Race Wars (forum game)

[Karro]

There was a new peace settling between the kingdom of Aslanica and the neighboring Knobbly Hills, and prosperity began to flourish as King Osric focused his attention on improving his people's condition.

As he sat in consult with the lords of the realm planning a new dike to divert the River Cordalia toward the lowlands of Aslanica, providing much-needed water for farmers, a messenger burst into the counsel room.

"My Lord, King Osric," the messenger yelled, panting. Sweat glistened on the messenger's brow. "News from the Southern Marches!"

Osric bid the messenger speak with a wave of his hand. "My Lord, the Undead Scourge is terrorizing the villages along the southern march. Though they have not attacked outright in full force, they make nighttime raids, stealing away women and children. The people there are sueing for relief."

Osric turned to the lords assembled with him. He did not want to repeat the mistakes of his father, and lead his armies into a disastrous campaign.

"This is grave news indeed. My Lords, your counsel?"

Lord Edvart of Colden's Hold, which sat furthest south of the King's castles and had dominion over the Southern Marches, spoke first. "My Lord King, word has reached us at Colden's Hold of the rising of the Lich King Iskartos. They say he has strived to establish an empire of the Undead in all these lands, to serve some darker purpose of which we know nothing further. But our scouts say that he has turned his eye toward Aslanica. We have heard of no force in all these lands that has been able to turn aside the Undead Scourge or halt their advance. But I pray you, we must find away to protect our Southern Marches, or else the Scourge will overrun the entire Kingdom."

Lord Arctur of Caem Leothr, one of the oldest holdings in Aslanica, was next to share his counsel. "My Lord King, all is not lost. You know that the lands of Caem Loethr on the northwest was once the center of an ancient kingdom, now past long before the rise of Aslanica. Our people there still hold to the ancient ways, and we have strong ties to the ancient race of elves, and to the other old peoples that live on our borders there. We have heard tell of a new and mysterious force of mountain elves gathering in the Weathered Peaks to stand fast against the scourge. The word has it that these mountain elves are lead by a mighty dragon. As you know, the people of neighboring Marlinlar have long worshipped a dragon who reigns over all the lands there, though we have had little word of that dragon's fate since the undead began attacking the lands of Marlinlar. We should send an immissary at once to the Weathered Peaks in search of this elven band and their dragon, entreating an alliance against the Undead."

Lord Edvart spoke again. "We cannot wait on the whims of elves to fight off this scourge. We must rally our armies now to engage them immediately before they overrun all the southern marches and overtake Colden's Hold."

Lord Andrik of Tyre's Gap followed. "My Lord King, perhaps the Halflings of Knobbly Hills would lend us aid, now that our old feud is settled in peace. Certainly, the Undead Scourge threatens them as assuredly as it threatens us. If the Southern Marches fall, it is an easy thing for the Scourage to pass over into the lands we ceded to the Halflings."

King Osric weighed his options. Before the night was done, he had dispatched emissaries to Bumbledown Hall and to the Weathered Peaks seeking alliances. With the light of morning, Osric was riding out with a muster of his gaurd and Lord Edvart and his men in tow toward Colden Hold. He prayed to the Princes of the Nine Heavens that his messengers found him allies in this war.

From Colden Hold, Osric directed the preparations for defense against the expected onslaught of the Undead Scourge. As the campaign commenced, his elite cavalry reported early victories against the zombies and ghouls in their nighttime raids. But with those victories came other, disturbing reports of what became of the abducted women and children.

Humans: +1
Undead: -1

Human: 21
Elves: 25
Barbarians: 23
Dwarves: 28
Dragons: 28
Undead: 28
Halflings: 27
Giants: 27
Orks: 17
Drow (evil elves): 26

P.S. an update of the placenames and characters so far visited/met is attached. It's like a map, but less structured and more freeform, and it evolves with the game if I can keep it up Let me know if you guys think it unnecessary, but my guess is others of you may find it useful if you want to refer back.

[Imahilus]

Duragai continued his quest, the ranks of his group of slayers increasing. Many dwarves lost their lives to the giants, and many saw duragai's statement as a call to rally in order to settle those grudges. His host growing larger, he set out alone. He ordered the troops to ready the weapons and prepare the engines of war. Duragai went up the mountain, walking into a cavern at the peak alone, without his armour or weapons. Great Arzaghinar, the font of rimefire, I've come to seek thy aid. I bring you not gold or gems, but call upon you to heed the ancient contract. The orcs and elves from below grow bolder, the giants still intent on claiming these mountains as their own, I besiege thee for thy help. Great wyrm of frost, aid us against the giants that wish to invade not only below the mountains, but also the mountains themselves, thy home.
We also have received word that hosts of the dead have started to rise, marching towards these mountains as we speak.
The great wyrm looked displeased. In a hiss he replied that he had indeed heard of his brothers and sisters that the dead have started to march.
Yess, I shall grant you my boon with the giants in return for protecting these mountainss from the deadss.
Duragai bowed deeply. We are honered, great wyrm, let us rid these mountains of these giants so we can focus on the oncomming threat: the undead.

A week later an entire giant encampment was destroyed by a combination of cannonfire, a rain of crossbow bolts and flame of frost from the ice dragon himself.

dwarves +1
giants -1

Human: 21
Elves: 25
Barbarians: 23
Dwarves: 29
Dragons: 28
Undead: 28
Halflings: 27
Giants: 26
Orks: 17
Drow (evil elves): 26

PS: nice synopsis =)
Interesting to see areas emerge and being linked together! I reckon some with the time to spare could make some localised maps..
It doesn't matter if conflicts between maps emerge, they were drawn by different cartographers from different races from different nations anyways.
Just proofs that this world is dynamic =)

[Notsonoble]

There's some interesting development as well... several groups have decided to go to the dragons to find help, or offer help, in fighting the undead... and they're not even being posted by the same person... so I have to ask... are we going to allow people to collaborate posts in the background?

[Gamerprinter]

Munemori slowed his gray stallion from gallop to canter as he neared the stone flanked entrance to Oniyama Canyon. It was because the Ansho road to Fukuhara-kyo, the imperial city, was blocked by the engaging forces of the Shogun and Lord Tatsuhara's rebellion force, that the young samurai, Munemori, took the old mountain road as it was imperative in the delivery of the message from his noble lord to the regent of the Imperial Court without delay. This meant, of course, a run through that fell place known as Oniyama Canyon. The road runs narrow between the Kaito Plateau and the demon-spirit mountain, Oniyama. Fell beings haunt this wilderness stretch, called han oni or half demons, called "orcs" in the west. Munemori knew his passage would not come without incident.

Quickly drawing his daikyu long composite bow, from its sling on his left side, he nocked an arrow. Keeping himself otherwise still and focused in the saddle. Eyes were watching him, that was for certain. The hoof beats echoed in the enclosed flanks of the chasm floor. Then it came. The grinding of heavy stone from its purchase high to mountain side of the canyon. Munemori urged his mount to jump to a trot, then wheeled it around, coaxed her to rise on her hind legs to grant him just a bit more elevation. His first arrow shot high, but before the stallion lowerd itself, he drew another arrow and loosed. Just as the boulder shattered on the canyon floor. The han oni first lost his helmet, as the second arrow penetrated his neck just below his chin. Then another demon peaked up from behind the first. Munemore charged onward away through the canyon readying himself for the coming onslaught.

He reslung his bow, then hearing his katana sing as pulled it from its sheath, Munemori urged his horse to full gallop. As he rounded the bend, a dozen han oni held both flanks of the road with spears and swords held aloft. He swung his blade wide to the right dropping two, then arced his katana over his horse felling three more to the right. Suddenly forcing his mount to vear to the right in order to avoid the spear point in what appeared to be the war chief to his front. The horse overran the han oni chief knocking it hard to the left, his sword cut through the monster's neck, cleanly decapitating him in an explosion of blood, but an oni spear caught his left arm from behind. Still, Munemori escaped the ambush and trotted on for a full half hour before exiting the canyon's far west end, before slowing to a canter. Only then did he tend to his wounds.

Humans: +1
Orcs: -1

Human: 22
Elves: 25
Barbarians: 23
Dwarves: 29
Dragons: 28
Undead: 28
Halflings: 27
Giants: 26
Orks: 16
Drow (evil elves): 26

Sorry, this post probably totally destroyed the map idea as Kaidan just stuck its nose in here!

GP

[Ghostman]

NOTE: I'm hereby giving a name to the unnamed human kingdom introduced in post #2 and the dragon-inhabited mountains from the same post.

Kess, son of Dann seated himself boldly on the throne. When the kingdom of Ormond had been ravaged by Dragons, it had been the last straw to the misery of the abused peasantry. The low-born had raised up in rebellion against the uncaring king, Henry the Fat, for it was his luxuriant lifestyle that had kept taxes back-breakingly high and caused the disasterous expeditions to the Red Mountains, inviting the wrath of the Dragons upon the kingdom.

Alone the unwashed masses would have had no chance to succeed, but luck had been on their side. Kess, who had been born Barbarian but who had left his tribe to seek glory and riches, had been hired as a famed mercenary captain to help restore order. He had seen his opportunity and betrayed the king, leading to his death at the hands of the enraged mob. As the king died heirless, the kingdom had been plunged into chaos, with many nobles vying for the throne. But it was Kess who proved stronger than any of them. First he had his worst competitors assassinated, then he stormed the royal palace and forced the high priest at a swordpoint to wed him with the late king's daughter - thus making himself the legal heir.

Now he sat on the throne before the assembled lords, who grudgingly accepted his reign. The kingdom was in poor condition, and Kess knew he needed a good start to solidify his hold on power. The Halflings from the nearby hills had for long been a thorn on the kingdom's side, stealing grain from the fields and cattle from the pastures. The incompetent and negligent kings of the past had ignored or failed to combat this nuisance, letting the little buggers grow lazy and overconfident.

But King Kess was different: he was a man hardened by a thousand battles, ruthless as a vulture and cunning as the arctic fox. He mustered the culled military of the kingdom, reorganized their training with brutal drills, and replaced the inept officers with long-serving veterans. When the spring thaws came and the roads became traversable, he marched to the hills with an army like none the Halflings had witnessed for a dozen generations. The short folk, oblivious to the nature of this foe, thought that their quick and nimble tactics would once again easily overcome the arrogant Humans and send them running home with tails behind legs. It was a rude and bloody awakening when their warbands were one after another surrounded and decimated by well-organized soldiers, shot full of arrows by massed volleys of archery, and out-paced in manouvres by swiftly galloping horsemen.

Most of the halfling villages on those hills were torched, the surviving inhabitants driven out of these lands like cattle. Many forts and watchtowers were built on the hills and the captured and cleared lands given as rewards to the loyal supporters of King Kess.

Human: +1
Halflings: -1

Human: 23
Elves: 25
Barbarians: 23
Dwarves: 29
Dragons: 28
Undead: 28
Halflings: 26
Giants: 26
Orks: 16
Drow (evil elves): 26

Additional information: The Red Mountains are located to the southeast from the Silent Mountains, the two ranges separated by a narrow stretch of flatland (which was home mostly to Orks, but now empty as they were driven out by the Giants). The kingdom of Ormond is to the southwest from the Red Mountains, and the freshly conquered hills form the kingdom's southern border. The Halflings that were just expelled from these hills may have fled to any direction other than north.

[Imahilus]

The great frost dragon Arzhaginar together with the dwarven warband lay waste to eight more giant camps over the course of two weeks. Due to the success of the Orc Slayer training regime, the group started to disban. Each having vented a great deal of their rage through bloody combat. They were now called Giant Slayers, and each one set out alone to the other dwarven holds, to teach them this new way of the slayer. Duragai however remained, he would not allow the vile abominations of the dead devile these mountains.
The help of the dragon was a key part in order to remove the threat of the giants, but it would be of little help against the walking dead.
He ordered the forges to work double time on producing armour and axes, for bolts and arrows would not stop the shambling corpses.

Dwarves +1
Giants -1

Human: 23
Elves: 25
Barbarians: 23
Dwarves: 30
Dragons: 28
Undead: 28
Halflings: 26
Giants: 25
Orks: 16
Drow (evil elves): 26

[Gamerprinter]

Waaaay too much Dwarf love goin' on here - should start spreading the wealth instead of focusing on just one race - Imahilius and SG, I'm talkin' at you, especially if you're making a post on every other post - waaay too much!

Its no fun for the rest of us - too one sided.

GP

[Imahilus]

SteelGenerals last post was in favor of the giants, and my next one was to give a point of the dwarves to the dragons.
No worries mate, it is just a silly game anyways =)

[Steel General]

I'll have to disagree GP, I've spread my posts out over various groups; Giants (twice), Dwarves, Drow and Elves.

[Gamerprinter]

Oops, yeah, you're more Ork: -1, Ork: -1, Ork -1, not so much Dwarf: +1

Sorry to call you out.

GP