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((Greiger, I'm prettys sure you'll want to write about the summoning of the bird. Right now i've moved the group that is on the back of the summon's back, but I won't way anything on it ,

Heph, I'll keep moving the boat as well for this turn. However my current post  is still in turn

Graed paused for a moment, stunned at the Ter's rebuke. "I..." he began self-consiously, fighting to keep his ears from falling flat in shame.

"I found it!" Cenna's bright voice came, inturrupting the archer's as she brought out a wooden cage containing a large, vibrant dragonfly. ((I think this is what you mean, if i'm wrong let me know). "It's right where you said it was sir Ter." she continued as she vaulted neatly between the two boats, coming to a rest befor the Roshani. "Here you are, one dragonfly"

Noting Ter's taict assurance of a job well done, the vulpinan woman glowed with pleasure, her face turned into a such a bright smile that Graed's eyes immediatly tightened distrustfully. "Cenna, empty your pockets." Graed's voice brok her smile, drawing a look of confusion and fear, "Wh...what Graed?"

The soldier's expression hardened, ignoring the protest from their companion as he gripped his bow tightly with his right hand and grabbed Cenna's arm, "You heard me. By the authority of the Lilaceleben Gaurd, empty your pockets."

The river was silent except for the trickle of water across the bow of the ship as the vulpinan's ears flattened to her skull and her tail sunk down far below her back. Sheepisly she reached into the many pockets in her harness and began pulling out numerous coins and metal trinkets from them. Many of which Graed recognized from Ter's Pirogue.

Many more objects joined those that were on the bottom of the flatboat, several of which Graed recognized as either his own, Ter's, or belonging to other owners back at Liaceleba. After several minutes the deed was done.

"Cenna, grab your own belongings and get out of my sight." the soldier said in disgust as he looked at the pile of stolen trinkets, the digits on his hindlimb pulling free his own belongings. A small, intracatly-carved perch bone bracelet and a small, excellently carved oaken idol of a female vulpin holding a child. Behind him he heard the faint sob of the woodworker as she rounded the large pile of wood that was stacked high in the middle of the boat.

"That, is why I didn't follow your request." Graed said roughly at Ter's inquiring look, his voice choked slightly as he turned away and watched the water flow around the prow of the boat. "After all, only a fool trusts a Vulpinan."

Turn 9

With a grin Vime glanced over towards Liliaceleba and the tiny boats drifting away from it, his eyes alight with interest. To the east of the settlement the roads between Aveceleba and Liliaceleba grew towards each other, the ends nearly connecting as the first merchants reached both towns.

"Do you think the giants will notice the messanger animal Issha? Even more importantly, will they be able to take it down before it's out of range?" He asked nonchalantly, taking little notice of the conversation of his diciples below.

[ May 24, 2008: Message edited by: Jamini ]

The door to the game room slammed open, the drunken calls of many beings reverberating across the room.

"Indeeshed, a goosh party!" Vime called out as he staggered in, looking at the board with blery eyes. "Itsh the next turn now iss'in it?"

=Turn 8=

The sun shone high in the sky, causing ripples to eminate from the stone of Mutheithru as it's rays flashed over Kara and her child. Over the last few months she had spent waiting she had learned much about the Dracons. Their past, the fierce battles that had been fought between them and the servents of Gregnar ages ago.

Indeed, she had learned much from the Dracons and had been very convincing. Convincing enough that the Dolak, a civilian summoner she had been led to had been more than willing to accompany them in order to set up both a summoning circle and operate it untill a vulpinan was trained to the task. She hadn't mentioned the exact details to Silvak of the agreement that she had struck with Dolak, but Kara was certain that if Silvak knew of the civilian's previous crimes he would likley be dead, rather than voulentarily exiled. Of course, his mate... or wife rather... had insisted on travelling with them. Regardless of his morality, he was competent. In the few months he had even spent a little time with Kara, explaining the basics of summoning so that she might be able to help him find suitable candidates for apprenticeship.

Nearing the circle, Kara slowed her pace so that she could check on little Iten as he slept in the harness. He was a quiet child, unusually quiet. The loss of his eye never seemed to bother him, indeed it was as if he had never had it in the first place. Whenever Kara nursed him or played with him he would follow her with his good eye, the iris rimmed in silver. Only occationally would the eye stray towards the pouch where she kept the mysterious gifts from... well, kara refused to think about where they came from. Whoever sent them gave the gifts in good faith, and that was all that mattered.

Finally the Vulpinan arrived at the summoning circle, approaching behind Yaris quietly as the summoner meditated in the sand. Not wanting to disturb the ritual. Kara had learned that this excercise was a basic focusing excersise, based on gathering the energy used to fuel a summon. After a moment of watching Kara turned inwards slightly, opening herself to the world around her and attempting to feel the impact that the high summoner was having on the world around him.

The pull was titanic, while Yaris himself was no more imposing than any Dracon. Less so in fact, due to his age, however when Kara opened herself to the energies around her she felt as if she was awash in a current, her untrained spirit swimming inexpertly as his behemoth pulled her in. The air around her seemed to rush slightly, becoming halfway physical as strands of magic poured in a torrent towards the high summoner. Of all Dracons, Yaris was indeed one of the greatest. There was no doubt in Kara's mind he could decimate half of an army without assistance if he had the mind too. Not that he would. Even from here the pull was less forceful than it was coaxing, the magic wanted to go with him, to gather in his body and excert his will. It was not unlike a deal or pact, the magic would do his will in exchange for a brief moment spent inside a mortal, fleshy body.

Abrubtly the pull ceased and Kara nearly fell onto her face. At her back Iten had let loose a cry, distubing the silence with a soft wail for his distracted mother. Shamefully Kara realized she had been standing there for more than an hour, her dabbling in the excersices that Dolak had shown her taking her far from the solid reality. With haste she lifted Iten and cradled him to her chest, talking softly to him as his fussing slowly diminished. A moment later she looked up to see Yaris watching her with a curious look on his face.

Kara looked down shamefaced, her tail slinking between her legs, sheepishly she stammered, "I am s..sorry Yaris. I was curious about when we would be ready to depart. Everything is ready, including the civilian summoner and the finished trade deal. All we are waiting for is you now, I was wondering how things were coming."

~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~

Graed wasn't happy, and he didn't know why.

Certainly, he liked the fact that Raom trusted him with this important mission. Being a diplomat to a totally foreign race was a great honer after all. And Ter, the Roshiran, was amiable enough if bizzare. Even the lumberer and trader Cenna was pleasent enough to talk too.

Perhaps it was the boat. Unlike many of his people Graed never really felt comfortable on a flatboat. His own family had lived in a coastal village before taking up on the offer made by the god of trade. The boats they used were deeper and sturdier, able to handle the ocean waves and the occationally sea-storm. Not lke these filmsy constructions that would capsize with even the faintest ripple. They were hardly more than wooden saucers.

Perhaps it was the surroundings. The forest had been rapidly falling away over the last few days, the familier woods opening up and becoming a vast plain that streached far to the west and south. An environment that was alien to any vulpinan, although many of them would gladly travel to such places as long as a river was nearby.

Perhaps it was simply the fact that his girlfriend hadn't wanted him to go. Regardless of his duty as a member of the guard, and the money that would come with his new position if he was sucessful. She hated the idea of not seeing him for many months. The last fight before he had left had been particularily bad, resulting in a row that half of the village had heard as she ran to leave his small apartment.

No, it was something else. Something was wrong, somewhere. Graed didn't know where, or how, but something bad was happening, or was going to happen, and he was terrified of it.

Finally, after hours of mulling this revelation to himself, the bowman addressed ter, "So, Roshiran. Tell me about your home. I'm curious how you people live on the lake as you claim."

~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~≈~

Five Vulpinan's gaped as a spray of ocean water rose to meet their faces. The ocean, so close and free, with a small mountain directly to the north with the metals that the elders back at Aveceleba had wanted.

With a trumphant shout the settlers called out to the heavens as the first of their spades struck the ground, opening this virgin land to the vulpinan people.

Their shout was known Romilath, Oceantrades.

((Heph, I moved your hero since he is supposed to be travelling with Graed and Cenna back to Karatomca to seal a trade agreement with the Roshirans and trade the wood supply they have with them for goods from your people. Graed will very likely need the hero as a guide. If you want to move elsewhere just let me know and update the map accordingly. ))

[ May 23, 2008: Message edited by: Jamini ]

Also, that mountain range is affecting a neaby settlement. I won't object to changing the terrain slightly via divine powers, but that's just way too huge. Perhaps a 3x3 area with a single large mountain (named volcano) in the middle would be more appropriate.))

Vime shook his head at Suwako and Kanako, freezing time the game bored. "Hold on now, we can't go changing the board like that whenever we like. I'll admit my move was somewhat forthright some turns ago, but that is ... well, that's too much."

With care he touched at the board, pushing down with one hand as he continued, "You choose at the start an island that was far from others so that your civilization would be secure, even in defeat. Connecting the two now would be unfair to the Giants, who choose to be on the mainland. In the intrest of competition, the land must be reclaimed by the sea in it's own time.

"Now, let's all take a brief break." Vime continued, winking at the twin godesses of earth and sky, "Come Kanako, Suwako, let's go to the bar. I'll buy you both a drink. Whatever you like, as long as you don't clean me out."

[ May 22, 2008: Message edited by: Jamini ]

[ May 22, 2008: Message edited by: Jamini ]