A parchment pinned upon the boards

Stephen von Ulrich · Post by **Stephen von Ulrich** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:53 am

Greetings Inhabients of the brother isle,

It is I, Thomas Macload, monk of Elara that brings such harsh news from the mainland. Let it be known to the isle that I am dull in intellect and rude of speech, I have presumed to give this message in the human tongue, not trusting to my own common. I have made haste and posted this crude piece of read upon every town's boards. I have lispingly put together this message to the best of my ablity, through first hand accounts, and many other sources. I was sent by the Emperor himself. May, therefore, candour be shown where the inelegence of my words is insufficient, and may the truth of this account, which my rusty tongue has ventured, as a kind of plough, to trace out in furrows lose none of his influience on the people that read this. For it is better to drink a wholesome draught of truth from a holy vessel, then posion mixed with honey from a golden goblet.

Around two and a half this year a man arrived on Salkamaerian soil. His gallery was adorned with gold and many riches filled the deck of this wooden beauty. I was there that day as the three ships ported at the City of Salkamaer. The man that stepped from the ship, I would have to say was quite handsome, although I am not queer. He was a tall slender man with flame red hair, as though a inferno set atop his head in the soft breeze. But do not let the beauty of this man and his son fool you, for his tongue is like a serpent, once it finds a vulnarable spot, it latches on and releases it's posion within to your body. Only a few strong willed individuals can fight the posion and their is no cure for the venom. As I was saying, This man became to be known as the Rothman. A name that now strikes fear in the hearts of many citizens of Salkamaer and joy in others. He took his men and built himself a castle not fourty miles from Salkamaer, near the river of Ecular. With the untold riches of this man, it was easy to draw the peasents from the far corners of the land to do his bidding.

The Emperor was frighten by this man and the way his people followed him like a god. So the Emperor sent a scout to the Castle that the Rothman had built.

" The insolence in which you invaded the land of Salkamaer is what fills me with the highest admiration. But it is very provoking to reflect, that you have grown much above yourself, for you took my land. Therefore you owe vasselage to Salkamaer. For the tribute of Rothman, which I have enjoined you to pay, and which will be paided directly to me. You have seized the land near the River Ecular. And because I have decreed to demand justice of you for this, I command you to appear at my palace before mas this year. If you wish or do not show your face, I shall come to you, and endeavour to recover with my sword, the land which you have robbed the Kingdom there of."

And at this, the Rothman was outraged, he withdrew into his private quarters, which was at the very top level of his massive castle, to sit and ponder what answer was fit for such a insolent message. After many hours of dilibration the Rothman called his men to the mass meeting hall that set within the very heart of the castle. He spoke what I write with my unsturdy hand.

" My brothers in both good and bad fortune, whose abilities and valour I have experienced in battle; the present affairs are what I am here to discuss after the parchment I have just recieved, it requires your careful deliberation and prudent resolutions;for whatever is wisely concerted, is easily executed. Therefore we shall be the better able to bear the annoyance which the Emperor threatens to give us, if we unanimously apply ourselves to consider how to overcome it. In my opinion we have no great reason to fear him, when we reflect on the unjust pretense on which he demands tribute of us. He says he has a right to it, because we took his land and because we gained it in this manner, they had the injustice to take tribute of it. For that can never be possessed justly, which is gained by force and violence. So that he has no reasonable grounds to pretend we are of right his tributaries. But since he has the presumption to make an unjust demand of us, we have certainly as good reason to demand of him tribute from his Kingdom; let the longer sword therefore determine the right between us. I for the same reason now decree, that Rome ought to pay tribute to me, because my predecessors formerly held the this land. Do you not, therefore, think that we ought to demand tribute of the Romans?"

And at this speech Rothman's men cheered in glee. They would ethier fight the goverment with tongue, or they would use the polished steel of their blades.And it was at this time that another dragon came to the our soil. He was much younger, but just as handsome. This dragon wasn't like the father, he was more of a crude individual that would use his sword before his tongue. When the Emperor sent his nephew to ask the young dragon his alegence, rumor has it that the dragon chopped his head from his shoulders and sent it back to the royal palace in a basket. A message was clitched in the teeth of the disinbodied head.

" Let this be known, so called Emperor, that no matter what happens now, your skull will adorn my throne."

After this, the Emperor sent a legion of over 5000 strong men to the Rothman castle. The Older Rothman looked from his high castle bacony to the 5000 strong, he quickly assembled his army. By now it had grown to the number of over 20,000. From his own forces, his sons, and even citizens of Salkamaer. He went to his son and told him that it was his time to fight. The older Rothman simply went to his quarters, where supposely some of the prettiest pleasure women in all the land stayed.

Grant looked over the soldiers that stood infront of him in the courtyard. He rose his sword, shouting to them a speach which made men shudder.

"Since these impious and detestable Salkamarians have disdained to keep faith with my father, I , to keep faith in my father will endeavour to revenge the blood of all the Rothmans that have been killed by this unruly planet this day upon them. To arms, soldiers of Rothman and corageously fall upon the pathetich wrenches, over whom we shall, with Malachin assisting us, undoubtedly obtain victory."

And victory they did recieve. Inspired by the Dragon's words, the men of Rothman rushed forthwith from the gates and crashed against the forces of Salkamar, it seemed as though nothing happened for a moment as the first way of the Rothman's soldier's shields clashed against the strong Salkamarian. But the shield make would not help this day, for within moments the 5,000 were on the floor in a blood bath. One that my eyes have never layed eyes on before nor do I wish to again or even think of it for that matter.

The victory brought confindence to the Rothmans. That night even fourty miles away in the City of Salkamar at the Kings court he could hear the music and merriness that erupted like lava from the walls of the castle. The next battle was fought near the City of Salkamar itself. The older dragon was here at this point. He himself, having a coat of thick brass mail suitable to the grandeur of so powerful a man placed a golden helmet upon his head, on which a painting of a dragon set; and on his shield the holy image of Malachin. He attacked with his now grown to 30,000 army the defences there that outnumbered the Rothmans by 20,000. They fought with great eagerness and quickly gained the uperhand. The Rothman, provoked to see the little advantage he had gained, and that the victory was not that far away, unsheathed the blade of the holy god Malachin, and, calling upon his name, rushed forward into the flanks of the Salkamarians of whom not one escaped the fury of his blade; nethier he give way with the fury until he had fell 523 men. The Rothmans seeing his fury followed and made slaughter on all sides. The Salkamarians had been reduced to a meager number, fleeing within the walls of Salkamar.

Now the Rothmans have set up a small kingdom with battles such as this. And it is I, Thomas Macload, that tell you this. Within months Salkamar can be under the power of this force. Will you not help your neighbour?

Signed,
Thomas Macload
Monk of Elara

Salathe · Post by **Salathe** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 3:22 am

If by chance this news is indeed true, we should speak.

Three clawmarks are left under the message
///

HolyKnight · Post by **HolyKnight** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:00 am

Monk Macload,

I hope a representative can get you this post. I must ask what about the surrounding Salkamaerian settlements, have they been called to arms. I fear I have exiled myself to Gobaith, however, could you list the settlements that you still have contact with. ((could I RP one)) My late father was a nobleman and my grandfather is currently aiding the temple of Zhambra. Please this is my homeland I want to know how I can help.

May the Lion of Zhambra aid you in this fight,
Eli Travinus

Stephen von Ulrich · Post by **Stephen von Ulrich** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:04 pm

I have ventured from the mainland but not two weeks ago. At the time I left the whole western and northern tip of the isle were taken. It took not five hours for even some of the most advanced cities to fall to the might of the Dragon. The Emperor has had called a draft and a mandatory evacuation for all the remaining towns to flee to the fortress of Salkamaer. So therefore, in reality, the Dragon's flame now covers 3/4 of the entire Salkamaerian mainland. The Fortress has as many as 500,000 strong, and it is a port city. Therefore the supplies cannot be cut off unless the Dragon breaths his powerful flame their way.

And to you, writer with the claw marks. I wish not to show my face for I do not want to be looked upon as a hero of Salkamaer for supply alerting the isle. I am a simple monk, not a hero. If you wish to speak, simply use a dove. Although be weary, my common is harsh.

Dictated and signed by,
Thomas Macload
Monk of Elara

Salhari · Post by **Salhari** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:44 pm

Brother Thomas,
I to am a monk from the mainlands. I spent well over 1200 years in a monastery hidden within the mountains. The monastery is within 200 miles of the lands you speak. Please contact me as soon as you can. ((i want in on this RP, does good for Sal, and gives credit to his monastery story))

Blessings of the gods upon you,
Salhari Whitewalker

Gwendolin Cad'ell · Post by **Gwendolin Cad'ell** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:25 am

Very strange news indeed, considering that I, Ascius and two friends have been in Salkmaeria just a few weeks ago and it was the calm and peaceful place it's used to be.

I would trust that you, Mister Macload, got simply employed by some of the remaining Rothmans to post these fake news. The Rothmans didn't even have a long lasting success upon Gobaith - saying that they would win a battle against Salkamar is the most pathetic joke I've heard in quite some time.

Lady Gwendolin Cad'ell
Follower of Zhambra

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 2:03 pm

To make things clear, here's the staff position :

This story is not legalized by any staff member. There was an allowed request if a player chracter can die by starting a small fight against salkamaerian forces, but it was never allowed to write about conquering any salkamaerian lands.
Concerning the fact that Salkamar is the biggest country on the nearer parts of the main continent in illarion background (it is comparable to the roman empire), the story is also extremely ridiculous. Also, building a whole castle in less than a year can be considered crap.

Players are hereby advised to simply treat the "monk of Elara" as imposter, liar, or fool after finding out that his story was absolute nonsense.

(Anyhow, the only thing the salkamaerian emperor would see about the whole rothman matter would be a small note in some military summary saying that a bunch of robbers harming the public property were taken care of quickly.)

Korm Kormsen · Post by **Korm Kormsen** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 4:26 pm

((following orders...))

be greeted, Thomas McLoad!

what are you? a bard, a storyteller?

you should come and visit the nordmark, to entertain our warriors.

Jarl Kormson

HolyKnight · Post by **HolyKnight** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:08 pm

the deep quill marks in the parchment and the drip marks of ink shows that the writer must be quite furious

So called Monk,

It saddens me that one would fabricate a story so destructive, vile, and sinister as this! Upon reading the letter above I quickly wrote to my grandfather at the Temple of Zhambra, and he informed me just todayand said nothing like this has happened! In fact only a few isolated incidents have occured over the last month and nothing out of the ordinary. Sir, matters of this nature should not be taken so lightly, I don't know whether you were muddled in mead or smoking a pipe of sibanic but please do not post such rubbish agian.

Follower of Zhambra,
Eli Travinus

Salhari · Post by **Salhari** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:19 pm

*the note is written eloquently as normal*

So called 'monk of Elara',
I sent a message back home to ask those within the monastery of happenings within the lands. They responded saying nothing was strange and their days passed in harmony. They also said the stars were showing a continued peace. They are the most trustworthy men I know and i would place my life upon anything they said. Do not post such rubbish within our walls.

Salhari Whitewalker