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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Nov 30, 2016 21:10:30 GMT -5
The group rode on horseback for around an hour before they reached the town. From where they stood, they could see the foundations of the burned buildings, along with burnt debris scattered across the town. As they approached, the smell of ash and burnt wood filled the air.
"What good would burning down a random town that had no key elements in a war?" One of the soldiers asked.
"I've not a clue, but fear not that Ul'Dah will get away with this." Elwrin told the man. "they will pay for their ignorance. This attack will be seen as an ultimatum and will not be taken lightly by our nation. Our army will face theirs on the field of battle, and I will not rest until they have paid for their crimes in blood."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Nov 30, 2016 21:53:13 GMT -5
It took over an hour and a half to reach the border. When the party was only sixty meters away, Thayer gave the order to dismount. They would leave the horses in a small clearing. It would be too risky to bring them to the border. If there were any enemies, the horses would make too much noise. So they covered the rest of the distance on foot.
By the time they reached the edge of the forest, the Limsa Lominsa party was already there. That didn't come as a shook to Thayer. Why wouldn't they check on their destroyed town? Staying within the safety of the forest, she watched them, recognizing Elwrin among the men, and waited. If they were caught spying, he may think they were behind the attack. Yet if she chose her timing right, they could simply approach the group, or at least call out to them, and ask about what happened.
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Nov 30, 2016 22:19:28 GMT -5
"men!" Elwrin shouted so everyone in their party could hear him. "There is no doubt what we've seen here is a tragedy! I have decided that we will ride out to Ul'Dah and demand answers! Prepare yourselves, for we've no idea what we will be greeted with, nor do we know what their excuse will be, but one thing is certain. War is imminent. We will not go in seek of a fight today, we seek merely to acknowledge their cowardness and let them know that this act of war will not be tolerated by us, nor by any limsa lominsan with any sense of pride for their nation! Onward to victory! Onward to glory! May our foes tremble in fear before the might of Limsa Lominsa!"
"Long live Limsa Lominsa!" The soldiers shouted.
"We'll make camp here for the night. At dawn's first light, we'll ride to Ul'Dah. For now, we will rest and let our horses rest."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 7, 2016 20:50:33 GMT -5
(hey, sorry for the poof. )
Elwrin turned his head and put his hand over his weapon at the sound of a voice, but relaxed when he recognised The gridanian leader. "Lady thayer, what brings you to this area, so close to Limsa Lominsan territory? In case you haven't noticed, we've had a slight problem. I took you and your people to be a more rational nation, so I assumed Ul'Dah was the source for our little issue. I see to end this conflict with a treaty of surrender written in Ul'Dah blood, so I'd suggest either aligning yourself with us, or avoiding this war all together, for we will stop at nothing until justice is done. The blood of innocent men, women, and children were spilled, and we will see to it that the lives of the Ul'Dah military are ended, or Ul'Dah land is forfeited and given to the heirs of Limsa Lominsan people slain."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Dec 7, 2016 21:40:35 GMT -5
(It's all good!)
Thayer had to force herself not to cringe when he called her "Lady." Yes, that was her official title, but it was a title that seemed softer than her role actually was. Within the few years of her reign, she had just about eradicated the term from her army and council. However, there was nothing she could do about the other nations' leaders. To them, she would always be Lady Thayer, whether she liked it or not.
"A patrol brought me news of this town this morning. The damage spoken of was horrible, so I wanted to come see it for myself. I wanted to be sure the culprits weren't hiding in our woods as well as search for possible survivors," the young woman explained. Then proceeded with a bit more caution. "Lord Erwin, your anger is justifiable. Had one of my own towns been struck down, I would be seeking retribution as well. Yet I believe your anger may be causing you to come to a rash decision. Forgive me if I offend you, but shouldn't you wait a day or two before facing the Ul'Dah head on?"
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 7, 2016 22:26:03 GMT -5
Elwrin paused for a moment, contemplating her words. He did agree with her about not attacking Ul'Dah head on, as him and his men would be sorely outnumbered in a battle.
"Your words are wise, and I can't help not agreeing with you. Very well, my men and I will ride not into battle, but to deliver an ultimatum. We will declare war on the empire of Ul'Dah, and I do hope you will join us. Innocents have been slain, and the gods will smile upon you for choosing to ensure that justice is instilled throughout the land. You need not to make a decision now. My men and I will ride at noon tomorrow. If you choose not to join us, I will be disappointed, but will understand any reluctance to aid us. Give it some thought, and hopefully you will meet us tomorrow."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 8, 2016 19:59:23 GMT -5
"You tell me. Who else could it have been?" Elwrin asked, his tone revealing his frustration. "We've no raiders anywhere near this area since we took out a larger group called the red hand, and the only other military forces anywhere near here are Ul'Dah and you, so unless you've arranged this attack, it deductively has to be Ul'Dah. Besides, Ul'Dah has the motives. I suspect Gridania is ignorant of the recent trading disputes between us and Ul'Dah? I believe this is their way of intimidating us into submission, but I refuse to stand aside and let them walk all over my nation and treat my people as dogs. You can do so as you please with your own soldiers, but this war is unavoidable. It's coming, and it's up to you as to how it will end. Join us, and the war will be ended quickly, likely with an Ul'Dah surrender, and minimal innocent casualties, or sit on the sidelines and watch as thousands upon thousands of both Limsa Lominsan and Ul'Dah soldiers' lives are ended."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 8, 2016 21:31:15 GMT -5
"They were trying to make a point. That town was one of our largest wool suppliers. They were trying to say that if they don't get what they want, they'll do whatever it takes to get the resources that my nation has, even if it means murdering every last one of us. they demand lower prices on our goods knowing full and well that my people can't afford it. Our taxes would rise exponentially. Half my people would be imprisoned for being unable to afford it. Now they've left us no choice but to fight. My army may not have the metals and minerals Ul'Dah has, but we've got a large enough cavalry to hold our own against Ul'Dah and we have a powerful school of magic. Ul'Dah has no idea some of our mages' capabilities. I don't even know some of our capabilities and I'm a mage myself. Believe me, if there were any way to escape this situation without a fight, I would, but the only alternative is lowering our prices, which is not a valid solution. Please, I urge you, assist me and my people in taking on Ul'Dah. We aren't fighting for conquest or greed, but in self-defense and justice."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 9, 2016 17:01:28 GMT -5
"Very well." Elwrin agreed. "As I've said before, we ride at noon tomorrow. I'd suggest bringing some of your best in case this whole situation doesn't go as planned. Farewell, and may the gods watch over you." Elwrin dipped his head respectfully and headed back to camp. upon his arrival, he informed his men what happened. "I've just spoken to Lady Thayer of Gridania, and they will ll ride with us to Ul'Dah at noon tomorrow."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Dec 9, 2016 18:32:01 GMT -5
"And the same to you," Thayer replied with a nod. She turned and headed back to where her own group was waiting. Yet she didn't inform them what had been decided until they reached the horses. It wasn't because she didn't want them to know, but because she knew there would be questions to follow the news. So as they rode back to the castle, she explained to them briefly about what she had learned. Of course, there was some objections. "Why should we bother with their problems?" one of the younger knights asked. "If they want to start a war, why not let them?" "If a war was to break out," Thayer replied calmly, "then who do you think will be caught in the middle of it? Both sides would be asking for help. Help one, and the other would see us as an enemy. Side with no one, and we may get bullied into choosing a side. If we go with them to find out the cause of all of this, then I'll know for sure what we should do."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 9, 2016 19:01:41 GMT -5
(Time skip to the next day?)
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 9, 2016 19:16:48 GMT -5
I can if you want)
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 9, 2016 21:13:12 GMT -5
Thick smoke was visible on the horizon. It was late day and the sun was just barely visible over the horizon, casting eerie shadows across the land. A quick movement flashed to the right. When he looked, he could see nothing but trees and bushes. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. He could hear the rumble of a marching army, although he could not pinpoint what direction it was coming from. Before he could find out, Elwrin awoke. "That was strange..." He said to himself. Shrugging it off, he put on a pair of fancier clothes to speak with Ul'Dah as to represent Ul'Dah as a leader, not a warrior. When he stepped out of his tent, he realised it was mid-morning. His men had a few rabbits and what was presumably a wild hog cooking over an open fire. A few soldiers noticed him and gave him a nod of respect before carrying on with whatever they were doing. It'll be noon before long. This may be a deciding factor in my nation's future. I do hope everything goes according to plan.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Dec 9, 2016 22:59:04 GMT -5
Thayer was well on her way to where Elwrin's camp lied. She had left her own castle two hours after sunrise. It took time to gather the people she wished to accompany her. Though she didn't have any current qualms with Ul'Dah, that didn't mean she wasn't heading into the nation without some defense. With her traveled twenty armed knights, five archers (not including herself), and one man from her council, Sir Rodney who was drill sergeant for the men-at-arms. She figured they would need all the advising help they could get if they wanted to walk away from this without a war.
By the time they reached the border, it was an hour fire noon. Good, Thayer thought, it would give us time to think of an actual plan for the meeting. Hopefully. Riding free of the forest, the young woman led her group towards the camp, calling a greeting as they neared.
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 14, 2016 21:15:42 GMT -5
(I am so sorry for the massive poof. I have exams and haven't been able to get on. Winter break starts saturday so I'll definitely be able to post then.)
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 15, 2016 21:42:17 GMT -5
(Freak. I just remembered I'm volunteering saturday... sorry. I'll definitely post sunday.)
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 18, 2016 0:28:48 GMT -5
(I'm back!)
The sun held high in the sky, it's unrelenting beams of light warming up the area. The soldier's exhaustion was clear, but they knew as well as he knew that no matter what, they had to march on to Ul'Dah. Elwrin was just grabbing a piece of bread, but turned at the sound of the gridanian party. "Well met!" He called as they neared. He jogged over to meet them as they approached the camp. "I'm glad you all have arrived." He said with a smile. "We'll set out for Ul'Dah in about an hour." Turning to lady thayer, he added "If you've any concerns, I'd suggest you bring them to light before we set off. It's not a long journey to their capital, and we won't do much stopping in between, considering the fact that we'd be on potentially and probably hostile territory."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 18, 2016 23:18:25 GMT -5
"Your concern is valid." Elwrin replied calmly. "As I've said before, we seek not to fight. We will not provoke a patrol, but if they draw on us, we will not fear combat. I cannot guarantee our safe passage, but I would prepare for them to attack. They would not expect Gridania to be present, so they may assume it's just a Limsa Lominsan party. I do suggest that you and your men stay alert. A standard patrol shouldn't be able to defeat a joint force like ours, but just in case I've come with a few mages. They'll be able to ward us from severe damage should the problem arise."
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Post by Fire the Watcher of the vale on Dec 24, 2016 0:27:40 GMT -5
"Great." Elwrin said, a grin across his face. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable in the time being. We have freshly cooked food that will just be discarded if it isn't eaten, and it would be a shame for it to go to waste. We leave in about an hour." With a bow, Elwrin turned and walked off back to his tent.
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