[X] Ikarus: Your lover and personal sneak seemed like an obvious choice. After all, he spent most nights in your tent, much to your pleasure. However, his soaring rise in influence has already become a popular topic of gossip in the tribe, and you're not sure how your tribesmen would react to him rising further.
I mean, he's already spying for and sleeping with us on the regular, we may as well keep him close and bind him to us more tightly. I do dislike his growing power though, we may have to... Clip his wings. *Ba-dum tish*
[X] Hold off on Marriage: Your pool of potential suitors is small, and none of them seem to be a good fit as a Champion's companion. You will deal with this later. Ends Marriage Event. Allows Marry to be taken again.
Best to wait until we have better options. I don't want to give him more power and piss the people off, not do I want to marry the other two idiots.
[X] Hold off on Marriage: Your pool of potential suitors is small, and none of them seem to be a good fit as a Champion's companion. You will deal with this later. Ends Marriage Event. Allows Marry to be taken again.
Vote closes in one hour. The vote's pretty close right now, so I'd like to give some warning. If a tie happens, then I'll start a one hour lightning round vote, and if a winner doesn't emerge out of that, then I'll simply roll to see which result wins.
In other news, I have a sidestory omake in the works about Elder Bubo, since he plays a part in Colubra's backstory. Besides, I rather like the mental image I have right now. Learning 30, True Dust Weaver, Artisan. His last work is his greatest.
And that, as they say, is that. Ikarus has won. I'll type up the next update, but could someone calculate the half of Ikarus' attributes (rounding down) and compare them to the current bonus of 20? I've already calculated it out, but it'll give you guys something to talk about while I type up the update.
By the way, the title of the next Update will be "The Wedding Bell and Secret Meetings". This is what happens when three events are started before I even roll for the turn's event.
The Schnee Tribe, Early Spring, One Year Before Colubra's Rise
The singing of birds awakened Bubo from his rest, and within the sounds of spring, he knew his end was near. To one who had seen and done less, the thought would be terrifying. To Elder Bubo, the man who had earned the title of Master of Dust over his eighty five years, the thought was comforting.
But it wasn't his time just yet, he knew, and he wasn't one to rest in bed even if his death was near. With a groaning of both throat and bone, the old Elder rose from his cot, taking his gnarled staff from it's resting place. "Up we go..." He muttered in a sing-song as pushed himself to his feet with great effort.
The short distance from his bed to the workbench was like a journey for the eldest of the Elders, but Bubo moved with the determination which allowed him to live through so many cold winters. As his time drained away like sand through a sieve, the Master of Dust settled himself on his well worn stool. He had work to complete, and he would not join the Mother Goddess with his works unfinished.
On the workbench were two objects, the final pieces he would ever complete. The first was a small bronze bell, a ceremonial piece which was rung to announce a ordained wedding. Bubo ran his fingers over the delicate engravings he had made the day prior, feeling the sweeping curves which his failing eyesight could no longer see. Once, he had been blessed by the Mother Goddess with eyes which were as sharp as a winter owl, but his age had granted him a humility which improved his craft.
The second object was different. It was not a ceremonial object, nor would it conduct any ritual. The metal was not the golden brown of bronze, but rather a silvery sheen. A blade as long as the Elder's arm extended from a hilt of oak, a later addition to the weapon. This was an Artifact, a sword which survived the Collapse 'til it was stolen from the Reclaimers by clever sneaks. Beyond the cleaning he had given to the Artifact, he had hardly touched it. It would be his last work, he decided.
But there was time yet, and everything had to be done in it's proper order. Once the bell was finished, then he would create his magnum opus.
Bubo's students were impatient, and their impatience made them view the act of working Dust into an object as separate from the weaving of Dust itself. They had shown great talent in the weaving of Dust, and the Master of Dust had taught them what could be taught, but the true secrets would be their own to discover. The careful grinding of Dust and combining with specially prepared clay was the basis of Dust weaving, but his students were too cynical to find the true method. Colubra, perhaps, would make the breakthrough, but Bubo could spend little time regretting his students' close-mindedness. They would find the truth, in time.
The dying Elder began the ritual, whispering prayers to the Mother Goddess as he poured the Sacred Water into a specially prepared bowl. As the dark fluid popped and hissed of it's own volition, he placed a small red Dust crystal within the bowl. The Sacred Water was powerful, shattering the bonds of the Dust crystal as he pressed the now soft form with quick presses. Long experience had forced the lesson of the dangers of the Sacred Water upon Faunus flesh, but wispy Strands of Dust emerged into the Sacred Water. With the precision of decades, Bubo drew the pure red Dust Strands carefully from the Sacred Water, weaving the gossamer Strands into a much strong Dust Thread.
Where a lesser Master of Dust would gather the Thread onto a spool, Bubo applied the Thread directly into the engravings of the Wedding Bell. The residue of the Sacred Water on the Dust Thread hissed as the Thread was fused to the bronze, creating a bond which could never be broken. The Thread filled the engravings perfectly, from the sweeping valley to the arches of the two twin-heart motifs. There was no cutting of the Thread, no breakage. The engraving was filled by a single unbroken line of red, and no seam could be seen where the Thread's ends connected.
With the Dust woven into the Bell, Bubo placed his hands upon the his work. Now came the ritual the Elder knew he would conduct once more in his life, the power which separated a Dust weaver from a True Dust Weaver.
"Mother Goddess, assist your child in his last works." The prayer was whispered, but he did not need to shout for it to be heard. Bubo's breathing slowed as power flowed from his body to the Bell, gathered from every part of his form and channeled through his hands. His sleeping Aura, his life force entered the red Dust, causing warm flames to pass between his fingers as the Dust Awakened. The Weaving was complete, and even those whose Auras were resting could cause the Bell to alight. It was his finest work, a dedication to the simplicity he strove for in life.
The Schnee Tribe gains Mastercraft: Wedding Bell (The bell can be rung to cause the bell to burst into flame, representing the heat of passion. Schnee Tribesmen gain +5% Fertility. Created By Elder Bubo.)
The process took but three breaths, and Bubo's shoulders slumped from the exertion. Even when he was but a third of his age, the process left him helpless. To Weave twice in the same season, let alone the same day was unthinkable! 'Would it not be better to return to bed and meet the end in comfort?' His mind questioned, begging for weakness in the final hours.
Elder Bubo, Elder of Elders, Master of Dust, the Great Weaver rolled his shoulders and picked up his chisel. He would not join the Mother Goddess with work unfinished.
The iron of the unnamed blade was difficult to work, it's hard rigidity so different than the softness of bronze. Even the finest blades of the tribe could not be called a weapon compared to the iron short-sword, for it was as steadfast as the strongest winter gale. The engraving would take time, nearly all of his remaining, but he would not leave his work unfinished.
Slowly, over the course of hours, icons took shape on the blade. The gaping mouth of a dragon began at the hilt, breathing forth a script which took shape on the blade's fuller. The blade, which had no name before enter his hands, now bore the runes of old. Through the working of his craft, the name of "Gramr" was given to the blade. Wrath.
With the careful creation of a hole at the base of the flowing script, Bubo finished the etching and pulled forth the pouch which had never left his neck in forty years. Within was a small Dust crystal, orange in it's coloring and no larger than the palm of his hand. The crystal had been a mystery when he had found the gift mere days before his joining of the Elders, and no amount of study had revealed it's power. Now, at the end of his life, Bubo would make use of it for his final work.
Once more the Sacred Water was prepared, and once more the Strands were woven into Thread. The Thread was short, not enough to complete the traditional loop, but restrained power was not suitable for a weapon of battle. The length was perfect.
With the careful precision of decades of weaving, the Elder fed the Thread through the dragon's maw. With careful, unhurried motions, the orange Thread was set into the engravings, even the smallest length finding it's place with absolute perfection. The Thread fit in the gracefully brutal curves of the runes as if they were it's fated home. Despite his approaching end, Bubo did not rush. Nerthus would not find him with a ruined craft as his final work.
As the sun reached it's zenith outside his tent, Bubo turned the blade over in his hands, checking his work. The orange Dust Thread filled the engravings perfectly, bonded now and forever more by the fading Sacred Water. All which remained was the final step.
With the last of his strength, he placed the blade between his hands and closed his eyes. "Mother Goddess, grant me strength one last time."
His Aura flowed into the Dust Thread, moving like a river from his limbs to the blade. The flow changed from a river to a brook, from a brook to a stream, and from a stream to a trickle. In time, Elder Bubo's Aura flowed no longer, Gramr's Dust the dull shine of sleeping Dust. The Master of Dust did not move, hands pressed against the blade as if in prayer.
He was still in the position when he was found an hour later.
The Schnee Tribe gains Craft: Gramr, The Unfinished Blade (Unknown Effect, Orange Mystery Dust woven into the iron blade.)
By the way, I had a perfect writing moment while I was writing this piece. I had a playlist of music going, and as I was finishing the ending, a lullaby started to play. Made it rather fitting, since the closing lyrics were about returning home.
I'll type up the next update, but could someone calculate the half of Ikarus' attributes (rounding down) and compare them to the current bonus of 20? I've already calculated it out, but it'll give you guys something to talk about while I type up the update.
Well not sure if this is correct but his stats are that so the bonus is 1/2 rounded down would be
Diplomacy: 11 ----> +5
Martial: 7 ----> +3
Stewardship: 4 ----> +2
Intrigue: 20 ----> +10
Learning: 5 ---> +2
So the stats will become this when we marry..........................and would have been this if we hadn't
Overall we gain 2 more stats when we marry him but we'd have gotten an absurd 30 Intrigue if we didn't or at least that's what I think the system says not entirely sure
Well this is certainly interesting. Didn't see that you started another quest until today and its pretty good so far.
Well not sure if this is correct but his stats are that so the bonus is 1/2 rounded down would be
Diplomacy: 11 ----> +5
Martial: 7 ----> +3
Stewardship: 4 ----> +2
Intrigue: 20 ----> +10
Learning: 5 ---> +2
So the stats will become this when we marry..........................and would have been this if we hadn't
Overall we gain 2 more stats when we marry him but we'd have gotten an absurd 30 Intrigue if we didn't or at least that's what I think the system says not entirely sure
I sometimes need a second project to get my feet back under me when I accidently jump the shark. And believe me, I've jumped the shark big time in Torches.
Anyway, you've got the math correct. 20 points in one stat rather than 22 split among stats. While losing ten in intrigue could be rough, overall it helped you get better at just about everything.
Anyway, update is halfway finished. All that's left now is Contacting the Tarenti, which triggered the Seeds of Rebellion event. Oh boy.
[Personal] Marry
[Diplomacy] Contact [Tarenti]
[Martial] Raid [Schloss] (Liberate Slaves/Weaken The Schloss)
-Knowledge of the Before Times
[Stewardship] Scavenge For Food [Intrigue] Assess [Crowe]
[Learning] Conduct Religious Ceremony
-Bless the Raid for morale purposes [Free] Elevate [Ikarus] to Adviser of [Intrigue]
Ikarus: Your lover and personal sneak seemed like an obvious choice. After all, he spent most nights in your tent, much to your pleasure. However, his soaring rise in influence has already become a popular topic of gossip in the tribe, and you're not sure how your tribesmen would react to him rising further.
There never was a choice, really. You were a Champion with powerful Rivals, one of whom was determined to ruin your day. Rather than spreading your influence, you needed to consolidate. This was your logical argument for choosing Ikarus.
It certainly wasn't because he was good in bed. Nope. Not at all.
The ceremony itself was traditionally simple. As you, being the religious head of the tribe, could not very well conduct your own wedding, the Elders provided their own representative. In move which no doubt gave the Elders hours of laughter, Poensis, the son of Bubo, was chosen for the role. No doubt they chose him as a way to convince you of the "Mother Goddess'" power or some nonsense. Honestly, you think they chose one of their younger members as a veiled insult.
Compared to the elaborate ceremonies before the fall of the Four Kingdoms, your marriage was much simpler. There was not a hall of pure white, but rather a bonfire lit in the center of the camp. Where the stories told of great bands of musicians playing songs of great beauty, only a few drummers pounded out the wedding march. If there was one aspect which your people beat out your ancestors, it was in the turnout. Nearly the entire tribe had gathered to see the wedding, with only the Warriors assigned to the wall not in attendance.
In short order, Poensis called the ceremony to order and the Dust crystals from the trove were paraded around on large standards by the youngest of the Elders. You saw Weise serving as one of the Dust bearers, and a stray thought entered your mind as he wound his way towards the raised platform. 'Perhaps he could serve as an ally within the Elders.' You put the thought out of mind as the Dust bearers took their place behind Poensis.
In an inversion of the traditional style, you were the one standing on the platform while Ikarus marched through the parted crowd. The drummers' tempo rose as he neared the altar, reaching a blistering place before suddenly stopping as he took the final step. As Ikarus took his place on the other side of Elder Poensis, your teacher's son intoned the words of marriage.
"Brothers and Sisters of the Mother Goddess." He shouted, carrying the words to the furthest edge of the horde. "We are gathered here today to bind two of our Siblings' fates together. Colubra," He gestured,to you, "Our Champion and the inheritor of my father's skills has chosen her husband." He gestured towards Ikarus, "Ikarus, a man who has seen the dangers of Humanity firsthand, who treated his ability to weave the holy Dust as nothing more than a cheap trick!"
Shouts of anger rippled through the gathered horde, a mixture of "Blasphemy!" and "Vengeance!" before Ponesis rose a hand for silence. "The Mother Goddess has approved their marriage," 'Don't make my marriage into a-' "And She has chosen these two to serve as the vanguard in our holy duty!" As the crowd roared it's approval, you cursed inwardly. 'Bastard. Couldn't let me have this one time without that Holy Dust Goddess shit, could you?'
You kept your thoughts to yourself as the object of your annoyance drew the ceremonial red rope from his robes. "As the Mother Goddess' ordained representative," He announced as you and Ikarus entwined a hands, extended in front of Ponesis, "I declare these two..."
The rope was wrapped around the meshed hands, "Tying up the deal" as the saying of the Four Kingdoms went. When the knot was tied, Ponesis announced, "Wife and Husband!" On cue, the Wedding Bell on the platform was struck, Bubo's final work showing it's quality as it covered itself in bright flames. A cheer rang out through the horde, and if you were of a more trusting mind, you would have thought it was due to the joining of two respected members of the community, rather than the small feast which came afterwards.
What a pity you weren't blind to the truth.
Ikarus is now Colubra's Husband. Tribal stats have been modified. Diamant did not attend the wedding.
~~~~~
70 + 16 = 86 Seeds of Rebellion event triggered.
Dealings with Human tribes were traditionally limited to raids and little else in the Schnee tribe. The danger of leaving oneself vulnerable to the cruelty of Humanity was well known, taught to every tribesmen as children.
The threat of the Schloss tribe, however, was well worth the lesser risk of the Tarenti. If you could convince the Tarenti to rise up against their Schloss masters during your own raid, you would leave the Schloss' nose truly bloodied.
Contacting the chief of the Tarenti was easy enough. A talented sneak placed a carefully worded message in the chief's tent in the dead of night. The message contained where the meeting would take place (in a clearing out of eye and earshot of the Tarenti camp), when (two nights after the placing of the message, in the full light of the Shattered Moon), and a few hints as to the nature of the meeting. With such little time, there would be little risk of a Schloss attack if the Tarenti proved too cowardly to strike out.
Of course, trusting in the bravery of Humans has never been your style. And so, before you even arrived at the meeting place, you ensured your scouts were well established to report any trickery. You arrived at the clearing with a small band of trusted Warriors, ensuring the Tarenti would not be kept waiting if they did arrive.
The first report from the scouts were promising, as your own scouts saw the arrival of a pair of Human scouts long before their own detection. If the Schloss were attacking in force, there would be far more than two scouts travelling closely. As you were deciding if you would let the scouts leave in good faith, another report reached your ears of a small mounted band approaching with a single torch leading the way. The chief of the Tarenti was not a fool it seemed.
The Human scouts were allowed to return to their host as your own watched, and when they joined with the Tarenti, the band proceeded. The quiet thunder of hooves announced their arrival as six riders entered the clearing, five Warriors surrounding a very strange rider. The rider in the center was little more than a child, at most twelve years of age, with distinctive red hair. Were the Tarenti so foolish as to insult you by sending a child rather than their chieftain?
As the band approached the center of the clearing at a trot, you called out, "I called for a meeting with the Tarenti chief, not a child! Go home, and tell the chief the meeting is off if he wants to insult me like this."
To your surprise, the boy called back, his voice commanding despite his age. "You called for the chief, and so I came. I am Alexander, leader of the Tarenti. I thought you were here to give me a chance to stab the Schloss in the gut, not act like a fool!"
You heard your Warriors grumble at Alexander's words, but they managed to hold their tongue as the band reached a respectful distance, spreading out slightly as the boy-chief dismounted. The two leaders approached the center, leaving their Warriors close enough to strike swiftly if the talks failed, but far enough to not seem like an overt threat.
You were not ashamed to admit you were on the back-foot at the start. "Either you're insolent but influential enough to warrant a band of Warriors, or you're telling the truth. I'll believe you for the time being, so just how did you become the chief-"
"Champion." The boy cut in, much to your annoyance.
"Fine. How did you become the Champion of the Tarenti?"
"Simple, because I'm the only one left." Alexander answered, "My father and his allies were all killed when the Schloss conquered us. They left me alive because they needed a puppet." Despite the harshness of his words, the boy-Champion's confidence didn't waver. If this was an act, then Alexander was a very good thespian.
"And they chose a child to humiliate their subjects, or was it because you were easier-"
"Because I was the son of a Champion. Don't underestimate me because of my age, Schnee." A sharp tongue matched by a sharp mind. You had left no mention of your name in the message, so the Champion proved he was no fool. "I know you have men watching us, but I can be out the clearing before your Warriors can even get near me, hidden army or naught. The Schloss would be quite happy with me if I told them the Schnee were trying to win me over."
"And yet you didn't tell your master. Well then, Alexander, I recognize you as the Champion of the Tarenti tribe. You weren't the fool that I wanted, nor the fool that I feared." You nodded. "All in all, this is much better than I hoped."
"What, a fool who would be subordinate to you and a fool who brought an army with him?" Alexander questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not an idiot, Schnee. It's been three years since the Schloss took over, and I can't keep my horses from them much longer. Unless I start convincing the Tiers to attack, the Schloss are going to be in the position to dominate the Highlands. If that happens, I can say goodbye to any thought of Tarenti freedom.
"But that's enough chatter. You know who I am, and I've given you proof which the Schloss can only profit from if you enjoy your people being in chains. So, my turn. You haven't sprung an ambush yet and no other tribe would try and trick me like this, so this confirms you are a part of the Schnees. You're not the guy who managed to get himself killed by the Kriegers, so who are you?"
Give and take, you supposed. "I'm Coulbra, the Champion of the Schnee tribe. We don't talk about my predecessor." You saw Alexander open his mouth, but you couldn't let him take control of the conversation again. "I want you to rise up against the Schloss."
"Alright. When do you want us to?" The swiftness of his reply took you aback slightly, and you blinked before you continued.
"Just like that? You're not going to ask why?"
"Why do I need to? If you're trying to weaken the Schloss, it's because you're planning on a raid and want to make sure it hits hard. So you're either wanting to use me as a distraction, pulling Warriors away from the stronger camps, or you want my help in the raid itself."
Alexander continued, raising a finger. "The first is going to cost you. I'll need to quickly move the Tarenti camp to avoid their attacks, so I'll need you to find a place for me, preferably near your camp. I know your people don't like mine, but I'd much rather be an ally than a sacrifice. I'll also need you to send Warriors to ensure the Grimm doesn't attack my people while we are moving."
The boy-Champion raised a second finger. "The second is cheaper. My men can kill off the guards quickly enough, but I need you to attack Erbaut's camp. If we can weaken the Schloss enough, my people will have time to find a new place to set up camp, and any reprisals from them will be easier. They don't have much in the way of resources you want, but those are the two ways I'll go along with your plan. I won't budge on this, Colubra."
The young Champion stated the words with absolute conviction. You weren't going to wiggle your way out of this.
What do you do?
[] Use the Tarenti as a distraction for your raid. Pulling the Warriors away from the Schloss camps would greatly help your own raid, especially against their greatest concentration of slaves. However, your people would chafe at having a Human tribe nearby. The Tarenti serve as bait for the Schloss Warriors, reducing the defense of the camps. The Schnee Tribe will dislike having Humans nearby.
[] The horsemen of the Tarenti would be a great asset for the raid, but the Lesser Schloss Camp is where the Schloss' many soldiers are located. Worse, they have much less Faunus slaves than the main camp, but culling the Schloss' soldiers could help later raids. The Tarenti join your raid against the Schloss. Target locked to the Lesser Schloss Camp, leading to fewer liberated slaves.
[] Pull out of the agreement. Neither of the options appeal to you, but you've made inroads with the Tarenti. Your Warriors are sure to deal with the Schloss defenses, so the Tarenti's help was never anything more than a bonus.
[X] The horsemen of the Tarenti would be a great asset for the raid, but the Lesser Schloss Camp is where the Schloss' many soldiers are located. Worse, they have much less Faunus slaves than the main camp, but culling the Schloss' soldiers could help later raids. The Tarenti join your raid against the Schloss. Target locked to the Lesser Schloss Camp, leading to fewer liberated slaves.
Even if we free less slaves this time we could end up hurting their soldiers enough that we can preform a grand raid later to really hurt them.
[X] The horsemen of the Tarenti would be a great asset for the raid, but the Lesser Schloss Camp is where the Schloss' many soldiers are located. Worse, they have much less Faunus slaves than the main camp, but culling the Schloss' soldiers could help later raids. The Tarenti join your raid against the Schloss. Target locked to the Lesser Schloss Camp, leading to fewer liberated slaves.
[X] The horsemen of the Tarenti would be a great asset for the raid, but the Lesser Schloss Camp is where the Schloss' many soldiers are located. Worse, they have much less Faunus slaves than the main camp, but culling the Schloss' soldiers could help later raids. The Tarenti join your raid against the Schloss. Target locked to the Lesser Schloss Camp, leading to fewer liberated slaves.
I don't like this options because it will put them on guard but better this than establishing ourselves as even more of a non-traditional leader by inviting humans to live near our camp. That would be suicidal.
[X] Use the Tarenti as a distraction for your raid. Pulling the Warriors away from the Schloss camps would greatly help your own raid, especially against their greatest concentration of slaves. However, your people would chafe at having a Human tribe nearby. The Tarenti serve as bait for the Schloss Warriors, reducing the defense of the camps. The Schnee Tribe will dislike having Humans nearby.
[X] The horsemen of the Tarenti would be a great asset for the raid, but the Lesser Schloss Camp is where the Schloss' many soldiers are located. Worse, they have much less Faunus slaves than the main camp, but culling the Schloss' soldiers could help later raids. The Tarenti join your raid against the Schloss. Target locked to the Lesser Schloss Camp, leading to fewer liberated slaves.
Being more sedentary than most, and heavily reliant on slave labor, killing their soldiers weakens the Schloss in a few key ways. Firstly, it weakens their defenses against the Grimm significantly, which matters a lot more when their mega-structures prevent them from moving on a whim like us. Secondly, spread out as they are across multiple camps, their defenses against raiding will also weaken on nearly every front; they can either split their forces to defend the camps they still control while we or any other aggressor can concentrate ours, or they can pull back to better defend whatever areas they deem valuable while ceding up valuable population and resources to us- things which, thanks to the high cost of their current building spree, they will likely be reluctant or unwilling to do. Lastly, killing their soldiers leaves them with a large and presumably very unhappy slave population which they still have to guard, leaving them with even fewer troops to spare on offensive operations. In short, it cripples them offensively and leaves them thinly stretched defensively, and thanks to their architectural shenanigans they can't just up sticks and run away from their problems.
On the downside, doing this alongside the Tarenti is the exact reason why I didn't want to double down on violence. Our allies of convenience are about to see us do horrible, horrible things to their fellow man out of institutionalized hatred. That might make them somewhat reluctant to work with us in the future... If not drive them to view us as an existential threat.
[X] The horsemen of the Tarenti would be a great asset for the raid, but the Lesser Schloss Camp is where the Schloss' many soldiers are located. Worse, they have much less Faunus slaves than the main camp, but culling the Schloss' soldiers could help later raids. The Tarenti join your raid against the Schloss. Target locked to the Lesser Schloss Camp, leading to fewer liberated slaves.
And I'm now calling the vote. The target for the raid is now the Lesser Schloss Camp, so while the payout for the raid will be smaller and the raid itself more dangerous, the corpses of Human Warriors sends a very strong message.
Well, time to start on the next update, which covers the end of the meeting between Colubra and Alexander, the Scavenge action, the rally disguised as a religious ceremony and the start of the raid. After that will be the Raid itself, and everything to turn's end. Phew.
And that's the second most troublesome piece of the update done. Of course, if it took me a month to finish the second most troublesome part, then the most troublesome section will delay this update to shortly before the heat death of the universe.
I kid. I kid.
Since I don't want to make this post into just an update on the writing progress, I think I might as well open the floor for a bit of discussion.
What are your favorite speeches, sermons, rabble rousings, etc? I'd rather like to see what I can incorporate into the rally disguised as a religious ceremony.
"Ye foolish and miserable Romans! We know your devices, and ye are ignorant of your own danger! The scrupulous Amurath is no more: his throne is occupied by a young conqueror, who no laws can bind, and no obstacles can resist: and if you escape from his hands, give praise to the divine clemency, which yet delays the chatisement of your sins. Why do ye seek to afright us by vain and indirect menaces? Release the fugitive Orchan, call him Sultan of Romania; call the Hungarians from beyond the Danube; arm against us all the nations of the West; and be assured that you will only provoke and precipitate your ruin."
-Calil, Vizier of Mehmet the Conqueror, to Byzantine Ambassadors
"And My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless"
-The Book of Exodus, Verse 22:24, King James Translation
