MP Game - Yarnspinners

[Karacan]

Okay, I am off for the Spiel 2004 and back next week. Cainehill will take over my turns for me, though I'll catch up with the Yarns when I am back. Oh, and a big welcome to the newlings here. Great writing, Sedna!

[puffyn]

---- Arcoscephale, Turn 11 ----

I am an image in stone.

There was a storm in the mountains, and we had wandered for several days. I think we were all hoping someone else would suggest we turn around, explain to the village elders back home that we just couldn't find the maurauders, try again next spring? Our orders had been to secure the mountain from a tiny band of masons and a knight-major, or so said the runner who had heard it from another man who had spoken with our scout in these parts, only half a year ago.

"Perhaps they have already frozen to death," I heard one man mutter to another, through chattering lips. But no one breathed a word of returning home.

A nightmare put me here

Thymbre was speaking while gazing on the mountainside with an inscrutable look, and I could barely hear her voice, though the wind had died down. "The rocks the smell of death..." Comprehension dawned on her face, a small flicker of terror rose in her eyes, and set. "You must turn everyone back now." But it was too late. There was a shout from the forward ranks. They had been spotted.

where I am forever, the symbol of eternal remembrance

After that, it is a slow blur. The scout report was wrong. Over a score of horseman ("horsewomen", Thymbre corrected me) bore down on us, and many foot soldiers, and it was clear that we had erred badly. Our new recruits fell, and my hoplites and silver shields fell, and our line broke as we raced madly back toward rough terrain where even their spectrally thin and supernaturally fast horses could not follow us. As we were nearly to safety, Thymbre turned to me. "There are so many stranger beings than these, Pandokos, it will take all your skepticism to keep them all at bay. I think you will soon see them for what they really are. But now I think it is just about time..."

I sensed it, rather than saw it - as if from nowhere it came - and the image of that moment is now etched in blood on my eyelids.

Shine, as long as you live; do not be sad.

I do not know how we carried her body back through the mountains, tired and broken as we were. I do not know where we found the stone to mark her grave, or many other things these past days. I only know that she is gone.

Cause life is surely too short

She knew. She knew, and I thought she was babbling, but she was only trying to tell me, and yet she went anyways, willingly. And of all the things in this world, I will never see her again.

and time demands its toll.


---

[magnate]

Points for turn 10 yarns: Arco 2, Ermor 1, Machaka 2, Man 2, R'lyeh 2. In case anyone is interested in the precision of this extremely blunt scoring instrument, this turn provides two excellent examples of borderline cases, over which I agonised for some minutes. Ermor is *just* shy of the normal 2 points, and R'lyeh is nanometres away from only 1 point. The line has to be drawn somewhere, and if anybody gives a damn, that's it. Still waiting for my first three-pointer ....

Totals after turn 10:
Abysia 14
Arco 20
Atlantis 2
Caelum 4
Ermor 18
Machaka 12
Man 12
Mictlan 6
R'lyeh 11
Vanheim 4

Points for turn 11 yarns on Thursday.

Rgds,

CC

[Sedna]

Not to sound like a freak with nothing better to do, but...

Was there a delay in hosting? I was under the impression that the turn was going to run today.

[Alneyan]

There has been an annoying delay (involving my computer and a crash), and so the turn will only be executed in a few minutes.

After that, the next turn will run on Friday evening (and not Thursday evening, due to this delay), GMT. My apologises for this problem.

[Alneyan]

Abysia has missed the two Last (or possibly three) turns; does anyone know if the player for Abysia is away, or has left the game? (Abysia itself is not doing too badly)

[CuriousCat]

Machaka: Turn 11

---------------

Cetewayo had many concerns. Primary among these, expanding his territory and with it his power. The recent search for magic in the plains had mixed results. No new source of magic was found. However, a valuable, if mundane, gem mine was found at the edge of the plains. In the short term, this was actually good news. Increased income would quickly result in improved ability to purchase weapons and recruit new units for the army. But would it be enough? During his... illness... squabbling and power plays among the various factions of the Priesthood had resulted in very little progress. The army was too small, there weren't enough people in the research cabals... So many demands.

Well, he was making progress, the army would soon be large enough to consider further territorial expansion. Now, to reassert control WITHIN his empire. This was a thorny problem. He had to assert his power, to seem unassailable. He could not, however, afford to become the rabid lion which would motivate the various factions of the priesthood to unite against him. Especially difficult was the possibility that one or another of these factions was responsible for his "illness". They had a great deal of magical ability and power... but that much? He had to drive home the point that they were HIS priests - that much of their power had its source in HIM. To that end...

At that moment the young priest, Babu, entered. "Master, you summoned me." the priest humbly stated.

Cetewayo smiled and said, "Yes, indeed, I want you to know that I am very pleased and impressed with you." He then hesitated to see what the young man's response would be. To his great pleasure there was no visible response. "Yes, this one would do quite well." he thought to himself. Aloud, he continued, "You are to return to the capital, and be promoted to senior Voice of the Lord."

Shocked, Babu objected, "Master, the leadership will be extremely unhappy - they will not allow me to assume such authority. I am not even a full priest yet. How can I leap from such a low position to one of the highest?"

Cetewayo responded, "You will assume the position on MY authority. The priesthood will be notified of my wishes in their dreams. You will use all of your talents to observe the reactions of your fellow priests. You will find any of your fellows who are... untrustworthy and report them to me."

"Yes, master," Babu tremulously replied. He realized that the next weeks could be the most difficult of his life, as well as possibly his Last. "Master I have further news." Travelers from across the river have arrived in camp. They claim that the ice fairies have come down from their mountains and occupied their homeland."

"They cannot be allowed to cross the river. Babu, after achieving rank, you will assume control of the army and march on the river province west of the capital. I will meet you there. We must cut off the ice fairies approach to the capital." Cetewayo forcefully stated.

After Babu was dismissed Cetewayo again pondered the current state of the world. He was in a deep hole. The presence of Caelum on the border was the worst piece of news he had received since emerging from the crypt. The cold that Caelum brought with them would be very difficult to deal with, and make even a temporary alliance... difficult for both sides. Well, they would have to stay on the other side of the river or they would face the heat of Machaka. On the other front, if Babu survived the dangers of both the capital and the battlefield, he would be a good candidate to become the official Prophet of the Lord. THAT would send a message to the priests. Of course, if he died at the capital Cetewayo would learn a great deal from what happened and from what quarter. Either way, his ends would be served.