Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>6395809


It had proven to be a quiet year. The return of the Crown Prince from over the flowing sea before the end of summer and the coming of the autumn storms would make travel northward much more perilous.

His new bride, the fair Princess Astrid, had gone with him over the sea; officially, the isles the king had conquered off the Svengalians were part of the dowry. In practice Greifswalder tax collectors, jurists, and other officials could act without impunity. With due reference to both the local nobility and the elven aristocracy, which still dwelt upon these isles, remnants of a patrimony long since waned and withered.

The autumn came, howling and battering on the coasts, and tore off the beloved verdant cloak which so richly endowed Greifswald's many forests and woodlands. After the autumn came the winter, unusually harsh, with a minor famine plaguing the northeast until milder weather eased conditions.

With the coming of the spring, the first signs that the royal line had been perpetuated for at least another generation. As the princess' womb swelled with a child, whispers of hope and renewal spread throughout the kingdom; come the time, come the season.

By the early summer, the wails of birth reverberated through the halls of Albrechtsburg; all of note were in attendance: the king, the queen, the crown prince, the princess, and the most prominent of the courtiers for the birth of a new royal child, especially one so high in the line of succession. The cries of the new filled the air, for it was:

1: A boy

2: A girl

>>6395811
A boy it was, and healthy too! The babe rested easily within his mother arms, while the Father and Grandfather tried to come up with a suitable name

Select a name

Familial names
>Albrecht
>Dietrich
Tauten names
>Heinrich
>Ludwig
>Wilhelm
>Friedrich
Mithradian names
>Phillip
>Johannes
>Nikolaus
>Alexander
Svengalian/Nordic names
>Erich
>Waldemar
>Magnus
>Gustav

>>6395817
>Gustav
It sounds somewhat Tauten as well.

>>6395817
>Gustav
Swedish kings and all that

>>6395817
>Gustav
WELCOME BACK! Shame double names aren't a thing yet, Gustavus Augustus(Gustav August) would be such a badass name.

>>6395817
>>Gustav

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The new princeling would be known as Gustav, a break from tradition in some form and a symbol of the newfound friendship between the two kingdoms in another. A powerful name for a boy who would hopefully one day ascend the throne when the time was right.

But such times had not yet come; the newborn, in the days that followed thereafter, alternated between the care of the mother, grandmother, aunts, and wet nurses.

"Has anything happened then?" The crown prince Dietrich asked his father.

"Not within the kingdom, for which I am glad, but in the west, a new king sits on the throne of Angenland, not that relevant to us, but it is the last news the chancery has received." King Albrecht said in a calm tone that since the crown prince had returned from his honeymoon, Albrecht had tried to include Dietrich more in the day-to-day governance of the kingdom.

The two stopped by a window; looking from it, they peered out over the water to the capital, Rittersbach. She had grown much since her first change of name, growing over the course of a rough forty to fifty years from a minute hamlet home of but a few hundred souls into a one of the greatest cities this far north and east.

Contrary to this, however, it wasn't the largest city in Greifswald. That honour belonged to Tanzing, the great harbour in the south, and the central export hub for Mozolavian grain.

"Look at her." Albrecht said, "When I was your age, you could still peer over the houses into forests; she certainly has grown." He glanced over his city once again, the shingles sometimes shinging, the thatch roofs long since gone in favour of a mix of dull red and grey.

At the centre of it all rose three great buildings; the smallest of these was the city hall, where the council convened with the mayor. Compared to the other two, it had a civil touch to it, plain and functional. Crossing the central square, there stood a building now known as the old palace, built by King Dietrich when he was but a duke and where the queen dowager lived until her last breath. Now it stood empty, a building that perhaps best reminded some of the previous generation. Though it was always small, getting cramped and leaking.

Last, and perhaps greatest of all, there stood the cathedral. Tall spires and buttresses reaching into the air, holding great stained-glass windows from falling over. Delayed again after the untimely death of the chief mason, they had at least finished it enough for the bishop to be able to perform his duties in it, and the catacombs beneath had been finished as well.

"Indeed, she has grown, grown too much, methinks." You denoted "it's getting too big for its britches." Halftimbered houses were being stacked upon each other; the streets were getting narrow. Even in spite of the council's laws against such reckless building, out of fear for fire and disease.

>>6396139
"Hmmm, you do have a point; things are beginning to get crowded. Those walls are old, built in the time of my father." All in all, space was getting tight in Rittersbach; there were two bridges. But one merely led into the castle and the woods, and the other led into your father's palace, not a new city.

>I say we build a new part of the city on the north bank.
>Is it then not time for us to demolish and extend the walls even further southward?
>Then we should redesign the city from the ground up to effectively use all the space available.

>>6396142
>How about we expand the city to the west bank?

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>>6396142
>build a new wall to the south--east running roughly north-south across the penisula. Allow current inhabitants to build there
>clear forest in the West (light green hash area) and permit burghers from other places to come and settle, for a fee, while also granting them tax privileges (yellow hash area)
>build another section of wall in the West, also running from South to North, from the current westernmost tip of the fortification to the river; build a weapons manufacture there with the proceeds from the new settlers

>>6396145
>roughly north-south
northeast to southwest, sorry

>>6396145
>+1
Holding out hope for a Mithradian district.

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The intent was set, the plan was to be made. But the king and crown prince were in unison. Rittersbach would need to be expanded, and greatly so, so it might enter the next century as a city capable of even greater growth, without the squalor and overcrowding plaguing it at present.

The first meeting concerning this planning would obviously involve the treasurer and the mayor so that the financial implications and logistics could be thoroughly discussed and strategised. The meeting took place in the meeting room of your father's palace, with nearly all members of the council, the bishop, as well as the mayor and two guild masters, in attendance.

On the table there lay the map detailing the exact areas of expansion, as well as the new limits of the city.
"The plan at present is to build the new city walls on the peninsula first, to alleviate the problems currently mounting in the centre of Ritterbach. Citizens may purchase a new plot of land to build their house on, with more room. I hope that we can keep this city from becoming truly overcrowded." Your father had taken a step back to allow you the freedom to pitch this plan. He looked at you with fond patience, while the mayor peered over the map with close eyes.

"It is an interesting proposal. I take it we're still discussing matters on the peninsula, yes?" You nodded. "Good, yes, fire safety is becoming a concern within the council; these dense buildings are a tinderbox away from burning up during a hot summer, and safety in general is decreasing. The watch is stretched thin as it is." The mayor nodded in agreement.

"I do, however, have a question: how will you fund this? It is ambitious, but at the same time."

"Our treasurer has assured us that there is enough to begin initial construction. Furthermore, if our funds should prove insufficient, we can always try to attract investors from elsewhere. We do intend for others to be able to invest in housing while we focus on the infrastructure and defences. As well as what is to be built on the left bank." Your father explained.

"Furthermore, we intend to support this growth with the building of new hospitals, fire watches, and other such amenities." You have read about the great fora of the ancient Isidorian cities and the agora of the Mithradian city-states before that, and while the market square had been able to take that over in many ways, in many other ways the modern cities were but pale shadows of the glorious metropoles. Elisonikon, the capital of Mithras, was still the finest city remaining on the continent. You had never been there, but from what your mother brought along and told you about, it is the pinnacle of all that civilisation could be. Great forums and palaces, along ordered and diametrical streets, with monuments placed in strategic locations to honour the gods and heroes of old.

>>6396441
"Indeed so, the church would be happy to help with the construction of new hospitals. I have been in contact with the archbishop in Libau, and we have concluded that the distribution of alms to the sick has been a neglected aspect of our charitable work," the bishop of Rittersbach remarked.

The attending men all nodded in agreement before attention went over to the plans for the west bank, where the Albrechtsburg stood. For now still surrounded by forest on its south and west, but that would change as well. Your design behind this district was that here good and wealthy burghers, both from within and without, would settle here. Merchants and master craftsmen. Men with skill and expertise, who would contribute to the city's wealth by their craft and trade.

"We shall ask for a fee, but in exchange they shall have a few years' worth of privilege when it comes to taxation. Whether it comes through rebates, breaks, or exemptions, the point is that on the western bank there shall come a place for the meritorious, where their contributions will be recognised and rewarded."

As this step in the general plan would come later, and the wood from the clearance would be used for the building of houses on the peninsula, most didn't object. The meeting ended on high spirits as the scribes began to pen down the documents to undertake such a project.

There would be several more meetings in the week thereafter, both concerning what kind of talent you wished to attract and your planned extension of the castle.

"A manufactory of weapons? You would make the guilds very grumpy if they found out." Your father lightly teased you.

"No, not in that sense; you know how, ordinarily, knights and troops are expected to purchase their own equipment?" You asked.

"Yes, if I wanted a new set of armour, I would need to commission a set with a master armourer. And that is made to match." King Albrecht said.

"The point of the manufactory isn't to make masterful pieces but to produce standard-issue equipment for the troops. It would save time and resources in the long run," you explained.

"So you wish to create an arsenal of sorts and an armoury to store it in, I take it. I like it; I myself built a set of wharves for the navy with similar intent." If your elder sister's predictions did ring true, which you were certain about, then being stocked up on both weapons and armour would be very handy.

>>6396442
Lastly, there were the men you wished to attract to this city. Since the crusade subjugated these lands, immigration into Greifswald has been open to most. The ones that came in droves were the Tautens, obviously, with the combined Nordic kingdoms forming a distant second. After your father seized power, there had been other groups attracted, a small group of Castanan bankers and accountants brought in to help set up a bank for Rittersbach. Non-humans, like elves, dwarves and halflings, also had some presence, though it usually doesn't extend beyond some insular households.

The last group of any real distinction to come here were the Mithradians your father had brought with him from the crusade, mostly the families of your mother's servants and various experts. But they had come in too few in number to form a distinct group, not helped by the distance between the realms.

But you had an idea, or perhaps it was better to say a dream, to create a small but able colony of Mithradians, for you believed their skills and knowledge would be of great use in the years to come. Thankfully, getting them would be rather easy; your father had saved the empire from the brink, and your mother was a literal princess, a relation to the current dynasty. Transporting them from Mithras to Greifswald might be more complicated, but you would make it happen.

The only question is for what kind of people you would ask for.
>Military men, not necessarily great warriors, but men of strategy and tactics.
>Accountants, bureaucrats, and engineers to help develop the administration and the bureaucratic apparatus.
>Learned men, who know about philosophy, literature, and the sciences, to help advance knowledge and culture.

>>6396443
>Accountants, bureaucrats, and engineers to help develop the administration and the bureaucratic apparatus.
Administrative capacity is the cornerstone of everything

>>6396441
oh hey, the plan is a go! neato
>>6396442
yep yep. munitions armor, polearms, military stuff so we can have more gens d'armes and a well-regulated city watch too. Then we can think about exports

>>6396452
especially with the planned expansion, yes
seconded

>>6396441
>tinderbox
oh, and if it's not too much detail/expense
>dig a canal along the old south-eastern wall
>dismantle the old wall, keeping three of the old bastions
>build a bridge across the canal at each bastion, high enough that barges can be towed underneath
>the three bastions can now serve as firewatch towers (perhaps with some light timber structure on top to give the watchman an elevated pov), toll houses for incoming commerce and guardhouses for the three bridges
the canal itself will be a good source of water in case of any fires and a firebreak
>set aside room for a marketplace and a wharf on the southeastern bank, next to the central bridge

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like so

>>6396443
>>Accountants, bureaucrats, and engineers to help develop the administration and the bureaucratic apparatus.
Rome and by extension, the Byzantine Empire, worked for as long as it did because it was a heavily sophisticated centralized power ruled by the Emperor. There is a good reason why it serves as a model for modern nation states.

>The last group of any real distinction to come here were the Mithradians your father had brought with him from the crusade, mostly the families of your mother's servants and various experts. But they had come in too few in number to form a distinct group, not helped by the distance between the realms.
I can't find it, but I remember reading that several soldiers married Mithradian women, who then joined them back to Greifswald.

>>6396481
Some stayed behind, others came back with their new wives. And there were several others out for new opportunities.

Since the fall of the old empire and the rise of feudal kingdoms in its place, there have been but a few places where bureaucratic apparatuses held out against the rise of feudalism. Mithras chief among them, there power was held by office, not through enfeoffment.

Greifswald was partially built upon the semi-bureaucratic, semi-monastic framework of the old order state; it never went through the periods of weak central leadership in the same way the early feudal states did. Though Dietrich had to weaken it as a compromise with the rest of the nobility, the kings of Greifswald could enact and dictate policy in a more autocratic manner than elsewhere.

Your father had never bothered convening the Landtag, the diet of the land, for example. Through a complicated set of agreements for the levying of money, it was a wartime measure, which never had to be renewed and could be extended and raised. It has been in place for over forty years, and most had learned to accept it as a necessity to fund the kingdom.

To man this system, there had been a small cadre of men from the lower nobility who worked for a stipend and a chance to climb the slippery pole upwards. But they were amateurs compared to the professional pencil-pushers of Mithras. Educated bureaucrats who spend their lives drafting papers and using the abacus. These were the kind of men you would like to attract, for they would help further improve the efficiency of the government.

Your father had reformed the kingdom more along the Mithradian lines, creating regional militias based on the themata and separating military and civil responsibilities.

Thus, you wrote to the Mithradian Emperor, by now a cousin of yours, via your mother's elder sister, who wed the man who became emperor in the aftermath of the Crusades. After Emperor Ioannes IV came Emperor Anastasios VI, your cousin, even though he was a decade older than you. A letter in which you formally introduced yourself, wished him well, and asked for permission to recruit some talented bureaucrats to help administer your kingdom.

But the planning was done; now was the time to begin. It would take a few years and a lot of coin. But Ariolos wasn't built in one day. The first thing the labourers did was place the new boundary stones where the walls would arise. Next they tore down the farmsteads and cleared the land for construction. They also began clearing out the forest on the western bank.

For convenience, an extra pontoon bridge had been laid down to allow for ease of transport. Summer was here, and sweat drenched and parched, the labourers laid down the first outlines for the walls and roads.

"And your fey friends don't object to this wood chopping?" You asked your father.

"Not in the slightest; it's too close to civilisation anyhow, and this woodland isn't all that ancient, and between you and me, it also wasn't suited for hunting at any rate."

>>6396959
The two of you rode along over the old road as the labourers removed the thatch from a farmhouse and barn. Most of the peasants near the capital who were in the clearing zone were easily bought out or moved over if they were serfs.

The ground was broken open, along banks new quays would have to be raised, but labour was there plenty, as enough made it over in search of work in the big city.

"It is good that this city is growing once again. If only my father was here to see it." King Albrecht bemoaned.

"Isn't he still here?" you asked, referring to the statue of him before the old palace.

"Aye, but I would much rather have him in flesh than in copper. Do promise me this: that if you'll make a statue of me after I'm gone, it'll be an equestrian one; I find your grandfather's statue so horridly stiff." Your father half-jokingly murmured.

"If that is what makes you sleep easy at night." You replied with a chuckle.
>But tell me, Father, what is the fae-realm even like? You have never really explained.
>You have been to Mithras before; you even married one, so I would like to know, what is it like? And don't say I should ask Mother. I want your opinion.
>What shall come next? You have told me about your plans. What is to come next? More centralisation, a standing army? What about foreign policy?

>>6396961
>But tell me, Father, what is the fae-realm even like? You have never really explained.

>>6396961
>You have been to Mithras before; you even married one, so I would like to know, what is it like? And don't say I should ask Mother. I want your opinion.
>What shall come next? You have told me about your plans. What is to come next? More centralisation, a standing army? What about foreign policy?
How often do you think about the Isidorian Empire? Who did his older sisters marry? And finally, when are we going to conquer Viskara so the qm can update the world map?(jk)

>>6396961
>But tell me, Father, what is the fae-realm even like? You have never really explained.

Hopefully we don't leave those lesser nobles completely behind.

>>6396961
>What shall come next? You have told me about your plans. What is to come next? More centralisation, a standing army? What about foreign policy?

>>6396961
>But tell me, Father, what is the fae-realm even like? You have never really explained.

"But tell me, Father, what is the fae realm even like? You have never really explained." You knew of them and how your father allied with a faerie king known as Aran-Arasso, also known as the white stag, because of the form which he takes, though according to your father, he can shift into any shape he desires. It is said to be hidden deep in the forest, deeper than deep, beyond the patrol routes the rangers of Greifswald hold themselves to to keep wanderers on the road safe and prevent someone from wandering into the deepwood without safe passage.

Your sister would know; as a sorceress, it was she who was trusted with such affairs. There was also your father's horse, Wittekind, who, by the blessing of the White Stag, had been blessed with the ability to talk and with more. He had the charge of a drestier, the endurance of a palfrey, and the strength of a draughthorse. And as per usual, he wasn't afraid to share his opinion, provided the riff-raff was out of earshot.

"Why would you want to know about that? I tell you, nothing good lives there; the grass tastes weird, and the trees move. Trust me, Dietrich, it is better to stay in an open field with grass that actually tastes good." The white stallion grumbled.

"Yes, yes, we know you don't like forests." Your father bemoaned.

"What about it? Don't you know how dangerous the underbrush is for your ankles?" Wittekind continued on with his grumbling, but you decided to get things back on track.

"But seriously, father, what is the fae-realm like?" You asked.

"I cannot say, now, before you object, no, I have met the White Stag at a few select places, but I know not where he dwells. But I have passed through; it is a place of both awe and mystery, deeper than deep, with a canopy which truly blots out the sky and roots big enough to ride under and trees the size of mountains. As for the inhabitants, they can be mischievous, the smaller ones that is; the treemen tend to be easygoing and drowsy. But I never went into the heart of all faedom, though; you have given me an idea." With a certain smug cleverness that suited him ever so well, your father the king took the reins of his horse, which automatically began to walk.

You rode after him, trying to figure out what this idea of his was. But he wouldn't budge, only giving you vague platitudes like 'it will be fun', 'I won't spoil the surprise', and 'you'll see soon enough'. For the rest of the week, you were torn between excitement and dread. You didn't know what was to come. But as you came into the throne room, both your father and sister were already there. Your father stood in front of his throne, hands behind his back.

"I have good news for you, since you asked about it, the White Stag has agreed to allow you to visit his court in the depths of woodland realm."

>>6397600
>"Furthermore, I would deign that you take your sister with you as well."
>"I shall be coming along as well, don't you worry."
>"You are old enough to undertake such a diplomatic mission on your own, I trust?"

>>6397601
>"Furthermore, I would deign that you take your sister with you as well."

>>6397601
>"Furthermore, I would deign that you take your sister with you as well."

>>6397601
>"Furthermore, I would deign that you take your sister with you as well."

>>6397601
>>"I shall be coming along as well, don't you worry."

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"Furthermore, I would deign that you take your sister with you as well." Your father decided.

"Why?" You blurted out. Which made the dark tresses of your sister cascade over her shoulders as she turned to face you.

"Because I want the two of you to learn to work together for the common weal. And because I think the two of you should spend some time with each other." Your father's words carried a tone of finality, leaving little room for argument.

You looked once more at your elder sister; she was tall for a woman, coming near both you and your father, though there was a more invisible stature to her on account of her magical abilities, no doubt. There was always something wintry about her, not cold of personality, but a countenance that never seemed to darken even on the sunniest days in the summer, ice-blue eyes and an ethereal elegance that reminded you more of an elf than of humans.

The rest went by in a blur; your sister announced that she had no objections to the plan and that she would gather her travelling belongings. You did likewise, and before you knew it the two of you were heading southward, a small escort in tow, to meet the monarch of the woodland realm.

For now the fields and farms that surrounded Rittersbach dominated the surroundings, the occasional village church or lord's manor breaking up the flat landscape.

"So," You began as the two of you rode alongside each other.

"So what?" She deadpanned.

"I don't know; I was thinking about what to ask you about." You pondered it for a moment before asking anyway, with a bluntness with which only siblings could get away.

"How's the magical study coming along? Found the secret to eternal life yet?" She smiled at this, though she also shot you a look which practically spelt the word 'idiot'.
"If you must know, it is coming along well; artificery is a complicated thing, though I have been able to make much progress on it. As for biomancy, the oak tree has been growing well, and I have been able to heal it from some diseases and mould."

She paused, waiting for your reaction before continuing, "Eternal life? Better mages than I have tried, and while longer life is on the table, you might as well try to build a second sun if you were after eternal life."

"And what about vampires, or liches? Oh, I get it. They are by definition already dead, but it is not like they are barred from the material world around them" You said.

"If you wish to never sit in the sun or be some skeleton who can never eat, drink, sleep or feel warmth again or have to sustain yourself on the blood of others because your heart is so black it rots even in the most pristine vampires, then I suppose that is immortality, with a few caveats." She lectured, her words dripping with cold disdain.

"Oh well, forget I asked." You murmured.

>At any rate, what do you expect that we'll do there, dance about in the meadow?
>So, Fae, I don't think I have properly met a fae; you have, haven't you?
>We know when the darkness you foresaw will come; do you know where it shall come?
>Write-in.

>>6398104
>So, Fae, I don't think I have properly met a fae; you have, haven't you?

>>6398104
>We know when the darkness you foresaw will come; do you know where it shall come?

>>6398105
>We know when the darkness you foresaw will come; do you know where it shall come?

>>6398104
>>We know when the darkness you foresaw will come; do you know where it shall come?

>>6398105
>We know when the darkness you foresaw will come; do you know where it shall come?

The obsession bourne of pain.

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You may not look upon the spoiler image unless you possess magical powers.

"We know when the darkness you foresaw will come; do you know where it shall come?" For all the talk about the coming of a nocturnal monarch, who shall unleash the vampires and their undead armies? When they shall come is known, after a plague which shall devastate the continent. According to your sister, in about a year or fifty to sixty years. A long time, which is why you had included the construction of new hospitals in your expansion plans.

As a youth, you had once been sceptical, even dismissive of your sister's vision. But after an encounter you'd rather not recollect, you had been more open to the idea. Though your sister had kept you from directly trying to go after the source of this future evil, you had been planning with her.

Truth be told, you had been in favour of direct action, riding into and burning down their fell castles and their evil masters at the stake. Your sister favoured a more preparatory approach. She had poured her heart into the study of the arcane, with devotion that was admired even by senior mages. Piling research notes and ancient texts, she had learnt much, even procuring a vampiric skull for further study.

But she looked at you with great concentration. Before answering your question

"Where, oh Dietrich, if it were as simple as that, I would have known, but visions of the future can be vague. I sought and saw, but the details were unclear; there were mountains and forests, but it was night, and I could not see beyond that." She paused, looking past you and into the distance, her eyes turned translucent, talking more to herself than to you.

"But there was something else, something far, far worse, like two rubies shining in the moonlight, glowing with malevolence. Hunger, desire, and power emanated from them, so lively, yet so dead." Her words then died off, and she fell silent, lost in her own thoughts.

You did not bring up the topic again, for you found it to be a bit taboo, while she mostly kept to herself afterwards.

Still, nightfall would come late in the summer, but the hour still grew late. Soon enough, you would need to retire for the night. But where?

There is an inn a few metres down the road, but at the same time, you could make camp and set up a few tents, but when dealing with the fae, it might be better to learn to sleep under the stars for a bit.

>Now now, let's make it to inn for a mug and some food.
>Let's make camp, nicely around the campfire.
>Make camp, but I shall sleep outside.

>>6398573
>Now now, let's make it to inn for a mug and some food.

>>6398573
>Make camp, but I shall sleep outside.

>>6398573
>>Make camp, but I shall sleep outside.

>>6398573
>>Make camp, but I shall sleep outside.

"Let us make camp; don't bother with my tent. I shall sleep outside, to sleep under the stars." You announced to your head servant, who looked at you with surprise.

"Not to worry; it is to accommodate the ways of the fae-forest, a temporary measure."

Before sundown, you and some of the others went hunting for a bit, snatching a few wild hares and gathering some berries for dinner. The pot over the fire soon filled with a savoury stew, and the dinner was nice. Your sister had returned to a semblance of normality, and soon enough was engaged in conversation with one of her handmaidens.

As the night fell, you settled in on a small slope. Nothing under you but the grass and nothing above you, but the heavens sprinkled and spattered with stars upon stars. Summer warmth wouldn't leave in the night, so you could sleep without the need for a blanket. The sound of crickets and the dying of the fire lulled you into a peaceful slumber under the vast night sky.

And so you dreamt of things in the past, great hosts of knights under the command of your father, riding forth under glorious, glaring banners as they went. Dreams sift, and they come and go as they please. Your beloved wife, your newborn son, and your long-dead grandfather face those that came and went. A funny thing that, for you were too young to have ever met your grandfather, so he always looked more like his statues and portraits.

Yet you dreamt of what was to come as well, for you to walk in the halls of the fairy king, who surely would live somewhere grand, an elegant palace, with vines on the pillars. As great waterfalls flowed gently in the meadow, you sat and watched the otherworldly fae dance and sing in the moonlight. The beauty, the timelessness, you couldn't wait to see it for yourself.

Yet your dreams shifted once more, becoming more abstract, more surreal. Seas of colours taking on shapes before collapsing into shapelessness. Swirling and merging, then diverging. As you tried to make sense of what was in front of you, it collapsed into a new form, a tunnel. At the end of which a figure began to form, a silhouette, though colour soon seeped in. You squinted, trying to make out the features of the mysterious figure, before seeing.

>Upon a ridge, before the rich greens of the woods, a great stag with white fur
>Sleeping, but stirring, ever so gently, a tree with a face and what seemed to be arms in its branches
>A small sort of bipedal creature, with a beard, but wearing a strange sort of pointy headgear
>As graceful as the morning breeze, long flowing hair kept by two wings like butterflies

>>6399087
>Sleeping, but stirring, ever so gently, a tree with a face and what seemed to be arms in its branches

>>6399087
>Sleeping, but stirring, ever so gently, a tree with a face and what seemed to be arms in its branches.

Tree. Yes.

>>6399087
>Sleeping, but stirring, ever so gently, a tree with a face and what seemed to be arms in its branches.
Seems like a Chill guy

>>6399087
>>Sleeping, but stirring, ever so gently, a tree with a face and what seemed to be arms in its branches

Sleeping, but stirring, ever so gently, a tree with a face and what seemed to be arms in its branches. What exactly it was supposed to be you did know, a treeman, or ent. As the bestiary in the library classified them. Silent guardians of wood and soil, who take life so slowly even an elf would find himself exasperated at how slow it goes, they rarely uproot themselves, so it is written, only coming out to protect their forests or punish transgressors.
But why did you dream of them? It's a bit random, isn't it? But then again, you are going to a place where reality is a bit looser with its rules. So perhaps it was a sign of things to come; you would have to wait and see. Surely it would be but a few days before you were there.

And so you travelled on, past the farmland and into the forest, though this was still the sparser part of it; the trees were neatly trimmed, meadows had been opened up and the roads were open, not a leaf would fall upon the stamped dirt. From here on out, you tried to sleep in inns where possible for your own night's rest and because you found you had woken up a bit stiff after sleeping on the ground.

But soon enough, that wasn't an option. As you approached the last of the markers of proper civilisation, a watchtower of the Greifswalder Forest Rangers, those brave woodsmen who dedicate their lives to the keeping of the peace within the forest, keeping it free of both threats mundane and supernatural. The trail, for the roads had long since thinned out into one, ended here. There would only be clearings in between the shrubbery, rougher than rough, and it would make your small group go even slower.

The forest only got denser and denser; it was like you could see the rays of light breaking through the canopy, which was more like a dark green carpet having been laid out of the trees. For your own safety, you had put on the amulet your father gave you, which guaranteed safe passage. A gift from the White Stag, your father had told you, whom briefly you thought to see, though you were mistaken; it being only a swan gliding gracefully across a nearby pond.

You pressed onwards, deeper and deeper still; the woods got stranger, the trees got larger, the paths weirder, and the plants the likes of which you had never seen before. Strange lights danced in the distance, but you kept your distance, knowing of the tales of old that such apparitions were mischievous at best and cruel at worst.

After about a day or three wandering in a straight line, or about as straight as you could, you were beginning to feel that you were lost. Even then, it was not as worrying as the green cloaks which had been following you for about a day or so, the local woodswardens, most likely. But they were getting close now; it wasn't too long before their leader spoke to you, an elf, one of the local woodelves, to be exact, who acknowledged the White Stag as their king in exchange for protection.

>>6399540
"Hail, friend! Your arrival had been foretold; our lord wishes to speak with ye. He therefore would like to bid you welcome in his halls if you would please follow us, for those who know not where to look shall never find." The green-cloaked elves thus revealed themselves. You shook the hand of the elf as a gesture of friendship before they let you on to the Halls of the White Stag.

How exactly you got there, you didn't know, for you found the paths in getting here complicated and confusing, going over and under, up and down, until you finally got there, resplendent and great. Beside a waterfall of great magnificence, buried into the hill with a great tree towering above, stood the Halls of the White Stag; the white marble bridge bade you welcome as you crossed it into the halls. Great statuettes flanked it, both of animals and elves. In the trees themselves you saw the various homes of the elves, who were very much unlike their northern cousins.

You were allowed entry, your horse being taken care of, as you assembled your party in the aula before the great hall. Everything here seemed so wispy and arched. Arches with intricate carvings lined the walls, ceilings bearing intricate flower patterns. Carvings, carvings and for carvings. And that was before you entered the great hall.

Like a combination of a throne room and a greenhouse, how he managed to get his hands on this much glass, you don't know. Thin wavy pillars supported the high ceiling, while ivy and other plant life crept up the walls, the pillars, and around the windows. A brilliant mosaic, transparent at that, had been laid in the middle, allowing one to see the flowing water underneath.

Upon his throne of living oak, he sat as proud and resplendent as any human king. A cloak of leaves, a crown of branches, flowers, gems and metal sat upon his brow. His eyes were a deep brownish amber, the colour of fertile soil. Ethereally youthful, like his elven subjects, though this was but one of his many, many forms, your sister had informed you. He arose, slowly.

"And so the son comes in the stead of his father, as time dictates, and you have brought your sister as well. It is good to see you as well. And now, to business, though you have come here in person, so I believe the matter not to be urgent."

>Forgive me for speaking out in such a blunt manner, but I thought you were a stag?
>We have had premonitions about a coming evil, and we need your counsel, if not your help.
>You honour us by hosting us in your halls, great king. I look forward to meeting more members of your court in the coming days.
>Write-in

>>6399541
>We have had premonitions about a coming evil, and we need your counsel, if not your help.

>>6399541
>You honour us by hosting us in your halls, great king. I look forward to meeting more members of your court in the coming days.
Formalities, basic diplomacy and etc. Bring up the calamity in a more private setting, btw what was the result of the island feast from last thread?

>>6399541
>We have had premonitions about a coming evil, and we need your counsel, if not your help.

File: Aran-Arasso.png (970 KB, 1713x2168)

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"We have had premonitions about a coming evil, and we need your counsel, if not your help." You said it made his head tilt a bit, and curiosity flashed across his eyes.

"Oh, and what kind of evil is coming? The forest is calm; its last evil your father and I defeated. Look over yonder." He pointed to a spot in the wall, where encrusted in the stone was the amber prison of the dire wolf. Frozen in stasis, this last remnant of the old forest had been sealed away.

"I speak not of a threat from within but from without in the coming years. As my sister had foreseen, I am convinced that there shall come a darkness which shall uproot all that we have striven to build in the last century. Vampires, they shall come and bring death upon us all. I must ask your counsel, for I have been told you are the wisest of the wise." You said, speaking with severity and urgency.

The faerie king sat down upon his throne, stroking his chin.


"Undeath is anathema to life, even more so than death. You speak with a conviction only those who speak the truth can have. When was this supposed to happen?"

"Fifty to sixty years from now." You answered.

"That is a long time for mortal men, is it not? Is it a time you expect to live through?"

That was a good question. Fifty to sixty years is a long time; your father would most likely not be there to see it come, and the chances were there that you wouldn't be there to see it as well.

>Not to worry, it's a family effort.
>Yes, but that is where my sister comes in.
>That is indeed a problem, and part of the reason I came to you.
>Write-in.

>>6399911
>Not to worry, it's a family effort.

>>6399911
>Not to worry, it's a family effort.

>>6399911
>If it is a burden I might bear in my time, I'd rather it be me than my child.

>>6399753
>btw what was the result of the island feast from last thread?
Everybody had a good time, some agreements concerning commerce had been reached, but nothing to really write home about.

What could you even bring in as a counterargument? It is true, fifty years is a long time, and not all would be there to live through such a dangerous time, much less survive it. Would you be old and brittle? Or would you already have passed on, leaving others to strike down that which shall crawl out of its den? Yes, it was, for if you weren't able to do it, your son would and his son after him. For what is the point of a hereditary monarchy? Is it not? And that is exactly the answer you gave him.

"Not to worry, it's a family effort." You said.

"Family, for one such as I, that word has always been a concept alien to me; I am immortal, unending. I was here long before your father's father's father had entered the world, and I shall be there to see your son's son's son if circumstances permit. For us, kinship does exist, but I have no children, nor do I age. But I am trailing off, musing too much about my own nature, when I should counsel you about these vampires you spoke about." He bade the two of you follow him, and you did. Out of the throne room, through high corridors which were arched, full of whipslash lines, floral-like friezes and intricate carvings. With as much architecture as plant life. It was a strange place; even after trying to make sense of it, you couldn't, not really.
This court of fae made you feel like you were in a dream, blurry and unreal, yet captivating in its beauty and mystery. Its courtiers flitted about, their movements graceful and otherworldly. Some were elves, others still looked vaguely humanoid, but that is about all that kept them from being entirely alien.

Others still were animals, conversing as though they were human, as did some trees and plants; you found yourself mesmerised by the way they all conversed seamlessly in this unhuman court. He brought you outside, to a marble gazebo-like structure covered in vines and flowers, where a gentle breeze brought the coolness of the waterfall. He bade you sit as a servant brought in refreshments.

"As I said before, undeath is the antithesis of life, and these vampires would be direly mistaken if they believe my woods will tolerate their presence." Aran-arraso said, "The dead that are buried in the soil of the forest will never rise, much like what you call it again? Those fields surrounding your churches."

"A consecrated graveyard?" You pondered, though you didn't quite understand the comparison.

"Indeed, land which has been consecrated for the burial of the dead has a natural repulsion to those who would raise them, and as this forest is sacred to my kind. I would daresay any necromancer or vampire coming here would have a hard time getting a toehold."

>You sound very certain of this.
>But that does not mean that outside armies cant march through, now can they?
>What do you know about vampires? You are immortal, but that doesn't really asnwer it.
>Write-in.

>>6400485
>What do you know about vampires? You are immortal, but that doesn't really asnwer it.

>>6400485
>But that does not mean that outside armies cant march through, now can they?

>>6400485
>But that does not mean that outside armies cant march through, now can they?

"But that does not mean that outside armies can't march through, now can they?" The soil of the woodland realm might prevent the dead from rising upon it, but that does not mean that it can naturally deter foreign invaders from invading it; that would verge on the ludicrous.

"Indeed, that is a problem, but one which I do have an answer to, for you must not believe me to be without an army of my own." Aran-Arasso informed you. "Ask your sister if you desire verification."

You turned towards her, and she simply nodded and said "You weren't there for it. I have seen with mine own eyes what these fae could bring to bear, and it is not to be underestimated." Reassuring words, which did make you feel at ease; you knew your sister to be honest. An army of their own, presumably used to fighting in the woods and underbrush which so dominated large parts of this kingdom.

"I won't fight them on an open field, mind you. For that would mean exposing my troops to their raw numbers. No, if there is to be an invasion of these vampires and their undead minions, they shall have a hard time of it; the roads shall not be safe for them, nor shall they easily find the way through to your cities. The forest lives, my prince, and all the trees have ears." You nodded in understanding; from what you had been taught, primordial forests like these were connected via a system of underground roots, which reached deep into the earth. But you did have another question.

"What do you know about vampires? You are immortal, but that doesn't really answer it." An immortal being like him could easily have met plenty of vampires, but that doesn't really give you the full picture.

"Vampires are by their nature fond of dark places, and a forest, with its canopies and dense foliage, provides the perfect cover for them to hide and hunt, but they are blighted and spread their foulness wherever they settle, especially if they decide to bring in soil from their homeland. I have had to dislodge enough vampires over the years, eager for refuge or new territory. When the order came to these lands, one of the few good things they did in my eyes was to hunt and kill those whom I couldn't reach, those who had hidden in forgotten forts or among the local humans, whom I don't dwell among." You scribbled some of the more important tidbits down before asking another question.

"Tell me, how do you kill them? If you don't mind me asking." You eagerly asked; you knew about sunlight and fire, but there are always more methods with which to kill the undead.

>>6401043
"As a fae, my dear boy, I am innately magical. Capable of feats which would give most mages in your land pause, vampires can be killed rather easily; magic isn't something they're resistant to, and silver always works its trick." You noted that down as well, to have a weapon coated in silver, or on the other hand, Silberkralle might do the trick. Mithril is like silver, only better, right?

After this, conversation turned to more casual topics, like the harvest, the local and national politics, the trade which had been permitted between the two realms for a while now. The wood elves primarily bought metals in exchange for herbs, jewellry, and other such trinkets. But the White Stag eventually rose from his chair.

"My apologies, but matters require my attention elsewhere, I am certain you can understand, and I believe you should be shown to your rooms. I shall convene the court in full in the week, so you might have the opportunity to speak there." You two got up as well, to be shown to your guest quarters. The chamberlain came forth, a fae in the form of a wisent, who led us towards your room.

These were grand and so unlike your quarters back home. Botanic motives adorned the windows, in which stained-glass further added to the effect; the posts of the canopy bed were once again adorned with ivy, and fresh flowers were found in every nook and cranny. This room was as alive as the woodland itself but with a strange tranquillity about it, as if the troubles of this world couldn't reach you here.

Your sister had been given the room next to you and was busy overlooking the vista from the balcony. You spoke briefly and agreed to meet just before dinner; you wished to explore and see some of this grand fae castle for yourself. You wandered about admiring the architecture as much as you marvelled at the courtiers of this strange, otherworldly realm.
As you wandered further and further, however, you soon found yourself lost, but that didn't matter, for you had found the way into the meadow which surrounded this grand tree castle. It itself was a grand garden, where creatures danced, sang and played, but that wasn't what took your breath away. A moving tree, with eyes and a mouth, moved about ever so slowly.

You got closer to him, more drawn by sheer awe than curiosity, but you couldn't help it. This treeman, ent, treant, whatever they liked to call themselves, also looked at you with wizened yellow-amberish eyes.

The manling prince in the flesh; it is not often that I can see one of your kind here, but perhaps that is for the better. He spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.
>What do you mean?
>Greetings to you, wizened ancient. Might I know your name?
>Did you send me a dream?
>Write-in.

>>6401045
>Greetings to you, wizened ancient. Might I know your name?

>>6401045
>>Did you send me a dream?

>>6401045
>Greetings to you, wizened ancient. Might I know your name?

I imagine the alliance is barely old at all according to his sense of time.

File: plague-doctor.gif (5.31 MB, 430x640)

5.31 MB GIF

>>6401045
>Greetings to you, wizened ancient. Might I know your name?
>Did you send me a dream?

And btw,

>Sixty to seventy years from now, there would come a threat unlike any other, not merely for Greifswald, but for the entire world; this threat would come not bearing sword or bow, but something far more sinister. A plague, one that would lay waste to entire towns, lay low the empires and kingdoms, and could even fell the hardy dwarves with a fell hand. This plague would spread like wildfire, leaving devastation in its wake and testing the resilience of humanity like never before. The future thus looked bleak, and misery would thus breed more misery.

>While the plague would come for the world, in a more immediate vicinity, the unrest and strife that would come with it would give rise to another threat, one of sentient malice, a dark force, hungering for that which all evil hungers for: dominion.

Everyone forgot about the black plague.

>>6401483
Oh well, can't prepare for everything at once. But not to worry, both the plague, preparations for it, and all the fun stuff that came with it historically will certainly rear it's ugly, bubonic head.

"Greetings to you, wizened ancient. Might I know your name?" You tried to speak in a genteel tone, attempting not to offend this Ent, who was probably older than your entire known bloodline.

The ent turned ever so slowly toward you, settling his feet, which were much like roots, into the earth. From the leaves on his head, you guess he might be an elm or perhaps an oak.

"I am Elmhurst, eldest of the grovekeepers. Long ago when I first sprouted out of the earth, the stars in the sky were still young and the mountains were mere hills. Who are you? A man I see, but men come and go as easily as the seasons do." He had something grandfatherly about him, older than old, patient and easygoing; he would probably keep this conversation going for another decade were he to set the pace.

"I am Crownprince Dietrich of Greifswald." You said, with both a scent of pride and a hint of uncertainty. Hopefully he wouldn't be angry about all the deforestation that has happened in the last century or so; that would put a damper on things.
"Greifswald, hmph, we shall see. Our king told us he had made a peace of permanence with your king, but I shall see how long it lasts." His tone was slightly sceptical, but not openly hostile.

"What do you mean? I have no intention to break the pact. Nor do I doubt my successors will; we respect the woodland realm and understand that we benefit as much as you benefit." You preemptively tried to assure him about your intentions.

"Hhmmm, you are too hasty; I didn't doubt your intentions. Your kingdom is but one of hundreds that came and went; all races came and all races went. But the woods remained. Time shall prove whether not merely the moral standards of your line, but your line itself, kingdom and all, will last." His response gave you pause; you tried to make sense of it, for a thing as old as he, your grandfather's kingdom might as well be a speck on a very, very long timescale. But you found that impossible. How can something like that even be comprehended? Does time even make sense to an ent? It was a train of thought you found discomforting, so you quickly changed the topic.

"Did you send me a dream?" When you had slept under the stars, you had received a mysterious vision, though you appeared to have mistaken the level of comfort the fae could offer; the dream you got from sleeping under the stars and leaves was not like your normal dreams. Either something sent it to you, or you slept close to something entwined with the woodland realm. Either way, you intended to find out just what it was.

>>6401614
"I can do no such thing; allow me to share a piece of woodland lore." The Ent murmured, leaning in ever so slowly. "That which may come to be can sometimes be foretold through the stars; trees older than I can discern their patterns." You listened intently, though it was a bit vague. Can trees predict the future? Can trees send out dreams? Why didn't you take your sister with you? She would make much more sense of this, anyway; she's probably in the library, so you would need to make up questions on your own.
>So I take it these trees are capable of magic
>Where do these ancient trees come from then?
>How can one discern the future from the stars.
>Write-in.

>>6401617
>How can one discern the future from the stars.

>>6401617
>How can one discern the future from the stars.

>>6401617
>>Where do these ancient trees come from then?

"How can one discern the future from the stars?" Astrologers were usually seen as more of a curiostiy, certainly there were wizards who specialised in the study of the heavens, but they were known by a different name. Astrology, as far as the church was concerned, was a nonsensical, though harmless, frivolity. For none could peer truly into the future with full detail save for the gods.

Divination and scrying were therefore allowed, but not trusted, and yet. The orb your sister used was older than the church and most likely wrought by one who had a deeper connection to the stars than any mere mortal. Her vision rang true; you had seen the most firm hint at it yourself. But when you looked at the stars, they were just that, stars, tiny specs of light beyond your reach that held no answers.

"Ahhhhhhh," the ent rumbled. "That is a mystery; the stars are ever moving, ever-changing, much like the future itself. The constellations have been used for centuries to guide us, but their meanings are never set in stone." The ent withdrew before continuing on. "The future can be divined, but the astral realm is vast and ever-shifting. It only gives the seers the tiniest of clues, which are then put together over many, many years. It usually isn't enough to make a complete picture, but well, the stargazers would be better at explaining it than I."

He spoke further, but like a doddering grandfather, his words meandered off into unrelated stories and anecdotes about how great the world was back in the day, when men were far away. The elves were more numerous, and magic was stronger.

You did want a way out, but at the same time, you also didn't want to seem impolite, and with how these creatures are so long-winded, you knew it would take a while to find an appropriate moment to excuse yourself. It would be a while, you figured, at least until supper.

Meanwhile, in the library.

High shelves filled with dusty tomes loomed overhead, built into the walls, with only white pilasters breaking them up into sections. Everything here seemed ancient, from the mosaic-laden floors to the stained-glass in the roof, which projected vivid patterns onto the floor.

You moved further into the chamber, keeping your dress from dragging on the floor as you looked for the librarian. Your purpose in coming here was clear; if Dietrich was busy making friends among the fae, then you should go out and consult their collection for any and all information, whether it be mundane or magical, to be of use in the coming darkness.

You did find the librarian, on a stick, another one of those fae who took the form of an animal. An owl in this case is alone in the dimly lit chamber.

"The princess approaches," the owl librarian hooted, looking at you with minute interest. "What knowledge do you seek, your highness?"
>On the heart oaks, like the one in Albrechtsburg
>Plagues and diseases.
>On magic.

>>6402410
>Plagues and diseases.
Saint Sophia!

>>6402410
>Plagues and diseases.

>>6402410
>>On the heart oaks, like the one in Albrechtsburg

"I am looking for tomes on plagues, diseases, and other such afflictions." You told the owl librarian, who stretched his wings. "Then make it so. Come along now, I'll show you in which shelf they're kept." The owl hooted softly and led you deeper into the library.

For a library, this place was well lit, the glass ceilings gave a lot of natural light, and the individual bookcases were arranged in a logical and orderly manner. You were pointed to the shelves, given a ladder, and bade farewell as you began to piece together what you could.

You were not a trained physician, though you could heal via your magical powers, but the two things were completely different; you could probably go through the disease yourself rather easily and the rest of the royal family as well, though you would need to arrange for the right countryside estate to retire to when the plague struck, or perhaps you shouldn't.

You began piling on various books, scrolls, and other such articles containing knowledge about diseases. Reading, reading, and more reading. There were a lot of different claims about a lot of different diseases. They came from miasma; they came from contaminated water sources; they were spread by insects; and more esoteric theories like curses, divine punishment, or spells.

A lot of it was theory, which all physicians knew and argued about in Greifswald, and how it should be stopped, either through herbs or a good old-fashioned bloodletting, anything to get the four humours back in balance and attain optimal health.
But there was something else, an animal that was neither mosquito nor tick but a carrier of disease nonetheless: the rat. Or as the tome so eloquently put it . The rat has oft been called vermin by the nations of those races who claim pretesne to 'civilisation', and even among the fae, it is a form which indicates skittishness and spycraft. But there is another reason for them being so hated: they gnaw and eat at their homes and pantries, making holes in walls and stealing foods. But man knows not that the most dangerous thing about the rat isn't his lust for cheese but rather the diseases they carry, though it might seem callous to kill them simply for that; remember that these creatures often breed like hares and sometimes suffer under it as well. Remember the rule of the wilds: animals shall always hunt and kill to survive, and so the rat, whether you take it from an herbivore or a carnivore, should most definitely be kept within reasonable numbers.

Rats it was then; urban life always had a problem where those pesky rodents were concerned. Whether it was setting traps, calling in the rat catcher, or simply getting a cat. But there always was a dark corner, a nook or cranny where they seemed to multiply and thrive, and a perpetual game of cat and mouse that never seemed to end.

>>6402987
You supposed it was made of an interesting quandary. How exactly were you, Princess Sophia of Greifswald, supposed to tilt the scales in your favour against these rats? Killing them all would be impractical, and giving everybody a cat would likewise not be a viable solution.

>How about…poison? The edible kind
>Getting back on the cat idea, cant they be trained?
>Can't I perhaps make some sort of trap, enchanted with magic?

>>6402988
>Getting back on the cat idea, cant they be trained?
We've been studying biomagic

>>6402988
>Getting back on the cat idea, cant they be trained?
Mewgenics.

>>6402988
>Getting back on the cat idea, cant they be trained?
Genetically modified cats lol. Makes sense, people living in urban areas tend to have smaller homes, so they prefer cats. They also pose the greatest risk of getting infected cause rats are more common there.

>>6402988
>>Getting back on the cat idea, cant they be trained?

Cats are the natural predators for many, many creatures, but in this case, you were more interested in their hunting of rats. You yourself own one such creature, as is natural for a sorceress, you suppose, but most urban families do at least have one to keep up with the rodent problem. They're popular too, though unfortunately the more ignorant seem to have it out for the black cats due to superstitions and old wives' tales.

Using them to hunt down the rats, as well as to prevent this plague from truly coming to bear, would be the right choice. Though there is one problem: cats aren't that smart, and most of them are rather lazy besides. Of course, there were solutions to this; you can talk to animals, though it won't make them more intelligent.

Training a corps of cats to help with hunting rodents, rats in particular, was something you would devote some time to when you were back home, though you would consult the tomes here as well, for the fae seemed to have a natural connection to animals, and if there were techniques that would help you commune with cats more effectively, you would learn them.

As you piled up the various other scrolls and books you required for your studies, you peered out of the window every so often; your brother was busy talking to an ent. What they were talking about you didn't know, and to be entirely honest it didn't matter; let your brother do the talking; he is to be king after all.
The hours flew by; you eventually left your studies for supper with your host. Dinner came and went; the White Stag provided you two and the other guests with dinner, stretching out from venison to forest fruits, though he never ate any of the meats.

It was there that you were also introduced to his consort, a beautiful fae woman with ethereal features, and butterfly-like wings, though her greenish-white skin made her look otherworldly. They didn't seem to have any children, but they certainly were devoted to one another.

The rest of your stay here went about as well as you had expected; because of your status as royal guests, you were treated courteously and with great hospitality. Life seemed to be very different here indeed; there were no crowded streets filled with cacophony, no stink in the air, all was serene and peaceful.

Then again, you supposed that when most of the Faerie King's subjects didn't need either houses or jobs, the atmosphere would naturally be more tranquil. The various elves that had huddled under his banner likewise lived in small and rather quaint villages scattered throughout the forest, each one more quaint than the last.

But the convening of the court drew nigh, when the glade lords and fae nobles would gather to discuss matters of importance and make decisions that affected the entire wood realm. The entire peerage would come together to hear the words of their immortal King. Beforehand, however, he took the two of you aside and spoke about what was to happen.

>>6403788

"As the two of you are my guests, you have the right to speak and take to the floor, if you so desire, though I can understand if you simply wish to observe and listen," Aran-Arasso said with a warm smile.

>We shall, none may better convey our ill tidings than us.
>We shall sit this one out, we suppose.

>>6403789
>We shall, none may better convey our ill tidings than us.
We are expanding the capital, and given our habit for massive projects, we need a clear understanding of their borders so we don’t accidentally cross them in the future.

Do not giveaway that we can see the future, we trust Aran-Arasso because he is Gandalf.

>>6403789
>>We shall, none may better convey our ill tidings than us.

"We shall; none may better convey our ill tidings than us." The glade lords would certainly listen to the prince and princess of Greifswald. Even if you were technically foreigners, you most certainly had the respect and authority to deliver such important news.

This would be it; both of you put on your best garments for the occasion. An ermine cloak and princely hat for Dietrich and a gown of finest silk with a circlet of jewels for Sophia. Your seats would be along the sidelines, apart from the lords and apart from the thrones where Aran-Arasso and his consort would be seated.

With the blast of a wild horn, wrought from the tusk of a great boar, the moot began, great and small, lesser and greater. The elves on foot and the fae who had taken elven guises did likewise. The fae who had elected for an animal form came as well, as did the eldest of the ents and dryads. This chamber was indeed very tall, as were the corridors. How else would these massive walking trees be able to move freely within its confines?

As the court gathered together, the chief officer charged with keeping order cleared their throat and called for silence, signalling the start of the proceedings. All in the white marble hall was silent; you could hear the rustle in the leaves of the oak from which the twin thrones had been carved.

A tall, slender fae, reminiscent of an elf but adorned with a cloak of feathers not unlike those of the great peregrine falcon, stepped forth. His eyes were sky-blue and piercing, as clear as a summer's morning. He made the opening statement.

"As lord seneschal of the High Court of the woodland realm. I stand here to bid you all welcome; His Majesty the king shall now speak." His clear voice rang out with authority. The fae's presence commanded attention, a vassal speaking for his king, who now arose from his throne. His presence made him seem taller than he really was. "My loyal lords whom art assembled in counsel, I have convened you here on this day to hear the words of our most earnest and true allies, who come bearing grave tidings, which we must hear so that we may act accordingly."

The two of you rose from your seats, walking up from the sidelines and taking the floor, whispers and murmurs following in your wake. Together you stood in the middle of a geometrical botanical mosaic.

>My lords, I come before you with grave news, an ancient evil shall awaken.
>I must bring to the forefront the existence of a vampiric plot, which shall undo both our realms.
>Write-in.

File: Brother and sister.png (407 KB, 1144x838)

407 KB PNG

>>6404593
Forgot pic

>>6404593
>>I must bring to the forefront the existence of a vampiric plot, which shall undo both our realms.

>>6404593
>I must bring to the forefront the existence of a vampiric plot, which shall undo both our realms.
Hope they don't ask how we know.

"I must bring to the forefront the existence of a vampiric plot, which shall undo both our realms." You opened your speech with the revelation to draw attention to the subject almost immediately. You did so in your most dramatic and authoritative voice to assert your position before continuing.

"Vampires shall rise within a dark alliance, swearing fealty to a nocturnal monarch, seeking to conquer and dominate all that we hold dear. The graveyards they shall rob, the dead shall fall into rank and file under their command, and the living shall tremble in fear at their approach." As you were painting this vision of dread, the earlier murmur fell still as the audience came to heed your words with rapt attention.

Even among this audience of immortal fae, you could see the unease as you proclaimed the impending threat of the vampire uprising. Especially as you reached your crescendo, "I say then that our realms must unite, fae and man united against the encroaching darkness, as in times of old, for if we do not stand together, we shall surely fall separately. Civilisation and the wild must cast aside their differences and forgive each other for past grievances in order to meet the coming onslaught, for life is an antithesis to death, no matter if it's in the city or in the depths of the wood. I urge you to stand with us when the time comes." Silence kept sway across the assembled court, a good thing too, for you felt your throat was a bit sore.

The tension was palpable, as was the feeling of an eerie dread, like a cold winter's wind come early. Most of the fae and elves scratched their chins or contemplated your words. Some nodded in agreement, while others remained stoic and unreadable. It was then that Aran-Arasso rose once again from his throne to speak to the gathered crowd. "Your words ring true, and we shall not forget them," he declared, his voice echoing through the chamber.

"Though I know not how you came by this vision, I shall stand with your kingdom as I agreed before, such a threat is not to be underestimated." The fae and elves murmured in agreement, their expressions now more determined and united than before.

One among their number, however, wearing the guise of an aurochs, stepped forth. "This vampiric plot, how did you come by it? I would like some elaboration, if you please," he rumbled, his eyes fixed on you.

>Speak truthfully: My sister peered into an orb and foresaw it.
>Tell a half-truth: I encountered one on the road, and he held information.
>Lie: We read about it in a book somewhere, and the portents have held true.

>>6405066
>Speak truthfully: My sister peered into an orb and foresaw it.

>>6405066
>Speak truthfully: My sister peered into an orb and foresaw it.
Welp

>>6405066
>>Speak truthfully: My sister peered into an orb and foresaw it.

You would speak honestly and earnestly; you wouldn't lie about this, no matter your sister's secretive nature or your father's concern about state secrets. You were among friends. The White Stag wasn't judgemental; he was patient and wise, and he would understand it. Failing that, he would at least listen without interruption. And so you spoke the truth.

"My sister peered into an orb and foresaw it." You closed your mouth, your previous well-spokenness scattering in the wind; you were bracing, bracing for a hurdle of abuse and outrage. Keeping secrets from the fae is never a good idea, nor is deceiving them. You felt the icy gaze of your sister bore into you as well. But it felt good; honesty felt good, like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Consequence be damned, it felt good. Did not the good book preach that honesty shall outlast all deceit? And that it is one of the many trails to the path of righteousness?

But the jeering never came; your sister did look cross and betrayed a bit, though not hurt. It was not the faerie king nor the court who spoke next, but the faerie queen, who had remained silent throughout the exchange. She smiled kindly and said, "Truthfulness in matters like this is commendable, especially if it is no lie, but merely a secret, one which we were under no obligation to know. Your candour is appreciated.''

"Indeed so," Aran-Arasso said. "What you have in your possession is a seeing stone, one for farseeing that is, through time from the description of it, not space."

The tension died down; you puffed out a sigh of relief.

"These stones are rare and strange; it was said that they came down from the heavens, like a fallen star, in conjunction with the ever-so-rare starmetal."
Aran-Arasso continued, "These stones are old, beyond the counting of years; some wash up on the shore, and others bury themselves deep into the soil. Tell me, how did your family come by it?" He asked.

Your mind was racing, searching frantically through your memory for that one piece of information; much like a student during his exams, you delved deeper and deeper until, finally, a faint memory surfaced. Your grandfather found it.

"It was my grandfather and namesake who did, but he found it in a carved chamber, not in the soil."

To this, Aran-Arasso laughed, "You mustn't think your grandfather was the first to find it? These stones make a nasty habit of appearing and disappearing with civilisations. No, my young friend, I am not angry in the slightest; your grandfather found it, not you, but I must warn the both of you. Such stones are not without risks; you merely looked into the future, which is motion, until you gazed upon it. Were you to look across space, someone else might look back."
>Does that mean we caused these Vampires to come?
>There are more of these things? Where? How?
>Starmetal? Is it like mithril?
>Write-in

>>6405550
>Does that mean we caused these Vampires to come?

>>6405550
>Does that mean we caused these Vampires to come?
Oof.

>>6405550
>Does that mean we caused these Vampires to come?

>>6405550
>>Does that mean we caused these Vampires to come?

"Does that mean we caused these vampires to come?" Unease settled over both of you; guilt came creeping in, not for you, but your sister seemed rather wracked with self-blame. Was it going to be remembered as such? Would Sophia be held responsible for what was to come?

"You should not blame yourself for this; some things were long in the making, and even if you didn't predict them, they might still have come true. What you saw in that orb will come true, but there is something else you should know about them." He paused for a bit, contemplating how to proceed without causing further distress. "How do I put this? The exact method behind it is eldritch and unexplainable, for only a madman, a fraud, and a fool would claim to know the future. It isn't that you painted the whole picture; you merely filled out the details. It is more than likely that something terrible was going to happen; your peek into the future simply chose the form of the calamity; it didn't directly cause it."

Well, that's sort of a relief, not really, but you were at least not completely at fault for causing this. It took you a while to recover yourself from it, but in the end, you managed.

You were done talking for a bit, and the topic had lost its importance for the time being. The assembled court moved on to speak about other matters, the fae politics of which seemed strange to you, the rights of what trees should be allowed to grow where, the nature of the hunt, when what flowers would be allowed to blossom. They spoke about it with a passion you found hard to muster for such subjects.

When all was said and done, they eventually left, though not before a customary banquet. The two of you were seated at the main table as honoured guests of the faerie king. It was held outside, where the fair fay maidens danced in circles to celebrate the summer. As the sun began to set, the faerie king raised a toast to your friendship, as did you. It was strong stuff, but you felt a warmth in your chest as you clinked glasses with him.

>Now then, another toast?
>So you don't eat meat, but you allow venison to be served at your table
>Write-in

>>6406518
>Things got a little more blurry, wow this stuff goes down easy but is strong. Dancing? Perhaps we should join in!

>>6406628
+1

>>6406628
+1

File: Fairiesdancing.jpg (147 KB, 1280x853)

147 KB JPG

Eager for more, you order another cup, and another, and another. You don't know what the stuff is made of, but it's great! As cool as milk in the winter and as warm as a shot of liquor. The taste is unlike anything you've ever experienced, a perfect blend of sweet and savoury that keeps you coming back for more. And it makes you feel great as well; you pour your sister a cup as well.

Though for some reason Aran-Arasso seems to look at you with a bemused smile. You have no idea why, you don't feel drunk at all as a matter of fact you feel great! Like the tiring and whirring of a day that seems to be melting away with each sip.

You felt jumpy, jittery even, like you had just eaten fifteen glazed pies and were now looking for a way to burn off the energy. And you had found just the target that would make your heart race even faster.

There, in the meadow, they danced in circles, on and on and on, singing and laughing, twirling and spinning in the sunset. The fairie maidens who seemed forever young. You weren't certain whether you could join or whether it was allowed, but what the heck, it was a banquet with the two of you as the guests of honour. So you took a deep breath and skipped into the circle, ready to embrace the magic of the moment.

"What are you… Hey!" Your sister exclaimed as the two of you joined the circle.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" You said with mirth and pulled her in to join the others.

>Base DC of 50
>Magic Fae liquor: Roll a 1d2; 1 will give +10 DC, and 2 will give -10 DC
>Honoured guest of the faerie king: +15 DC
>Uninvited interloper: -10 DC

Only one person may roll the 1d2. To see how well you'll do at the dance, roll a 1d100. DC will either be 65 or 45 depending on the 1d2 roll.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>6406816

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6406816

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>6406816

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>6406816
a night to remember

As you joined the circle of the fae, you reached out with your hand. They didn't stop dancing for you, nor did they reject you, but you would have to force your way into their number if this continued. So you did, taking one of their hands from the other and offering your hand in return.

Your sister did likewise, and you began to twirl in the dance, up and down and around and around, ducking and spinning again and again and again. The music filled the air, dictating the pace and the flow. Following the other with the best of your ability, you did your best to keep up with the intricate choreography, though it was near the edge of your ability.

The hours began to drag by without you noticing, lost as you were in your attempts to keep up with the fae-maidens who moved with an otherworldly grace and precision. It went on and on and on, but your energy wasn't infinite. When the stars finally dotted the midnight heavens, you heard the call of the night beckoning you to rest. And so you did, but you also heard the faint melody of the fae-maidens' song lingering in the air. Followed by something else

"Ah, these twain, they fared well, didn't they?" Said one feminine voice.

"How then, when not until daybreak did they the dance complete?" Said another. You hadn't heard them speak before, and it was strange, peculiar and archaic.

"You do forget, mortals still; they falter swiftly, an hour hence, yet these twain kissed midnight's grace."

"Ah, I had forgotten! We must bid them stay!"

"Nay, silly gosling, guests of the king they are, untouchable." That was the last thing you heard before you properly drifted asleep, the sound of their laughter echoing in your dreams. The mysterious voices continued to converse in hushed tones, their words fading into the darkness as you succumbed to sleep. Yet dream you did of mist-covered lakes surrounded by woods, mysterious laughter resounding from both loch and woods, beckoning and luring you deeper into the unknown. Strange creatures peered from behind the trees: green-tinted maidens, fairer than any human could ever be; ferocious bears roaring in the distance; and a sense of dread as you saw something move that shouldn't move, as if awakened. A reptilian eye glowed in the cave, though whether it was malevolent you couldn't tell, but finally, just before dawn would claim you once more, you saw him. Wilderhorns were blazing as his great antlers seemed to hold the sun: The one true King of the woodland realm.

To your surprise, you woke up in your chamber; even more to your surprise, you had fallen out of bed. What in the world is that liquor? It was good stuff, but heaven above, it made you lose all composure, impulsively jumping in the dance and dancing the night away with no headache. No hangover whatsoever in the morning.

As you joined with the others for breakfast, Aran-Arasso flashed the same bemused smile as he did the night before.

>>6407304
"You did well, considering the circumstances. If you had made it until dawn, they would have given you a reward."

"Wait, what?" You asked in confusion, but the White Stag brushed it aside. "Old fae tradition, nothing to worry about."
>Tradition? Did I accept a challenge?
>So uhhh, can I have the recipe for that liquor?
>I did well, but not enough?
>Write-in

Dietrich II is at least a better dancer than his grandpa

>>6407305
>So uhhh, can I have the recipe for that liquor?
Impressive stuff.

>>6407305
>Tradition? Did I accept a challenge?

>>6407305
>Tradition? Did I accept a challenge?
>So uhhh, can I have the recipe for that liquor?

>>6407305
>>So uhhh, can I have the recipe for that liquor?

"Tradition? Did I accept a challenge?" The customs of the fae were as alien to me as were the customs of those who live on the other side of the globe. Did you really accept a challenge from amongst their number? Did you nearly cause a diplomatic incident?

"Well, in a way, I would say that with you joining in, it became a challenge." Aran-Arasso said, "Ordinarily, when the maidens dance in their circle, it is ill-advised for mortals to join in. For if they fail to keep up pace or make a misstep, it means the fae can extract a favour or are allowed to enchant them; usually that means that the unfortunate need to spend a year asleep, only to be reawakened to see if this time around they can match the fae's grace." He explained.

"But you, my young friend, managed to at least keep up with the maidens until midnight; were you to dance until morn, they would have been forced to declare you the winner and give you an appropriate reward." Aran-Arasso clarified that the reward would usually be something incorporeal, but he wouldn't say what, for that was a surprise that was different every time. You were tired of these fae antics, but there was something you did want from the fae.

That liquor you drank before you joined in the dance was some of the strongest and most delectable you had ever tasted, and you were determined to find out where it came from. You would probably be denied, but it never hurt to ask.

"So uhhh, can I have the recipe for that liquor?" You felt more drowsy than usual when you said that, almost like the residue of the broth was still affecting you. The fae assembled at the table looked at you with a mischievous glint in their eyes before one gave their answer.

"I am afraid not; you wouldn't have the ingredients to distil it. But you can take the bottle with you, and we'll send you one every month or so." Well, it was better than nothing.

You stayed there for two more days before it was time to return the same way you went. Through the thicket and the impossible road through the roots. You didn't understand it then, and you still didn't understand. How you could get in and out, but that was of no concern now; you would leave behind the glade and woods of the fae to rejoin the meadows and fields of civilization once more. And from the border between the magical and the mundane, you would move on from the countryside to the city. Where your father, the king, would be waiting for you, as would your wife and young son. The journey back was a silent one, for most men of this endeavour would never see such a sight again.

>It is foolish to dwell so much on the past; what is done is done, and you must live in the present.
>Only through the past can men understand the present, but it is important to not let the past consume you.
>Alas, is everything always grander than what can be built today? Is the past truly better than the present?

>>6408212
>Only through the past can men understand the present, but it is important to not let the past consume you.

>>6408212
>>Only through the past can men understand the present, but it is important to not let the past consume you.

>>6408212
>Only through the past can men understand the present, but it is important to not let the past consume you.

>>6408212

>Alas, is everything always grander than what can be built today? Is the past truly better than the present?