and jungle to deliver they letter, arriving to the spot carved out for watching the Mushroom-Men. There, it takes a small amount of Ichor courage to deliver the thing to the huge creatures. The letter is thrust out at one of the larger members, who does not even look down, and simply, wanders. Narrowly he avoids stepping on the Dwarf, who shouts some rather un-Guldfar-like language before taking the hand of a 'Shroom about his own size, and placing the papers in it. Happy it has been delivered, he marches off triumphant, only for his posse to tell him the thing just dropped the missive and continued its mindless shambling.

The Hacmosi are, wary of such an action. The use of coal has been banned in the cities ever since an, incident, and with it came the maligning of the stuff from all levels of society. If such an engine could be powered without the polluting black stone, they be open to reconsidering. As for merely skirting the city, in an effort to reach the Shadow creatures, this they allow. For a price.

The Elves of the Wyrum Voss gladly welcome the line, may it bring prosperity everlasting.

>>4316655
Before the party reaches the Men, the tall ones have moved on, making their way high into the mountains. Following slowly behind them, the Dwarves discover their aftermath; more rubble, more bodies. The further they travel, the more death they witness. No longer just Elves, but Men, and huge birds (gryphons) too. Though they see more of these giant creatures, for whatever reason they ignore the trundling Dwarves. When at last they reach the Elven capital, they stare in horror as the Men they spotted not a full day ago, are torching it. Other Elven cities exist, of course, but with the grand towers of Renthum in flames, what state could they be in.

>>4320318
The Elves talk briefly amongst themselves, it becomes momentarily heated, before their shoulders fall. Even the Ants know this is a sign of defeat.
"We can do little but accept your offer. As to the Men of the west, we cannot say they will in kind."

END OF SCENE NINE.

Part 10 will be up on Friday, Scene One on Monday.

>>4320669
A1: The magicians are folded into the larger Sorcerers guild, the two formerly isolated institutions coming together in a orgy of innovation.

A2: Vossik Undercity
The Tarns, with their sprawling trades routes and lassiez-faire approach to government, are the largest recipients of the tide of Vossik refugees. To accommodate them, the centuries-old undercities that lie beneath each of the Great Cities are expanded and refitted into basic housing. Far from glamorous but magnitudes better than the alternative.

>War Action(If I still have them lol)
The Tarnish army, having achieved both of their key strategic objectives, begins to take a more humanitarian position. Refugees are funneled into friendly B’oo and Tarnish hands, from where the diaspora spreads across the nations.