# (IR) The 3rd IR, Turn 4 (thread 2)



## Edena_of_Neith

Quick, over to the new thread!


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## Forrester

Edena -- I WILL be engaging the robots, but I must leave within a couple of minutes. 

Quickly, answer my questions from the last post in Thread #1: What is the remaining PL of those robots (how well did the faerie do?), are the robots of Lyrn pretty much wiped out given the two antimatter bombs that hit + the uber-sandstorm?

Forrester


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## Edena_of_Neith

Forrester said:

  Questions, Edena. Questions. 

  1) How much PL of robots are fighting the faerie? How many did they take out? 
  2) Has the uber-sandstorm subsided/are all (or vast majority) of the robots in Lyrn dead/stopped/malfunctioning? I would imagine so. Those were some pretty big bombs. 
  3) My blinded forces -- given my magical capabilities, and the fact that their genetically engineered bodies are resistant to such nonsense, how soon can I get them their sight back?

  ANSWER:

  1)  You don't know, and you don't have the time left to find out.
  2)  The sandstorm continues, and most of the robots there are out of commission.
  3)  Your forces were blinded.  They stay blinded.  You will be able to get their sight back, pretty quickly, but not right now - not unless you wish to allow the Robots to completely destroy Veluna, Furyondy, The Empire of Iuz, and the Shieldlands.


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## Kalanyr

Repost:

Edena: To paraphrase one of Anab's lines "How much experience is a Demogorgon worth?" 

Edit- And does beating on THE Abysal lord help my plans towards ascension any?

Also can I resurrect those NPC's later (if this involves killing those Abyssal Lords then I will put some time and energy into doing that)?


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## Mr. Draco

He turns with a sigh, following after Forrester for a while. 

"We had no method of stoping the horrible assaults these robots carried out, indeed, the Dark Union suffered greatly along with much of Oerth.  I urge you, at the least, do not despoil this place of marvelous beauty.  Let it stand, unmollested, until such time as it's secrets can be unlocked, piece by piece, carefully, and distributed to all across Oerth.  This is our offer.  Let the city stand, then, a team of those knowladgeable in such matters, one member from every nation on Oerth, can go through this city, discovering what secrets it holds.  As each new technology is discovered, the knowladge of it will be distributed to every nation of Oerth, thus keeping the peace as much as is possible.  Consider your actions, for our proposal is the best that has yet been made, in terms of the benefit to those living on Oerth, of which you have stated you wish to join.  Would it not be best to see your future fellow people assisted as much as possible?"


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## Edena_of_Neith

A lot.
  Everyone who participated in this, and survived, is going to gain several levels, or more.

  However, Tharizdun is still on the battlefield, so survival is a problem.

  And the robots are pouring into Veluna, Furyondy, and the Empire of Iuz, killing as they come.


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## Forrester

Thank you. 

I leave a ~100PL force (not including the blinded guys -- maybe 40PL worth?) to clean up after the robots in Lyrn.

100PL go to Kalanyr to help against the demons. 

340PL to go stop the remaining robots. Let's end this. Quickly. 

Forrester

--I have to rush. Suffices to say that I'll be wary of any dumb traps or whatnot, but I don't have time to express my usual level of paranoia in words. Be back soon, I hope.


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## Mr. Draco

[edit]- ignore what was here, kas is fighting Tharzidun


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## Mr. Draco

As to the forces fighting on the outskirts of the burning forest...  Yeah, you're right, most of our regulars don't know how to deal with that type of a situation, that's why we send in the ones that can easily deal with it (i.e.- planars, especially the salamanders, constructs, undead, etc...  basically our "special" forces).


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## Edena_of_Neith

The last Great Battle erupts, all along a thousand mile front from where Highfolk was in the west to Riftcrag in the east.
  Torilians against robots.
  High magic against high technology.
  10th level spells against antimatter rays and missiles.
  It is a gruesome slaughter on both sides.
  By the hundreds of thousands, the Torilians are mowed down, beamed into oblivion, rayed into subatomic particles, blasted away.
  By the thousands, the robots are destroyed, their defenses overwhelmed by high powered spells, their armor pierced by crackling energy, their defenses penetrated by intangible foes.

  The two titantic forces stand like men with rifles at twenty paces, firing at each other as fast as they can.
  The Faerie come to the aid of the Torilians.
  DemiPowers from the Kevellond League and elsewhere come to the aid of the Torilians.
  The Solars and Planetars, and Deva, of Alzem come to the aid of the Torilians.
  Even the armies of Iuz stand and fight alongside the Torilians.

  In a heroic stand, the great army fights the wave of utter destruction that has come from the north.

  Antimatter weapons explode among the Torilians.
  Incorporeal mages and Faerie tear asunder the robots.

  The two sides are evenly matched, titans fighting a final battle for the fate of the Flanaess.

  In the south, the demons are now losing to the combined armies of the Torilians and the forces of Kalanyr.
  But Tharizdun isn't going down without a fight.

  He sees Kas.  He sees Kalanyr.  He gives a great shout.

  I'LL TAKE YOU ALL ON, AND I'LL WIN.

  With a roar, Tharizdun charges.
  With a shout, Kas leaps in.
  The battle sweeps towards Kalanyr, and he is dragged into it.
  The three fighters erupt into a whirlwind of blades, spells, and mayhem.


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## Kalanyr

Tharzidun PL 6 just jumped PL 6 + PL 4? 

Hmm Tharzidun must be a nutcase.


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## Mr. Draco

Really?  he's only PL 6?

Well, whatever, maybe the victory of Kas against the PL20 Vecna was just luck...

We'll see how long this insane wacko lasts... the other one didn't do too well...


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## Edena_of_Neith

Kas and Kalanyr both go down, seriously wounded, and Tharizdun crows in triumph.
  Then the Torilians, mere mortals, charge into Tharizdun, pushing him back, giving Kas and Kalanyr a moment's respite.

  Tharizdun slaughters the Torilians, leaving their broken bodies scattered like discarded toys.

  He charges Kas and Kalanyr again, sword in hand.
  Kas and Kalanyr are ready.
  One of them (nobody will ever know who) blocks Tharizdun's sword and turns it away, throwing his defense wide, opening him up to a killing blow.
  The other one, and again nobody will ever know who, sweeps his sword in one great arch, and chops Tharizdun the DemiGod into two.
  With a shriek that sunders rocks, Tharizdun goes down, and curses both drow and man as he expires.

  All around the 3 figures, the Torilians and drow are wiping out the demons.
  Red goo is thrust back into their faces.
  Abyssal flame is put out with magical cold.
  Balor are hacked down with magical blades.
  Demonic force is overwhelmed and buried under a sea of attackers, and they are smashed into the earth with the swords and spells of those with 10th level magic.

  - - -

  In the north, the terrible slaughter continues, as the two titantic forces, man and Robot, continue their struggle for the survival of the Flanaess.
  The Faerie do their part to destroy the robots, a big part, and the Torilians start to win.


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## Serpenteye

The main armies of the Dark Union move to secure the whole of the south eastern Flannaes (everything south of Ahlissa) including the areas previously unclaimed by anybody but excluding Kaboom's territory in the Glorioles. 

What remains of our special forces go into Hepmonaland.

______
Congratulations Kas. Truly a splendid battle. Yet an other medal awaits you in the HQ, they must be becoming quite a burden even for your strength.

The God-Emperor of the Dark Union


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## Edena_of_Neith

Finally, the last robot expires, as a pixie teleports into it, and reduces it's chipboard to flinders.
  That robot falls to the ground.

  Like a titantic earthquake ending, and sudden silence following, the great battle ends.
  A sudden silence falls across a thousand miles of battlelines.

  Then a giant noise erupts, and it is taken up, and it echoes across the lands, and horns carry it from land to land.

  The Banner of the United Commonwealth of Toril is raised in victory.
  The Banners of the Sidhe (Faerie) are raised with them.
  The Banner of the Alliance of Oerth is waved by a few people.
  The Banner of the Empire of Iuz is raised proudly.

  And everyone who is yet alive realizes that it is over, and they have won.

  Victory has been achieved.


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## Edena_of_Neith

Forgot it, Serpenteye.
  It's a deathtrap.
  Your men are massacred as they try to land on those shores.

  At the moment, at least, the Scarlet Brotherhood and it's Hempmonalander allies have too firm a grip.

  Now, if you intend to send a greater part of the entire ARMY of the Dark Union into Hempmonaland, tell me ... that would be another matter.


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## Kalanyr

I am using 10th level magic to make sure Tharzidun stays dead,now and forever!


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## Edena_of_Neith

Done.

  However, it looks like Ivid, Eclavdra, and Lyzandred are also done in for good.


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## Forrester

I see no reason why all of the bad guys shouldn't die today. 

After we are victorious over the robots, I and a 150PL force teleport to Hepmonland, after doing a scry of the area so that we may avoid their traps and ambushes and such. 

Given our strength, 10th level magic, and their lousy defense (what is it, a '1'?) . . . well, this should be over with within hours. 

Forrester


(EDIT: I'm assuming that their total PL is 100 or less. Probably much less. If it's not, let me know.)


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## Mr. Draco

"Kalanyr, it was a good fight.  You truly are the warrior they make you out to be.  My congratulations to you."


OOC: To paraphrase Kalanyr, "How much exp is a Tharzidun?"

Also, we will send 200PL of our forces into Hemponaland to fight those still resisting.  We want that land, and we want it NOW.  Even if they have the better terrain advantage, 200PL is still ALOT.


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## Kalanyr

They will be remembered and mourned. Their sacrifice will be remembered forever. Zuggtmoy is ressurected.

OOC- Does helping kill Tharzidun bring me any closer to divine ascension by the way.


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## Edena_of_Neith

A (how does one put this?) VERY enraged Acererak, in his full might, along with an Army of incorporeal undead, shows up over the Waters north of Hempmonaland.
  The undead went deep into the earth under the Iron Hills, then through the Underdark under the Tilva Straits to Hempmonaland, then back up and out.

  Now they stand with Acererak.

  With his might and the might of his undead, Acererak strikes a massive blow - not against the men of the Dark Union - but against their fleets.

  Before he withdraws, dozens of great three-masted ships are sinking, ruined beyond repair, while thousands of men are in the water, screaming for help.
  The sharks, move in for the kill.

  Although Acererak took losses in this battle, the losses to the Dark Union are serious in that their ability to transport men across the Tilva Strait has been reduced.

  Acererak repeats this attack, again and again, trying to destroy the Dark Union's ability to freight men across the Hempmonaland.


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## Serpenteye

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *Forgot it, Serpenteye.
> It's a deathtrap.
> Your men are massacred as they try to land on those shores.
> 
> At the moment, at least, the Scarlet Brotherhood and it's Hempmonalander allies have too firm a grip.
> 
> Now, if you intend to send a greater part of the entire ARMY of the Dark Union into Hempmonaland, tell me ... that would be another matter. *




EDIT: Nevermind.

 Is all land north of Hepmonaland and south of Ahlissa under our control?

I know ooc that Maudlin put only 40pl on defence this turn. How many remains in Hepmonaland, approximately?
_____

Sorry about the contradictions.

---Quote
Before he withdraws, dozens of great three-masted ships are sinking, ruined beyond repair, while thousands of men are in the water, screaming for help. 
The sharks, move in for the kill. 
------

Fortunately the sharks are under the control of the shark-people (Sahuagin) and will not attack their allies. If they do the Shauagin will defend the soldiers.


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## Edena_of_Neith

Ok, Acererak does not make that attack, since the Dark Union is not attacking.

  The Dark Union does not know how much of Maudlin's force remains intact in Hempmonaland.


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## Kalanyr

"Kas, I can see where you got the reputation as the finest swordsman of the Arcane Age, it was an honour to fight beside you. Congratulations to you too. Hmm do you want the Hand and Eye of Tharzidun? I will keep the sword if you don't mind."


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## Mr. Draco

Very well then, Kas, hearing that Acererak hasn't yet been destroyed, calls out:

"Warriors of Oerth, evil yet remains!  The one known as Acererak, a lich of great power, yet kills those opposing his apothesis, I call out to those champions that stood with me in this battle!  Kalanyr and his host, Forrester and his mighty armies, let us teleport to Acererak, and end, with him, the last remaining of those fighting against us, and thereby, against Oerth!"

[edit]- "Kalanyr, let us divy up his remains after Acererak has been delt with!  For now, place his body and artifacts into a demiplane with your magic and let us go."

OOC: I'm assuming here Kalanyr, that you are using your magic to heal the wounds you incurred against Tharzidun, much as I am using mine.


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## Kalanyr

Edena- How much of my PL remains and what state is the mountain and its Mythal in?


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## Kalanyr

Tharzidun and his stuff is appropriately sealed in a nice Demiplane somewhere.


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## Forrester

Edena -- please note that it takes time to get people in boats and sail them across the water. 

Let me take care of this -- with complete and UTTER surprise, I'm going to kick some Acererak ass. 

Overwhelming PL force.
Overwhelming tech. 
10th level magic. 

I do believe I promised him that I would destroy him if he crossed me, didn't I? 

No time like the present. 

Anabstercorian, are you coming? You did say you wanted a piece of him. (He can rescind this, but given the fact that he was taking orders from me previously, my guess is that he's sorry he missed the fighting and is anxious to kick some butt. So assume he's there.)

One other point -- I know, IN character, that he has only 40PL of force on defense. Very lame. Time for them to die rather horribly painful deaths. The scientists/those working on 10th level magic will be spared, should they surrender, assuming they were working for Acererak against their will. The evilly-aligned scientists will be killed, of course.


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## Mr. Draco

"Forrester, then I will travel with you."


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## Edena_of_Neith

Forrester, your army sent to fight the robots is reporting overwhelming numbers of men and women killed, and more wounded.

  Are you sure you wish to continue this, going after Acererak?

  - - -

  There are at least 40 million fatalities across the Flanaess (out of a total population of 200 million.)
  80 million people are wounded.  Either blinded, flash burned, injured by flying debris, or injured in the many battles.
  Cities are burning out of control.
  Firestorms are raging in every forest.

  Wild magic storms and bizarre phonomenon are occurring world-wide.


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## Forrester

Mr. Draco said:
			
		

> *"Forrester, then I will travel with you." *




Your company will be welcome, for we may have to deal with Acererak in a face-to-face battle. 

However, note that this is a mission the UC takes on behalf of itself, not the Dark Union.


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## Kalanyr

We are pulling back asessing our casualties healing the wounded,ressurecting those we can and basically trying to avoid any unnecessay loss of life.

After my forces and any of my allies wounded & dead I can gather are on board, the Mountain shifts to the Astral plane.


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## Edena_of_Neith

Kalanyr, the Flying City has been too badly damaged by the battle.
  It is breaking apart, and soon the Mythal is going to collapse.

  You will need to create a new Flying City and a new Mythal.

  Flying isn't a good idea in any case.

  The atmosphere is thick with smoke.

  Indeed, the stratosphere is thick with smoke.
  That smoke is spreading, cutting off the sunlight, cause a preternatural darkness to fall over the Flanaess, then over the rest of the world.

  And after it becomes dark, it starts to become cold.

  The light from burning cities lights the gloom, since nobody has stated they are doing anything to fight the fires.


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## Forrester

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *Forrester, your army sent to fight the robots is reporting overwhelming numbers of men and women killed, and more wounded.
> 
> Are you sure you wish to continue this, going after Acererak?
> 
> - - -
> 
> There are at least 40 million fatalities across the Flanaess.
> 80 million people are wounded.  Either blinded, flashed burned, injured by flying debris, or injured in the many battles.
> Cities are burning out of control.
> Firestorms are raging in every forest.
> 
> Wild magic storms and bizarre phonomenon are occurring world-wide. *




Edena, except for in the last battle, I honestly don't see how I've taken severe losses.

I've been involved in four conflicts this turn. 

1) The City of the Gods/Lyrn. 

I took minor losses, and just as things were getting heavy the Uber-Sandstorm hit the robots. Then they were hit by two big-ass 200megaton missiles. Overall, I didn't lose much. 


2) Against the Shade

The Shade had about 200PL (at best) of forces spread out over their domain. I landed there with 100PL of forces that were roughly twice as tough as they were, in attack/defense value. 

And Kalanyr landed with 100PL of force. 

And Kaboom moved in. 
And Dagger. 
And the solars/planetars/etc.
And everyone else. 

I am thinking I maybe lost 20-30PL there, and so did everyone else. That's assuming the Shade did extremely well, and killed as many PL as they lost. Which they shouldn't have been able to do.  

3) Against the Demons

28PL of Demons. ~100PL from Kalanar, ~100PL of my forces. Maybe I lost 10PL. If that. 

4) The Final Battle
Here, I probably took heavy losses. 

200PL of my forces against 150PL (at best) of robots. And I had the solars, faerie, Iuz on my side. Maybe I took a huge loss here -- 100PL or so. That seems reasonable, if heavy. 

Total losses: around 150PL, 200PL on the very very very VERY outside, and that's a huge stretch. Else, having a tech advantage/10th level magic/overwhelming numbers just aren't worth much. 

That leaves 350PL to 400PL to play with. 

Less than half of this will finish off Acererak. Don't want him causing armageddon next turn. 

The other half will do what we can to stop the forest fires, and in other ways heal Oerth. 

. . . 

You gave me an overwhelming force, Edena. With a tech head start. And I got 10th level magic. 

Which means that numerically, my forces are three to six times as powerful as most defenses they face. They're even-up against their most feared opponents, the City of the Gods, and in the biggest battle against THEM, I both personally outnumbered them and had copious allies. 

I tried to turn it this force down, tried to come up with some reason it should be lessened, and you refused me. 

That's your right. 

But if you're going to give it to me, let it do what it's supposed to do. Don't let them die in "heavy losses" like they are a group of farmers wielding pitchforks. They aren't Iuz's evil humans with flintlocks. 

They're genetically modified humanoids with the best tech on the planet (robots excepted) AND 10th level magic. 

I'm through playing games. We attack. 

Forrester

NOTE: Going to be away for an hour or so, I think.


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## Edena_of_Neith

Heedless of the situation behind them in the Flanaess, the Torilians go to war in Hempmonaland.
  They are taking on forces entrenched in a tropical rainforest, who have had decades to prepare for this, and who know the land.
  Of course, the Torilians come from a tropical land themselves, but THIS tropical land is not a paradise.
  It is a deathtrap.

  The Scarlet Brotherhood fights back furiously against the greater might of the Torilians.
  The Hempmonalanders fight back.
  Acererak and his undead whelm any Torilian force they can, using hit and run tactics.

  The forests are ignited by the conflict, fires racing out of control; set deliberately or accidentally, these firestorms consume vast areas of the forest.

  As the stratosphere fills with dust and the sunlight is cut off, a gloom settles over the tropical land, and within days a deep chill settles into the region ... an unnatural chill.

  Still the two sides are fighting.

  Acererak, his Undead Minions, and his Scarlet Brotherhood allies are completely overmatched, so they are resorting to guerilla tactics, which in this maze of swamp and jungle are easily accomplished.
  It turns into a very nasty war, with hard deeds and harder death on both sides, where the front line could be well behind you, and death lurks around every tree trunk.

  The war rages on.
  The Torilians get unexpected help:  The Yuan-Ti Empire is coming up from further south yet, and joining them in the hunt for the badly outmatched Scarlet Brotherhood.
  The Torilians and their allies are now deep within Hempmonaland, in the trackless equatorial forests.
  It is quite chilly now ... the temperature has dropped into the 50s (the lower 10s, Celsius.)
  It should not be this cold, in Hempmonaland.

  In the Flanaess, where it is late summer, the first frosts are destroying what crops remain intact.
  In the northern parts of the Flanaess, it is starting to snow.
  Hurricane force winds are buffeting the coasts of Zeif and Tusmit, and it is stormy and unsettled all along the southern and eastern coasts.


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## Rhialto

Forrester, the most advanced force in the world can be defeated by men wielding machetes if they blunder and don't think things through, persist in massive assaults based on unrealistic expectations.

And don't try to figure out the goals of the people they're fighting...


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## Kalanyr

My forces & I are doing what we can to halt the spread of the smoke and to extinguish the fires. 

A speech
"Our glorious city is no more. Let us enure this does not happen to Oerth entire. "


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## Edena_of_Neith

Forrester, I am not going to argue.

  Trust me when I say you've lost an enormous amount of PL.
  More than 300 PL.

  Either you have lost that PL, or the Flanaess lost that PL.

  One way or another, that PL was lost, fighting the Robots, and in the Armaggedon brought down on Oerth by the City of the Gods.

  If you did not lose it, they did.

  They also lost a very large amount of PL (200 PL) fighting the Shade, and they lost a large amount of PL in the Armaggedon brought down on them by the City of the Gods (over 100 PL, at the least.)


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## Serpenteye

We are dealing with the fires. I just thought it was too obvious to post. Burning cities are evacuated and the fires doused. Some of our occupation army in the south moves north do deal with matters the military way. Our wounded are healed by the many clerics of the church of Aerdi. Our druids change weather to cause strong rainfall in all burning areas.


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## Kalanyr

Edena-I thought the Yuan-ti where aboard the mountain. I take it they did not fit? The Tarrasque is put away somewhere and some mages and clerics are sent to comfort the poor creature. If this fails and it goes wild I lock it in a pocked dimension in stasis.


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## Edena_of_Neith

Both Forrester and Kalanyr could use their 10th level magic to attempt to do something about the onslaught of Nuclear Winter.
  I hope someone does something.

  It's already too late to save the crops north of a line from Gran March to the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdi.


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## Kalanyr

I already said I was doing something about the Nuclear Winter. 

But for ease of reference:

I am using the 10th level magic at my disposal to drive back the Nuclear Winter and evacuate everyone onboard the mountain to a safe area somewhere. I am extinguishing as many of the burning cities as I can.


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## Edena_of_Neith

RULING:

  The Torilian/Solistari/Yuan-Ti conflict with Acererak, Acererak's Minions, the Scarlet Brotherhood, and the Hempmonalanders rages on through the rest of this Turn.
  There is no decisive victory until the end of this Turn, at the earliest.

  I will rule on whether there is victory, at the end of this Turn.


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## Serpenteye

The government of the DU buys large amounts of grain on the world market in preparation for famine.


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## Edena_of_Neith

With the exception of Hempmonaland, then, quietude settles down over the Flanaess.

  A quietude of severe Shock.  The Shock of a patient hanging barely onto life.

  There is no further conflict, unless someone starts one deliberately, and only limited forces are available to fight with.

  The overwhelming and immediate need is to aid the millions of injured people.
  The next most immediate need is to bring in the harvest - what's left of it, which is to say less than 1/8th of the crops remain intact.
  The next most immediate need is to supply adequate shelter for people against the elements.

  There is not sufficient manpower to bury the dead.
  There is no hope of repairing the damaged infrastructure.
  There is no hope of rebuilding or repairing the damage to the cities still standing.

  Not immediately.  Not for a while.

  The exceptions to this are the Realms of Ishtarland, Erypt, Varnaith, and the Yuan-Ti Empire, which along with war ruined Zindia were far enough from the main area of conflict that they are relatively unscathed.


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## Mr. Draco

Now that the conflict in Hemponaland has been going for a while, and Acererak is probably quite busy, 100PL of the most veteran troops in the DU army on the Tilvanot Peninsula is going to transfer over to join the fight in Hemponaland by ship.

[edit]- The farmers working in the Yuan-ti empire that recently came under the control of the DU (thanks Kalanyr!), are encouraged to double their efforts to produce grain & such.


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## Edena_of_Neith

There is no world market.
  There are not even local markets.

  All trade has collapsed.
  Most major trading firms are bankrupt.
  Most merchants are out of business.

  The roads that are still intact are empty of travellers, except for refugees streaming towards whatever help there is to be found, wherever it is.


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## Kalanyr

The Yuan-ti empire will pull back and teleport to the Flaanesse with the rest of my troops if things seem to be going to badly for them but for now they will bring to bear what 10th level magic their mages and clerics wield on to Acerak.

Meanwhile the Drow and the surviving Dragons and Undead of Ivids Empire will do everything we can to heal the wounder,gather food and create shelter for the people of the Flaanese.

Did I stop the Nuclear Winter advancing?


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## Edena_of_Neith

(Even the Moderator blinks at that post.)

  Very well.  The Dark Union has to send enormous amounts of food to feed that great army, and spend precious resources to outfit them.
  Food and resources that don't exist, unless they are scraped from the scraps left to the civilian population, which is already living on starvation rationing.

  The great force of the Dark Union enters Hempmonaland to join in the bitter jungle war there.

  - - -

  Yes, you did, Kalanyr.  In time to save the crops from Gran March, southern Nyrond, and the Great Kingdom of Northern Aerdi southward.
  That is, those that did not burn up in the fires caused by the Antimatter Bombardment.

  Kalanyr, even with 10th level magic, every drow, male and female, that you have is soon engaged in helping the victims.
  There is no end to the victims.

  And with your help, with the relatively untouched drow - infamous for their evil - coming in this hour of extreme desperation and need on the part of the Flanaess, hatreds that have lasted for millennia fade away.
  The drow become heroes and heroines, saviors.

  I am assuming that the Faerie are also helping as they can, being a very good aligned people.

  The Lortmil Technomancy was, incredibly, not touched by any of this.
  Being underground, they were not blinded or affected by the bombardment.
  The Robots never made it that far south.
  They lost relatively few people fighting the Shade.
  They have their own food source, underground.
  They have everything they need, underground.

  Based on GnomeWorks most recent posts, I am assuming the still intact Lortmil Technomancy is coming to the aid of it's ruined and desperate neighbors.


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## Kalanyr

Mr Draco- I gave you the land, the people obey me not you. Do not press me. You will not like the results. However they will do what they can to feed the DU for now. The people will of the Yuan-ti empire will begin using 10th level magic to evacuate the civillians to the Flaanesse.


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## Mr. Draco

Apologies about the misunderstanding Kalanyr.

The druids amongst them begin, whenever they have any time to spare, to teach everything and anything they can about wilderness survival, how to find food, what is edible, etc...

Meanwhile a message goes out to Kalanyr: "Great and wise one, ally who stood with Kas against Tharzidun, we request that you use your powerful magic to assist the populace of our nation by enchancing the crops we have, where they still exist.  Additionally, if you would be so kind, utilize your magic once more to give those fighting in Hemponaland (all those fighting, not just the DU troops) the wilderness knowladge they need to find food for themselves, and survive there, as we fear that we may not have the resources necessary to continue supporting them for many more weeks.  In return, I, Kas will leave any and all claims I have for the spoils of the battle against Tharzidun, to you."


----------



## Serpenteye

MR Draco. I think it's best to leave Hepmonaland alone for now. It's insignificant in the grand scheme of things and Forrester will probably claim it for himself anyway since he has 200ppts there.
The God Emperor vetos the Hepmonaland offensive. (unless you insist on it Draco)

We buy grain in Sigil and throughout the planes to avert famine (if sufficient amounts can be transported to Oerth)


----------



## Kalanyr

If I can do what Mr Draco just said (pre-edit if he edits it) I will do so. In terms of crop enchantement this will happen to every crop we can so enchant. We will create as much food and water as we can.

Meanwhile, we begin to make a new homeland (again, *sigh*) this is second priority however.


----------



## Kalanyr

If the Dark Union ceases the attack the entire Yuan-ti force is teleported to the Flaanese to join up with the Drow,Humanoids and remains of Rauxes under my control. While we build our new flying city we will set up camp in the mountains of Ishtarland. I have Ulnevei's permission to do this I think.


----------



## Mr. Draco

Very well then Serpenteye, the DU forces fighting Acererak, begin to change their goal.  They will fight to get through Acererak's forces and to the Yuan-ti empire in the south-east where they will take up station, and begin producing as much grain as possible to assist the DU's troubles.


----------



## Kalanyr

So how much XP do we all get?

And did the death of Tharzidun and defeat of Demogorgon add to my belief base?


----------



## Rhialto

Kalanyr said:
			
		

> *So how much XP do we all get?
> 
> And did the death of Tharzidun and defeat of Demogorgon add to my belief base? *





You know, that is something that will _NEVER, EVER_ be said in one of my campaigns...


----------



## Mr. Draco

LOL!!!

Same here...


----------



## Kalanyr

We continue to aid as many as we can, producing and enhancing what little food their is. We heal those who we can heal, ressurect those who we can. And provide shelter to as many as we can. A statue of Ivid,Lyzandred,Escavarda,a Torillian humanoid and one of Iuz's humaoids is erected ,when we have the spare time and force, in memory fo the sacrifice they and the other drow, forces of Iuz and the Torillians made.


----------



## Kalanyr

Yep, I gotta agree won't happen in any of mine either.


----------



## Kalanyr

We also restore Xaene's missing head and in case you missed it resurrect Zuggtmoy.

Can Acerak still undergo his Apotheosis?


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

All those who participated actively in the War and survived it gain 4 levels.

  However, this Turn is not over.

  - - -

  The Flanaess, is not what it was.
  The Flanaess, is a place of smoke.
  The Flanaess, is a place of ruins and ashes.

  Crops lie flat on the ground, blown down.
  Crops stand, burned into charred husks.

  Trees stand, branches shattered, stark against the sky.
  Forests lay blown down, or burned, or both.
  Smoke still rises from the ruins of cities.
  In some places, cities are gone with no trace that they were ever there.

  People by the millions await clerical healing, their heads swathed in bandages, ruined eyes covered.
  Millions more lay in bed, sometimes screaming in pain, from battle wounds, or from flying debris, or from burns.

  Across the Flanaess, an awful smell permeates everywhere ... the smell of rotting corpses.
  Millions of bodies lay where they fell, and the manpower to bury them simply does not exist at this time - nor can it be summoned or otherwise achieved.

  All the population still unwounded and on it's feet is working.
  No exceptions.
  Working on little water and less food.
  Working to save those who are dying.
  Working to rebuild shelter.
  Working to rebuild vital roads.
  Working to get what remains of the crop in.

  There are isolated pockets of semi-normalcy.

  The Lortmil Technomancy.
  Ket.
  Sterich.
  The Hold of the Sea Princes.
  Part of Adri Forest.
  Part of western Ahlissa.
  The Lendore Isles.
  Ishtarland.
  Erypt
  Suhfang.
  Varnaith.

  There, life has not been reduced to a desperate struggle for survival.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

You can save Xaene.  
  You cannot save Zuggtmoy.  She is permanently dead.

  And yes, Acererak can still attain his Apotheosis.


----------



## Rhialto

Now's the best time to mention that if any of you want to see what campaigning against my twisted intellect would be, they can check out my campaign world, posted in the DM's section, under the following url...

http://www.enworld.org/messageboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=591

And I'm sorry for the maps.


----------



## Mr. Draco

what unharmed crops that exist in the DU are used to assist those elsewhere in our territories.  The armies still in the Tilvanot Peninsula will get to work, trying to assist the wounded and hungry in any way they can.  The 100PL force in Hemponaland is still trying to reach the Yuan-ti Empire, and begin producing crops from there (kalanyr abondoned it right?)


----------



## Kalanyr

Yes, I did. Those Yuan-ti and their followers were moved to the Flaanesse


----------



## Forrester

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *Heedless of the situation behind them in the Flanaess, the Torilians go to war in Hempmonaland.
> They are taking on forces entrenched in a tropical rainforest, who have had decades to prepare for this, and who know the land.
> Of course, the Torilians come from a tropical land themselves, but THIS tropical land is not a paradise.
> It is a deathtrap.
> 
> . . .
> 
> Acererak, his Undead Minions, and his Scarlet Brotherhood allies are completely overmatched, so they are resorting to guerilla tactics, which in this maze of swamp and jungle are easily accomplished.
> It turns into a very nasty war, with hard deeds and harder death on both sides, where the front line could be well behind you, and death lurks around every tree trunk.
> *




First of all, in another post you said that I lost 300PL of forces. That is, I did, or I did in combination with other forces in the Flaeness.

I choose the latter. My people are heroic, and it was my forces and my magic that did the most to eliminate the 300PL force of the City of the Gods. Half of the robots died pretty quickly to the uber-sandstorm + antimatter bombs, but the other half had to be brought down by force. 

But our soldiers aren't jumping in front of other soldiers of other nations to take the hits -- with the sole exception of the war against the demons. We were there by their side, helping in each battle, and probably doing most of the killing, but they took as many losses as we did. (They're easier to kill, for one thing.) 

And we went relatively unscathed by the random missiles landing everywhere -- for one thing, all of our troops were grouped in one place. For another, my first priority was directing the missiles away from my troops. 

I'm not selfish, but I'm not stupid, and there is no reason that the UC should bear ALL of the losses against the robots. 

And should I have 300PL taken away from me, I want to know how much I lost in each battle, because I just don't see it. The math just doesn't add up. I was always hitting as hard as I was getting hit, or harder, and in each case I outnumbered my foe, sometimes grossly. Meaning that they had far less opportunity to get their smacks in. 

Regardless, even if I have only 300PL left, and 150PL is attacking Acererak, that leaves 150PL to help fight the fires and feed the people. And there's probably much more. 

But a minimum of 150PL. 

"Heedless of the situation", Edena? I'm insulted, IC and OOC. How many other nations are lending 150PL to rebuilding Toril? Tell me. And yes, I will use my climate-altering abilities (not used this turn) to control the weather such that there is a lot of rain pouring down over Oerth these days. Starting in Lyrn and the other lands of Uvenelei, and moving east. 

-----
Second of all, don't tell me that a guerilla war against my forces is "Easily Accomplished", because it's not. 

It would be, perhaps, but I have 10th level magic. And 10th level scrying. And I know where they are hiding, I know where the ambushes are, and through mind-reading I know what many of their plans are. 

We can't necessarily track down Acererak yet, unless he shows himself. Fine. But everyone else, dies. 

Are you REALLY saying that they can hide from such an overwhelming force, who is getting help from the Yuan-Ti, for an entire MONTH??!! 

Two hours to kill 300PL of robots, a month to kill 40PL of primitives who can't hide from me. *sigh*

Another note -- I realize there are many, many, many mages working on something spooky for Acererak. Tracking them down, and capturing them/eliminating them if necessary is one of my primary goals. They can't hide from me for long. I can travel to any pocket dimension that they can duck into. 

Finally, I use my 10th level magic abilities to determine what is happening regarding the temperature drop. If it is an effect caused by the equivalent of 9th level magic, I counterspell it using my 10th level magical abilities, as per the rules. And I want to know what it is. 

Forrester


----------



## Kalanyr

Add an image of Zuggtmoy to the statue then. Ouch that battle put the hurting on my PL.

Sprry Forrester- The Yuan-ti withdrew I am putting my entire (non-advancement) PL into aiding the people of the Flaaness at the moment.


----------



## Serpenteye

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *  Across the Flanaess, an awful smell permeates everywhere ... the smell of rotting corpses.
> Millions of bodies lay where they fell, and the manpower to bury them simply does not exist at this time - nor can it be summoned or otherwise achieved.
> *




But they can still be animated. The clerics and wizards of the Dark Union animate as many corpses as possible and put them to work in the reconstruction.

The God Emperor and a team of highly skilled artificers start production of an artifact of food conjuration. Something similar to a decanter of endless water but much larger (with a 30 foot opening) and for nutritious food instead of water. If the food is properly distributed it should be able to feed millions.
 If neccessary he casts a few miracles to aid. If such an artifact require 10th level magics I recommend Kalanyr or Forrester to try something similar.


----------



## Kalanyr

Well if building such an artifact is possible it will be done. If you can build it we will build lots of them. If you can't we will make as many as we can.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Forrester wrote:

  First of all, in another post you said that I lost 300PL of forces. That is, I did, or I did in combination with other forces in the Flaeness. 
  I choose the latter. My people are heroic, and it was my forces and my magic that did the most to eliminate the 300PL force of the City of the Gods. Half of the robots died pretty quickly to the uber-sandstorm + antimatter bombs, but the other half had to be brought down by force. 

  ((Noted.  I will add 150+ PL to the over 300 PL casualties already sustained by the Flanaess.))

  But our soldiers aren't jumping in front of other soldiers of other nations to take the hits -- with the sole exception of the war against the demons. We were there by their side, helping in each battle, and probably doing most of the killing, but they took as many losses as we did. (They're easier to kill, for one thing.) 

  ((Understood.  War is painful.  War is hell.  There is real pain and suffering, and people die.  And the Torilians fought as bravely and stoutly as any in the Flanaess.  With the exception of the Faerie, they were the most effective force against the Robots.))

  I'm not selfish, but I'm not stupid, and there is no reason that the UC should bear ALL of the losses against the robots. 

  ((No indeed.  War is painful, and the pain is a party everyone shares in, unfortunately.))

  And should I have 300PL taken away from me, I want to know how much I lost in each battle, because I just don't see it. The math just doesn't add up. I was always hitting as hard as I was getting hit, or harder, and in each case I outnumbered my foe, sometimes grossly. Meaning that they had far less opportunity to get their smacks in. 

  ((You must appreciate the enormity of what I am doing.  I am running a game for 25 people, and each one of them has a Power, and plans, and a lot of questions.  
  This IR has been very straining on me, has taxed me to the end of even my resources.
  I continue the IR through sheer stubborness, an unwillingness to give in and quit, though sometimes I find the work necessary for it to be intimidating and overwhelming.
  Yet I have other things to attend to also.  Other stresses.  This IR has taken everything I've got.
  Now, you wish a detailed, battle by battle explanation of your losses.
  May I point out that the other Powers suffered horrendous losses as well, and that they were in a far worse position to lose people than the UC, which has backup forces?
  They are so ruined it will be impossible for a number of them to take any further actions this Turn, and three of the Powers in the game have been effectively knocked out of play.))

  Regardless, even if I have only 300PL left, and 150PL is attacking Acererak, that leaves 150PL to help fight the fires and feed the people. And there's probably much more. 

  ((Every bit of that PL is needed to help.  The aftermath of the bombardment was staggering.
  Do not underestimate the disaster.
  The entire pre-war medical system of the real world, even if undamaged, could not handle the effects of one thermonuclear explosion over a large city.
  Now, the clerics of the medieval Oerth have 80 million wounded on their hands.  It is a horrific understatement when I say they are overwhelmed.))


  "Heedless of the situation", Edena? I'm insulted, IC and OOC. How many other nations are lending 150PL to rebuilding Toril? Tell me. And yes, I will use my climate-altering abilities (not used this turn) to control the weather such that there is a lot of rain pouring down over Oerth these days. Starting in Lyrn and the other lands of Uvenelei, and moving east. 

  ((My regrets.  I do not mean to offend.  Only to Moderate.  A sometimes bitter and difficult job.  Especially when one must moderate superscience and 10th level magic, concepts beyond the ability of even TSR to handle during the heydays of that company.
  I wish everyone to have fun.
  But I also wish to make the road hard for everyone, to force everyone to struggle and work.
  And also to give everyone a chance.
  I may not cheat to do this, or make unreasonable rulings.
  All I can do is moderate within my ability, and hope for the best.
  To offend people is not my goal!))


  Second of all, don't tell me that a guerilla war against my forces is "Easily Accomplished", because it's not. 

  ((It is not easily accomplished, but Acererak and the Scarlet Brotherhood can do it.  Hempmonaland is like Vietnam.  Acererak has a vast network of underground tunnels that connect Hempmonaland to the Flanaess.

  It would be, perhaps, but I have 10th level magic. And 10th level scrying. And I know where they are hiding, I know where the ambushes are, and through mind-reading I know what many of their plans are. 

  ((That is quite true.  And you will win.  Acererak has no hope of final victory.  However, it will just take a while.))

  Are you REALLY saying that they can hide from such an overwhelming force, who is getting help from the Yuan-Ti, for an entire MONTH??!! 

  ((I am.  The primary reason for this is the Hempmonaland people.
  I did not include them in the roster, which was a mistake.
  They have a large PL, and will react fiercely to an invasion, and they are on the side of Maudlin.))

  Another note -- I realize there are many, many, many mages working on something spooky for Acererak. Tracking them down, and capturing them/eliminating them if necessary is one of my primary goals. They can't hide from me for long. I can travel to any pocket dimension that they can duck into. 
  Finally, I use my 10th level magic abilities to determine what is happening regarding the temperature drop. If it is an effect caused by the equivalent of 9th level magic, I counterspell it using my 10th level magical abilities, as per the rules. And I want to know what it is. 

  ((There are mages working for Acererak, on something called Acererak's Apotheosis.  If he succeeds in getting it, he would gain permanent control of all Undead in the IR, good and evil.
  You are finding them and killing them.
  The temperature drop is due to Nuclear Winter, caused by the bombardment.
  It is easily countered with 10th level magic, and Kalanyr has already begun countering it.))

  ((Now, this Moderator is not answering any more questions for a while.  This Moderator is tired.))

  Edena_of_Neith


----------



## Forrester

Kalanyr said:
			
		

> *Add an image of Zuggtmoy to the statue then. Ouch that battle put the hurting on my PL.
> 
> Sorry Forrester- The Yuan-ti withdrew I am putting my entire (non-advancement) PL into aiding the people of the Flaaness at the moment. *




That's fine, Kalanyr. Help rebuild. Oerth needs it. 

And, of course, I'll give you a hand . 

BUT -- if Acererak manages his Apowhatsit, he's going to gain control of all undead. 

And that's really really bad, given the fact that Serpenteye is raising people from the dead right and left. 

100PL here or there isn't going to do much to rebuild Oerth. If you and the Yuan-Ti will help me track down Acererak, NOW, I think it is likely that we'll be able to find him and the mages before the month ends. 

Let's not give Acererak another month to do his dirty work. 

Please?

<other kvetching deleted>

What we need, people, is to get 11th level magic, and soon. That's the reason I want ALL the bad guys gone this turn -- at least, the bad guys that might cause us problems next turn. 

Because I believe that if we put our minds to it, we can get 11th level magic next turn, if we all cooperate. And that will heal Oerth far more than a bunch of humans with buckets of water and Band-aids. 


Forrester


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Total War Losses this Turn so far, Forrester:  150 PL
Total War Losses this Turn so far, Alzem:  Over 100 PL
  Total War Losses this Turn so far, Alliance of Oerth:  Over 450 PL
  Total War Losses this Turn so far, Other Powers:  Over 150 PL

  All Powers except for Maudlin, Melkor, and Rhialto may continue to take military action, if that is their wish.
  All Powers except Melkor and Rhialto may attempt diplomacy.

  Any military action taken is going to hurt the Power that is taking it, in regards to their civilian population, quite badly.

  The United Commonwealth of Toril and Hope Isle are exceptions to this, due to the fact they have no civilian populations on Oerth.
  Valky's Planar Unseelie are also an exception.


----------



## Forrester

Edena -- are the Shade completely wiped out at this point?

That was my understanding . . . that some leaders managed to escape, but that's it. Everything else, all of their forces, are gone, gone, gone. 

Is that accurate?


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

The Shade leaders, and about 5 PL of their forces, escaped.
  That is all that remains of them.

  The Shade Poisoning, remains, although 10th level magic is keeping it from spreading.


----------



## Kalanyr

Sorry Forrester given, Edena's post above I can't afford military action, nor can any off the rest of our Allies.


----------



## Forrester

Like I said, let's try to get rid of the bad guys this turn so we can work next turn on 11th level magic in peace. 

*goes through list of bad guys*

Iuz . . . well, he just turned lawful. And he has been helping us a lot. And he didn't go after my Kender -- and lord, I know how tempting that can be. Okay, he gets to live. 

The Dark Union . . . well, did chase Acererak out of his home. That was good. As long as land conquered from my allies (by either Acererak OR the Shade OR the Dark Union) is returned to their rightful owners this turn . . . they'll be no need for an offense there. They did fight bravely against -- well, against someone, I'm sure. 

Forsaken One. Are you still evil? Did Kalanyr change all of your alignments, or something?  
Festy Dog. Are you still evil?  Did Kalanyr change all of your alignments, or something? 

Trying to figure out an IC reason for you to be allied when Kalanyr's a good guy now, and you guys aren't. 

Valkys -- what's an Unseelie, anyway? 

Anabstercorian -- too confusing to even talk about. 

Acererak -- trying to get rid of. 

Hmm. I think that's about it. 

Anyone else out there feeling evil today, so I can put you on my you-know-what list?


Forrester


----------



## Forrester

Kalanyr said:
			
		

> *Sorry Forrester given, Edena's post above I can't afford military action, nor can any off the rest of our Allies. *




How many will die if Acererak manages to gain control of all Undead next turn? 

Sometimes you need to make sacrifices, Kalanyr. You need to look at the long term. You need to think ahead. A small sacrifice now means less dead later. And less dead overall. 

Forrester


----------



## Mr. Draco

OK, well the DU is taking several actions,

*The 100PL force in Hemponaland is moving to the abondoned Yuan-ti Empire to begin grain production using their un-harmed (relatively) fields.

*The DU army in the former territories of Maudlin is sent to assist the populace of the DU.  Anything and everything they can do, the people across the DU are doing.

The end result of this is that we should have nearly our entire PL devoted to rebuilding/healing/grain production/generally being helpful after the "artificial winter"  and when the 100PL reaches the Yuan-ti Empire, we will have our ENTIRE PL devoted to rebuilding/healing/grain production/etc...

Also, I'm still quite curious about the City of the Gods.  The representative from the Legions of Kas there, claiming that the suel are the descendants of the builders of the city of the gods, will begin examining the city.  He assumes that the city was still active because the robots thought the inhabitants might return someday, and thus it would make sense for the robots to prepare for that.  Preparing for that might include storing food.  So, basically he is looking for any food storage areas, and if they exist, they should be quite extensive, afterall, it IS a big city, which would imply a BIG population.
-----
Well, I'll be leaving for a DnD session soon, be back in about 12 hours.

Serpenteye, keep investigating the city of the gods.


----------



## Sollir Furryfoot

_Once again, all over Flanneas a myserious, cloaked person continues to devour all the corpses it can find...as soon as person sees it, it vanishes before they can blink...only to reappear miles elsewhere and continuing devouring...feeding..._


----------



## William Ronald

Hmm, I go away to celebrate with friends and Oerth is in ruins.

Forrester, Kalanyr:  10th level magic can be used to speed up crop growth, improve crop yields, and do other useful agricultural stuff.  Also, 10th level versions of create food and water may help a lot.

With tears streaking his face, Archcleric Hazen stands in Veluna City, which was spared the fate of Mitrik and Chendl.

"We must first thank the heroic warriors who fought today against the threats against our world.  Many laid down their lives.  They came from many places to save Oerth: the lands of the Kevellond League, the Empire of Iuz, the Dark Union of Eastern Oerth, Highfolk,the Underdark, Perrenland, the home of the fey, Lyrn, the UC of Toril, Hope Island, and may other places besides.  We will remember them and honor their memories forever."

"Even now, heroic warriors are fighting Acerak,  the Scarlet Brotherhood, and the remnants of the Black Brotherhood.  We stand with them."

"Now comes to the task of rebuilding. We will mourn and remember, but we owe it to the dead to rebuild."

"Remember this day.  We shall and institute a Day of Remembrance for all nations of the Kevellond League. Perhaps it will be adopted by all lands as we remember this day."

"May those who fought for Oerth this day be forever blessed, whether among the heroic dead or living amongst us still."

While using my troops to help restore order and fight  any Black Brotherhood forces left, I begin the work of feeding people and rebuilding.  

Murlynd,  Heward, Keoghtom, Hazen and most of my NPCs will try to heal and resurrect people while increasing the food yield in Sterich and elsewhere in the Kevellond League.  We ask Forrester and Kalanyr to do so throught the world.

(Your combined efforts may make a life wave possible. However, it might be best to wait until we are certain everyone has enough food.)

We will make devices similar to those being constructed by the Dark Union.  We will send people to Sigil to buy grain and other foodstuffs as well.  Emissaries are sent to the Upper Planes to try to get food and assistance.

As Suhfang was away from the brunt of the war, the NPCs associated with it will do everything they can to increase food yield.

Kaboom's people will do the same.  (I am running his forces until he returns.)  The other Oerth Alliance nations can be assumed to be doing the same thing.  

Forrester and Kalanyr:  Please use 10th level magics to augment food production and assist rebuilding efforts.

Forrester: The UC of Toril and its allies can grow lots of food back home that can be brought to Oerth.  Please do so.

Well done, guys.  I wish I hadn't been so busy today.  Now I have to check if my homebrew game is still on.

William


----------



## Forrester

William -- that is an excellent idea. 

Edena -- can I bring in, by RealmShip, a few hundred hundred tons of food? 

Magic = good.


Forrester


----------



## Kalanyr

William, I am doing everything I can to help rebuild and produce food as it is. If I can do anything more it will be done.

"Forrester,sometimes a sacrifice is necessary, but letting every being on Oerth die will not help us and it will only give Acerak more corpses to reanimate given time. If I can be assure civillian casualties will be minimal aid will be sent. Until then, I will heal,feed and shelter those who I can."


----------



## Forrester

Sollir Furryfoot said:
			
		

> *Once again, all over Flanneas a myserious, cloaked person continues to devour all the corpses it can find...as soon as person sees it, it vanishes before they can blink...only to reappear miles elsewhere and continuing devouring...feeding... *




Okay, what the hell is going on here? 

<Shows 10th level magic badge>

Forrester


----------



## William Ronald

Hello,

Going away for a game.  I may be out until tomorrow afternoon.

Until I get back, I assign control of my forces to Oerth Alliance members. Starting with dagger whom I last left in control. In my absence, others can speak for my faction - including such allies as Forrester.  (Forrester, Kalanyr- good work.)

Forrester:  Check your e-mail and share it with Kalanyr.  I think you and he will like my idea.  I think Mr. Draco and Serpenteye will likely pin a medal on you both if it works.  (Let's say it helps the DU - and almost everyone else - out in a big way.)  A few hundred million tons of food may be required.  Edena will decide.

Also, the Celestial Empire is pretty far off the map. Is it in the realm of semi-normalcy? I am asking on behalf of Alyx.

The Kevellond League will work with Kalanyr and allies to help stabilize the situation. That is the primary goal.  When we have done all we can in our lands, we will send help to the surrounding areas.  Kalanyr, as you are leading these efforts, you decide where to go.  Also, three demigods and several clerics and druids can help with the food situation.  Indeed, multiple casting of the 2nd edition Goodberry spell  (1st level) is a very good idea.  (A berry sustains a person for a day.  Sollir, your NPC who believes she is an incarnation of Oerth - probably she is a priest or druid of Beory the Oerth Mother - should really be able to help you on this front.)

If no one else is doing so, we will try to assist the Pomarj and the forces under 'o Skoteinos with their relief efforts.


----------



## JohnBrown

Assuming that the fight in Greyhawk is over (only skimmed over these last few pages), no more uber-beings are bent to destroy the world, killing all life-yada yada (I’m mean four months and I don’t know how many plots to destroy the world…gets kind of routine, even for evil demi-god  ).  The Empire of Iuz will start rebuilding itself.  Now that Shade are gone, if I can move back into the Cairn Hills great, if not that’s great too.    Abandon the Bright Lands if I have too, again doesn’t much matter.  Of course attempts will be made by to undo the damage done by the Shade poisoning.  If the IBKSC can’t make it better by themselves, then they will do their best to make sure the lands are equally useless to anyone else even after the situation is fixed by 10th level magic or what have you.  As I said before, if the IBKSC can’t have them, then we will do our damnedest to make sure no one else will get them either.  Once the job is complete to the best of our ability, everyone moves of to the Barrens, Ket, Horned Lands, Iuz, and Stonehold   

The borders will be closed to general traffic, foreign military officers will be asked to leave etc.  Ambassadors will be allowed to stay, but they will find it a lot harder to get any of the IBKSC’s leadership’s time.  Merchants and traders will still be allowed in but their goods, identification papers, etc., will be checked, re-checked and checked again.  The IBKSC is going into a general state of Isolationism.

We do not ask for anyone’s help.  We do not accept it if it is offered. 

Before they disappear for a while, (but not forever by any means  ).  Iuz and the Boneheart will go to the City of Gods that I understand is all-defenseless now and take all the technology they can get their hands on.  

Forrester probably has people there already to prevent that sort of thing, I’m sure (again, I have only skimmed the last few pages).  If that is the case, they will be told that the IBKSC fought the robots, have massive losses to them and thus are entitled to some of the spoils.  If they still refuse, Iuz and the Boneheart will attempt to kill them.  This will most likely prove difficult, but it is what they would do.  Anyway, if there is a fight and assuming they survive it, Iuz and his gang take all the technology they can possibly take and disappear for a time.

See everyone for Turn 5.


----------



## GnomeWorks

Hello.  Just dropping in to say "hi," and that I have not abandoned the IR.  Just been a little overwhelmed with RL is all.

Edena - the Lortmils will begin sharing our technology with Forrester.

Forrester - Sorry about that.  You didn't tick me off, I just simply forgot to list you in my tech-sharing thing.

---

Hmm... it seems that the current situation on the agenda is food production.  Edena, can the Lortmils begin anything with bioengineering food?  Make corn larger, make more food per seed planted, etc. etc.  We'll start a project on that idea right away.  If we're just a few tech points away from nanotechnomancy, I imagine that we can figure out bioengineering foods pretty quick.  That does involve gene manipulation, though, so I don't know how that would work out.  But we'll work on it, for now - we'll just try to breed some really nice varieties of food.  Corn, chickens, what have you.  If necessary, we'll pay a visit over to the remnants of the City of the Gods to root around in their gutters to see if we can find anything helpful in this situation.  We won't interfere with anyone else going through the City, though.  They can take what they want, so long as we are left alone to find what we want.


----------



## Uvenelei

Wallace, Aurican's bookkeeper, organizes a relief effort for the people of the Crescent. Fires are put out, crops saved, food distributed from unharmed Ishtarland, wounded moved and tended to, etc. Merchants are sent to Sigil and other planes to buy up food supplies, and the UC is asked if they have enough food to spare. We are willing to pay for all of it. When relief effort has momentum throughout the Crescent, diplomats are sent to every nation on Oerik, asking if they need help. Trust me; Wallace is _undoubtedly_ skilled enough to handle a continent-wide relief effort.

To Forrester: Thank you for all your help.

To Kalanyr: Thanks to you as well, and welcome home.


----------



## Forrester

JohnBrown said:
			
		

> *
> Before they disappear for a while, (but not forever by any means  ).  Iuz and the Boneheart will go to the City of Gods that I understand is all-defenseless now and take all the technology they can get their hands on.
> 
> Forrester probably has people there already to prevent that sort of thing, I’m sure (again, I have only skimmed the last few pages).  If that is the case, they will be told that the IBKSC fought the robots, have massive losses to them and thus are entitled to some of the spoils.  If they still refuse, Iuz and the Boneheart will attempt to kill them.  This will most likely prove difficult, but it is what they would do.  Anyway, if there is a fight and assuming they survive it, Iuz and his gang take all the technology they can possibly take and disappear for a time.
> 
> See everyone for Turn 5. *




My forces saved your lands, Iuz. If I had not shown up, it is certain that the robots would have taken your nation, and you would be speaking to me from exile. 

I will allow you to take a trinket or two, but that is all. Fight me if you wish. For I think I deserve what is here more than any. 

EDENA -- I have a total of 450PL on Oerth. 150PL are fighting Acererak and company. 200PL are helping to rebuild Oerth, put out fires, feed people, etc. I hope I can get a shipment of food in from Toril. 

And 100PL, including my best scientists, (and best Kender!!) are looting the City of the Gods. We've earned it. No one will be allowed in -- with the exception of Kalanyr. He can take a few things if he likes. 

I make quite certain, with my scrying, of who is entering and who is not. 

Please let me know what we find (I literally have a few million people scouring the City at this point), how much PL we pick up due to the resources we find there, and so on. 

EDIT -- someone said that there might be a bunch of preserved foodstuffs there, just in case The Masters returned. We're definitely going to look for it! 

Forrester


----------



## JohnBrown

Forrester,

What I said was what I said.  Nothing personal, but it is what they would do.  If your men don't stand down.  A fight will break out.


----------



## Forrester

Very well. 

I have 100PL of high-tech forces there. They blow up half of your men, and the other half retreat back to your nation. 


Forrester


----------



## GnomeWorks

Forrester said:
			
		

> *And 100PL, including my best scientists, (and best Kender!!) are looting the City of the Gods. We've earned it. No one will be allowed in -- with the exception of Kalanyr. He can take a few things if he likes.
> 
> I make quite certain, with my scrying, of who is entering and who is not.*




*?*

I see, Forrester.  You do not want to share this technology with anyone else.  Understandable, of course - you fended them off (from what I read), so you get the spoils.

All I want is to find some technology to help out in this time of need.  Are you going to stop me?  Are you going to fend me off?

Let us in the City, Forrester.  Allow the scientists of the Lortmils to assist in scouring the place for technology.  Now is not the time to be greedy.  Now is a time to help each other out, now is a time when we must be peaceable.  We must rebuild Oerth.  Do not start a fight over petty technology.


----------



## Forrester

I never said that I was not going to share the technology, Gnomeworks!

I just want first crack. And given that it was my forces that bore the brunt of the damage from the City of the Gods, and given that I took the largest losses during the war, I think I deserve it.

And it's easier to keep everyone out than keep some people out. And it appears fairer, too. (OOC -- no one needs to see what gets exchanged behind closed doors, later on.)  

You can be sure that if I find anything that, say, would be useful to a United Commonwealth of Oerth, I will share it with them should such an organization ever arise . . . . 

And it goes without saying that sneak-thieves a sneakin' in will not be killed unless they attack -- they will simply be captured and interred. 

Forrester

PS In this Time of Need, the people need food and bandages more than anything else -- and I am also working to provide them. It is highly unlikely that there is anything here that could be brought to bear on the situation on Oerth within a month. 

I do promise you, though, that should we come upon a piece of technology that we need aid in deciphering, that might have obvious utility in ameliorating what Oerth is going through, the Gnomes will be our first stop. For no one else has the technological level that they do (except ourselves).


----------



## Alyx

Yes, Edena, please tell me about the state of the Celestial Empire.  As it was far from the brunt of battle, and nearly as big as half of Flannaes, it could become a useful area for foodstuff production.  Please inform me on that.

After I recieve that information, I will post again.


----------



## GnomeWorks

Very well, Forrester.  You may have your "first crack" at the technology uninterrupted, at least from us.  The Lortmils will not bother you.  But you must first and foremost be looking for technology to help the current situation.  So long as you do that, then we will not pester you.


----------



## JohnBrown

Well, then Forrester, we are at war.  I everything I have left is being thrown at you.  I know, I know you wipe me out with a thought…..

Sorry, but this is just getting harder and harder to care about any of this.  No offense to Forrester, or Edena, or William, or Draco, or Maudlin, or anyone else involved in this IR, but this is all just becoming completely ridiculous.  It all feels like I’m trapped in some endless DBZ saga with Forrester in the role of Goku.  The rest of us being relegated to the role of Krillian.  Sure we can do things, but in the end why bother. Goku will either come save the day or kick our ass.  Edena, this is nothing against you.  You have worked admirably on this.  You have put up with stuff I would have never had the ability to do (me being one of those things), still it is kind of a forgone conclusion how all of this is going to turn out.

No Edena, it is not your fault a bunch of people gave Forrester the PL to get 10th level magic.  It is not Forrester’s fault that he is using it to the best of his ability.  This is what he should do.  But it is your fault that it was ever there in the first place.  Maybe there is a reason nobody tackled it before?  All of that is neither here nor there.  It is your game, it your vision, and I apologize for pooping in your happy place, Edena.  What I think or don’t think of 10th level magic is really irrelevant.  The fact of the matter is that the IR is over

Oh, those who oppose Forrester or the side he is on (which I was on until a moment ago, but then I wasn’t really winning, Forrester was) will fight valiantly, it will be great and glorious and it might even be fun, but this is taking up far too much of my time and the fun ratio has been dropping steadily.  Or the opposite will happen, Edena will throw yet another uber-being at Forrester, which is unfair to Forrester since all he was doing was what he was supposed to do; play the game to the best of his ability.   

I said I wouldn’t quit.  I am a man of my word.  But the sooner you wipe me out, Forrester, the sooner I get my life back.  So please have at it.


----------



## Forrester

JohnBrown said:
			
		

> *
> Oh, those who oppose Forrester or the side he is on (which I was on until a moment ago, but then I wasn’t really winning, Forrester was) will fight valiantly, it will be great and glorious and it might even be fun, but this is taking up far too much of my time and the fun ratio has been dropping steadily.  Or the opposite will happen, Edena will throw yet another uber-being at Forrester, which is unfair to Forrester since all he was doing was what he was supposed to do; play the game to the best of his ability.
> 
> I said I wouldn’t quit.  I am a man of my word.  But the sooner you wipe me out, Forrester, the sooner I get my life back.  So please have at it. *




I'm sorry, Edena, but I have to agree with every word he's said, up to and including the brilliantly appropriate Goku/Krillan metaphor. It's how I spelled it out in that email to you -- I figured there were three ways to go. Either everyone attacks me, YOU attack me with world-ending threat after world-ending threat (which still isn't fun for others), or some Big Red Button gets pushed that subtracts from my power. I was actually in favor of #3. 

But if I'm going to be cast as Goku . . . I have to play Goku. 

I only wish that I was evil enough (and had the time) to declare an all-out attack against EVERYONE on Oerth. So that I might claim the world for Toril and the UC. 

That would be interesting . . . until I started eliminating nations, one by one. I might eventually lose, but five or six people would be almost completely knocked out first. And hell, even then I might not lose. Knock out Kaboom's airforce so that I can attack individual nations with ease, take care of Kalanyr early, take care of the Gnomes early (they're the only ones with a tech advantage), and then start planting nukes. Make a few alliances with the greedier folks, so that I can split up Oerth with them afterwards. Do it during a turn when I know most people are working on industrialization, or 11th level magic. It'd be a cakewalk. 

Not that I've thought about it at all .

The big problem is, though, that that's not the way the UC operates -- and frankly, it's not what Forrester is about. 

And I'm not interested in dealing with any more world-ending threats. 

So you know what? This is what I'm going to do. 

I'm going to raid the City of the Gods, and strip it of every possibly useful item, increasing my power level tremendously. (If sporadic mini-raids got 2PL per raid, imagine what one million troops led by Kender will find!) 

*And then I'm leaving.* It seems there's an emergency on Toril, and it needs every single one of my men. Maybe the Scro need my help on Krynn, I don't know. 

You can deal with the Red Goo, spreading across Oerth, on your own. It'll be a lot tougher getting 11th level magic without me, but you can do it. 

And you can deal with Acererak, too -- my forces are immediately pulling out. 

And you can deal with Serpenteye's vast empire and Iuz as well. And with my absence, I'm betting Anabstercorian might have some interesting plans in store for you. (I'm taking the Dictum, though  ). 

And you can deal without having any of the goodies from the City of the Gods. Ya didn't deserve them, anyway . But I'll leave any food I find. 

You should still win. With Kalanyr on the side of the Angels, and the vast force of the Oerthian Alliance, it should still be a cakewalk. 

But Goku isn't there to back you up. Time for Gohan to spread his wings.

Signing off,
Forrester

----------------------------------
PS Yes, I will still lurk, of course! And even post occasionally. 
PPS Edena, I DEMAND that you not take this personally! I don't want to hear any whining that The IR Can't Deal With Forrester's Absence, For He Was A Key Part. 

I WAS a key part. I got to kill Vecna. I got to destroy the City of the Gods. I got to raid it -- and I INSIST you tell me how much my PL raised because of all the goodies we found! 

And in doing all of those cool things, I drew attention away from the minor players. The guys with only 50PL to spend. The Daggers, the Creamsteaks, and the rest. This was supposed to be their story, not mine. And now, it's theirs again. I know you'll make it interesting for them.


----------



## dagger

*OOC:*




Well if my powers where neutral or evil I would go to war with him too, just to make it more interesting, heh . Im still having fun though.


----------



## Darkness

Forrester said:
			
		

> *But Goku isn't there to back you up. Time for Gohan to spread his wings.*



LOL!    That sentence just made my day... 

Hmm... I have to catch up with the IR a bit to find out much my forces is still left... See you later.


----------



## JohnBrown

Forrester,

I appreciate the gesture on your part.  You haven’t lost interest in the IR.  I, however, have.  It is not a matter of winning or losing.  Whether I win, William wins, Dagger wins, good wins, evil wins, neutrality wins isn’t important to me.  Being relevant was.  It isn’t anymore.  I’ve have been accused on the EN boards long ago as having a “slide-ruler” mentality.  I guess the person was right.  I am simply not cut out for this free-form sort of game.  This is a deficiency on my part, no one else's.  I have should have realized this earlier.  I apologize to everyone.  

So, Forrester, put the gun to my head, pull the trigger, take option 3 and let everyone else who is still enjoying this continue with the game.

John

P.S. Glad you liked the metaphor


----------



## Black Omega

Wow...12 hours and the world goes to hell.  Sheesh
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, the seelie will do everything possible to heal and assist those injured and crippled.  Creater shelters, provide food and water.  We're trusting 10th level magic can help deal with the nuclear winter but in the mean time we'll do our 9th level best for the peoples of the Flanesse.  First things first....help the people.  Start helping restore basic services and restoring hope.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
With all that's been lost, if Kal's people need a place to rest and recover while starting on rebuilding their mountain, we have room.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry to see anyone going at this point.  I've like how Brown handled Iuz.  Forrester has been important for more than his PL.


----------



## Maudlin

Well, those are the dangers of dropping a 15th level character in what is essentially a conflict between 5th level people. If that char then asks "Who's with me and who is against me", most are going to join, and the ones that can't or won't will get the floor wiped with them, without question to the outcome. Either way, the battle would be over  It's a flawed premise.

It's also the reason Evil doesn't work as an underdog... Good is far, far nastier. At least the Evil Overlord will leave his low-level opponents alive, so he would have someone to laugh maniacally at in the future, but Good has no such compunctions 
(http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html)

That being said, I've felt a little irrelevant too, but that's really no reason to let it stop being fun. I've never stopped enjoying myself throughout. I mean, put it all in perspective  It's a big global WWF match... some people are scripted to get whooped, but the fun is in the trashtalking  I've whined about the imbalance of it all, but only because that would make it come to an end much sooner than I'd have liked.

BTW, I like your SigLine, John Brown 

Edit- Oh, and I probably should mention my enjoyment of Edena's wildly extravagant posts describing all the mayhem. Some of them honestly had me chortling out loud, and that doesn't happen all that often anymore


----------



## Festy_Dog

OOC:- sorry i couldn't help before, i was very busy. 

Silver Phase, all his NPC's (i figured that his 4 new NPC's are each worth PL1), and any forces he can spare (24 PL) are quickly heading to the Flanaess to help with relief efforts.


----------



## Maudlin

BTW, whatever happened to Shadowlady Ahlissa? Her hubbie was destroyed without a thought for her wellbeing, and now these self-styled good guys add insult to injury by bombing her house to rubble. Shameful how you would treat a poor widow.

Shameful.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

I am supposed to be happy about the above posts??

  If John Brown will not play the Empire of Iuz, I will.

  The Empire of Iuz does not attempt to plunder the City of the Gods.
  The Empire of Iuz, does not engage in any hostilities with Forrester.
  The Empire of Iuz, signs a peace treaty with Forrester instead.
  The Empire of Iuz, spends it's energy trying to save it's people, and rebuild it's damaged infrastructure.

  Alyx, the Celestial Imperium took hits from two of the antimatter missiles.
  Although this only destroyed a small area of the realm, the flashes blinded half the population, and the heat flashes started massive fires.
  The Celestial Imperium is in trouble like everyone else.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

It is the Attack + 2 Weeks.

  With the help of Forrester and Kalanyr, massive amounts of food (much of it from Toril) and massive amounts of aid are going out to all the Flanaess, and many parts of Oerth.

  As a result, the flood of dying people has stopped.
  The blinded, are seeing again - at least, a great part of them can see again.
  A greater number of the wounded are healed.

  Massive reconstruction is underway in all parts of the Flanaess.
  Aided by 10th level magic, this reconstruction is occurring at an astonishing pace.
  A skeletal framework of roads, railroads, and vital communications lines has been reestablished.
  Vital structures have been put back up, and vital mines have reopened.

  In a few cases, there is even manpower to bury the dead, though this is the exception and not the rule.

  The Faerie are able to save Vesve Forest and Adri Forest, and parts of the woodlands in other areas.

  All the crops that can be saved, are being harvested.

  However, the smoke still lingers in the air.
  Gaunt, shattered trees stand amidst a scarred landscape, with giant craters - over 150 of them, across the world.
  There is no manpower to rebuild the tens of thousands of villages damaged.
  There is little manpower to rebuild the thousands of towns damaged.

  Where this is the case, the local inhabitants have mostly left for the cities, leaving ruins behind.
  Where they have stayed, they have made the best of their grim condition, while their small settlements remain filled with refugees and the wounded still awaiting magical healing.

  Where the Shade were, the land remains dead, and uninhabitable.
  A large area, including the Domain of Greyhawk, the Cairn Hills, the northern Abbor Alz, the Nyr Dyv, the Isles of Woe, and northern Wolly Bay is permanently desolate.
  Permanently destroyed by Shade, this area is effectively out of bounds.

  The areas around it, including parts of Furyondy, the Shieldlands, the Duchy of Urnst, the County of Urnst, the Bright Desert, and the eastern Abbor Alz, were able to be saved.

  In Hempmonaland, the tropical rainforest has been devastated, vast areas of it gone, burned away in the war that is taking place down there.
  The forces of Acererak and the Scarlet Brotherhood, outnumbered 20 to 1 by the combined armies of Forrester, the Dark Union, the Yuan-Ti Empire, and the Solistarim that came to aid them, are losing rapidly now.
  Fight as they might, and try as they might, no amount of careful planning and cunning can last forever against the might arrayed against them.

  Yet they fight on, in their hopeless battle.
  The People of Hempmonaland have been decimated, a greater part of their male population dead or dying, because they decided to stand with the Scarlet Brotherhood.
  Their culture has been all but wiped out.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

(looks genuinely upset)

  I request John Brown and Forrester stay in this.

  Anyone has the right to leave, but by God I am not leaving.
  I have an IR to run, and I intend to run it.

  Some of you may think it's over, but things are not what they seem.

  Edena_of_Neith


----------



## Kalanyr

I said I was in it for as long as possible and I ain't quitting now. (Even if I think the bad guys will win this one in the end (They won the first one after all technically))


----------



## Serpenteye

I'll stay 'till the end. Who knows, I might actually win.

How many months do the diviners estimate Oerth has left before the skin falls off?


----------



## Mr. Draco

Well,

a) I'll be staying in this for as long as I can, this means until the end.

b) Serpenteye, remember, the red-ooze infection was stopped with Forrester's & Kalanyr's 10th level magic.

c) Kas himself is going to teleport to Hemponaland to assist the DU forces there in the battle going on against Acererak and his forces


----------



## Rhialto

Has this IR ended already?  In four turns, every villain defeated, or close to it?  This just isn't working out the way the others did I'm afraid...

And just one thing breaks the DBZ analogy--the villains have never even really been allowed to be an honest threat.  When Frieza and Cell go at Gokku, there's always a moment where you say "Oh crap, he's screwed."  

But there's never been a villain who could touch Forrester.  Even the City of the Gods was outflanked.

I blame 10th level magic.  If there was some limit to it, it'd work... but really, there's no reason to have 11th, when you're the only guys with 10th.  If lower-level magic was allowed to counteract it somewhat--if it was good but not _quite_ as good as 11th (highly accurate scryings, instead of perfect scryings for example...), well then this IR wouldn't have broken down the way it has.  And it has broken, I'm afraid.  

And also--being a remorseless bastard should have some effect.  In Dark Sun, if you're an evil son of a--witch-- you practice defiling magic and you beat the good guys to the power, at least short-term.  Making good and evil's research abilities the same--well, you lose the fact that power's got a price... and you either try to pay it responisbly and take your time,  or you say "Screw you" to the world, and smash forward heedlessly...

Ehh, I'm rambling...  I'm in this to the end, mind you (of course, that might have already come for me) but when a horde of demons is a PL 28--well, I start wondering what evil _can_ do to even the gap?


----------



## GnomeWorks

Well, gee, I'm not leaving.  Heck, one could technically say that we - the Lortmils - started this whole mess.  And we're not going to back off now.

Besides, I'm still waiting for my nuclear warheads.  I'm not going until I get to cause some major damage around here.  

I said I was going to play in this IR, and I'm not going to leave now just because some wierd stuff is happening.  I won't give it up, not now - not until there is a UC of Oerth, and every nasty thing that crawls on the planet surface has been nuked.  Not until I - and my allies - are assured that each and every "bad guy" that has allied with us is going to remain with us and not stab us in the back. 

GnomeWorks will stay.  Until the end.


----------



## Forrester

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *(looks genuinely upset)
> 
> I request John Brown and Forrester stay in this.
> 
> Anyone has the right to leave, but by God I am not leaving.
> I have an IR to run, and I intend to run it.
> 
> Some of you may think it's over, but things are not what they seem.
> 
> Edena_of_Neith *




You'd better NOT LEAVE! The IR is only at Turn 4, for pete's sake. But my post stands. I loot the City, and go back to Toril -- and then off to gods' knows where. 

Whatever uber-dangers you throw at Oerth can be fought by the people of Oerth. They won't be fought by me. 

And frankly . . . this makes sense, IC. My duty was to make sure that the Shade infection on Oerth was stopped (it was), and that the City of the Gods -- the uber-force that could end all life on Oerth -- was removed from the equation. 

It was. And all of its wonderful technology is now Toril's. Gimme a PL bonus or tech bonus, please. 

I've done what I came here to do. And helped Oerth through the worst of the aftermath. I'm going. 

Every additional protest to this you make, Edena, insults the 10+ other members of the game. Something tells me they will carry on in my absence, and make the story even better than it is now. 

And I DO encourage JohnBrown to continue -- I've loved his posts, and think that his kingdom still has a lot to add to the story. And, unlike my possible future additions to the story, his additions won't overwhelm all others'. 

Forrester


----------



## kaboom

I'm back!

The Sahuaghin are being attacked by all the PL I can hit them with.


----------



## Black Omega

I can only repeat, I'm not going anywhere

The  Coalition of Light and Shadow might not have all the PL, but we've got the cutest fae!


----------



## Serpenteye

kaboom said:
			
		

> *I'm back!
> 
> The Sahuaghin are being attacked by all the PL I can hit them with. *




You're joking, right? We are your allies. Of course, there's nothing stopping you from betraying our alliance but perhaps you should talk to William Ronald first or look over the events of this turn?


----------



## Forrester

Kalanyr said:
			
		

> *I said I was in it for as long as possible and I ain't quitting now. (Even if I think the bad guys will win this one in the end (They won the first one after all technically)) *




Hey! I resent that! Don't make me come back and kick your ass .


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Torilian Seers see it, so Forrester and Alzem know it.

  If Forrester pulls out of Oerth (and especially if Alzem also leaves), the Oerthians will attack Toril.
  Whether they will win, the Seers do not know.
  They only know the Oerthians will attack Toril.

  The Seers state the Oerthians may attack Toril even if Forrester and Alzem stay on Oerth.

  - - -

  John Brown quitting forces me to play the Empire of Iuz, starting now.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

And so, war breaks out between the Sky-Sea League and the Dark Union.

  Iuz, Rary, and Lord Robilar immediately teleport to the Sahuagin Empire to aid the Dark Union against the Sky-Sea League's attack.

  Furthermore, the Empire of Iuz offers immediate military aid, by land and sea, to fight for the Dark Union against this unprovoked aggression from the Sky-Sea League.

  The 16 PL of NPCs I am allowed also teleport in to fight for the Dark Union against the assault of the Sky-Sea League.

  A force of 26 PL is thus immediately in the Sahuagin Empire, aiding the 20 PL already there, more than doubling the defenses instantly to 46 PL.

  - - -

  The Empire of Iuz sends it's representatives to Veluna City, calling for a diplomatic settlement to this new crisis.
  The ambassadors are blunt and to the point:

  Isn't it enough, say they, that half the Flanaess has been roasted, like a deer on a spit?
  Isn't it enough, say they, that 30 million people are dead, and more are dying in Hempmonaland?
  Hasn't everyone suffered enough, without another colossal war breaking out while millions of people lie wounded still from the onslaught of the City of the Gods?

  The Empire of Iuz asks the Alliance of Oerth to restrain the Sky-Sea League, to halt the unprovoked and unreasonable aggression.
  The Empire of Iuz states it will immediately withdraw from the battle if peace can be attained.
  The Empire of Iuz states it is only interfering to stop another great war from breaking out.


----------



## kaboom

*sorry about the Sahuagin*

OOC:
sorry, I didn't catch up on the war before posting.
IC:
Thayadon Fasfoni looks annoyed and speaks to the god-emperor "sorry about that, but my alleys in the sea want to destroy their enemies. Luckily, I have restrained them for now."


----------



## Serpenteye

Whatever forces I can send go to defend the attacked territory.

A message is sent to the leaders of the Sky-Sea league and the Oerth Alliance:

Oerth is dying. It's rotting away from the inside out. Millions of people are starving and homeless, order and civilization is breaking down troughout the world. We are fighting a pointless war on the edge of oblivion.
 We need to work together to save this world. We have to put that above all other priorities. This is not about territory but survival. In the name of Oerth I urge you to consider the consequences of what you are doing. It's surely the height of foolishness. I'm going to forgive this affront, this treasonous attack on your brother in arms, for the sake of Oerth. Whatever grievances you have with us can certainly be dealt with in negotiation instead of suicidal warfare.

The God-Emperor of the Dark Union of Oerth
---
Edit: Kaboom, it was an easy mistake to make. I'm glad our little misunderstanding has been settled. At least I know now how much you hate the Sahuagin. I bet it was you who demanded that I relinquish my claim to them in the negotiations about me joining the Oerth alliance.

All our forces are recalled to defensive positions and resume rebuilding the DU.

A formal note of thanks is sent to the IBKSC in gratitude of their swift aid. Though it proved to be unneccessary it was still welcome.


----------



## Forrester

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *Torilian Seers see it, so Forrester and Alzem know it.
> 
> If Forrester pulls out of Oerth (and especially if Alzem also leaves), the Oerthians will attack Toril.
> Whether they will win, the Seers do not know.
> They only know the Oerthians will attack Toril.
> 
> The Seers state the Oerthians may attack Toril even if Forrester and Alzem stay on Oerth.
> *




I'm trying to leave gracefully, Edena. Don't try to story-blackmail me. 

And besides, the Seers also said that Vecna was going to do a whole bunch of things that it turns out it was impossible for him to do.  

But frankly, I don't care at this point. If you want to engineer something such that the 20,000PL super-advanced civilization of Toril can be seriously attacked and brought down by a group of scattered Oerthians, fine. Knock yourself out. That can be IR#4. 

IR#3, I leave to the Oerthians. And I encourage Alzem to do the same. (Or, at least, not have a 500PL force there.) 

Forrester


----------



## GnomeWorks

For once, I think that I - and we in the Lortmils - agree with Serpenteye.  

We must stop our petty fighting.  Our first priority is to stop this nasty Oerth-killing disease, and to neutralize it, if at all possible.

While I still do not trust you fully, Serpenteye, I think that at this point in time it is necessary for our two respective powers to work together.  While I do not approve of your world view, I think that we can get along at least long enough to end this threat.  After that, then we can go our seperate ways.  Hopefully there will be no more bloodshed.

And I will ensure that, as well.  Now that Forrester is gone, I'm the big kid on the block.  Next turn, I will have nuclear weaponry.  I am not going to use them frivolously, or just blow stuff up for the fun of it.  I will, however, use them to destroy any and all who decide that attacking anyone at this point would be fun.  That goes for my allies, as well (Kessel glances at kaboom, before continuing).

Therefore, I urge all of you - send in your best and brightest to the Lortmils.  Help us figure out a way to stop this Oerth-killing disease.  Let us find a way to stop it.  Let it be a victory, not for a people or nation - but for a planet, for all those who hold life dear.

Let us put the evils of our enemies behind us.  Let us put the animosities that have grown between us below us, and ignore them.  Let us work together now, and find a cure.

Now.  Before it's too late.


----------



## Forrester

GnomeWorks said:
			
		

> *
> And I will ensure that, as well.  Now that Forrester is gone, I'm the big kid on the block.  Next turn, I will have nuclear weaponry.  I am not going to use them frivolously, or just blow stuff up for the fun of it.  I will, however, use them to destroy any and all who decide that attacking anyone at this point would be fun.  That goes for my allies, as well (Kessel glances at kaboom, before continuing).
> *




Feels good, don't it .


----------



## Maudlin

Serpenteye said:
			
		

> *I'm going to forgive this affront, this treasonous attack on your brother in arms, for the sake of Oerth. Whatever grievances you have with us can certainly be dealt with in negotiation instead of suicidal warfare.
> *



Ha! That gets stale once you've trodden on it a few times, Bubba


----------



## Serpenteye

GnomeWorks said:
			
		

> * Now that Forrester is gone, I'm the big kid on the block *




Indeed, you're quite intimidating, for a gnome. 

I agree, if a grand conference can be assembled you could certainly play an important part. You and Kalanyr hold the most potential solutions to the disease but all of us should contribute to the best of our ability.
 The Dark Union will share everything we have learned about the problem with the rest of the world, excluding only the powers we are currently at war with. We also send a few of our most eminent experts to the lortmils for the conference.



> Ha! That gets stale once you've trodden on it a few times, Bubba




Hehe. Well, there was nothing suicidal about our attack on you, was there? Thanks for making it so easy.


----------



## kaboom

I have learned my lesson. 
I will never again post when I don't know what is happening. 
Now, please stop bugging me!


----------



## GnomeWorks

kaboom - that is good.  I just wanted to ensure that my point got across, is all.  I believe that the point is across, now, so I think that we will stop "bugging you".

Serpenteye - Yes, a conference is more than likely in order.

The Lortmils is now arranging a conference.  Each nation is invited and encouraged to send their best and brightest, as well as diplomats and politicians.  Kalanyr, your presence is requested.

Again, I say - we must and shall work together to find a cure for this planet-killing disease.  Put away our differences for now, and focus upon the task at hand.

Edena - the Lortmils will drop every project, everything that we are doing, to study this disease and such.  I understand that our scientific branches are more than likely incredibly chaotic at the moment, with me starting and closing projects left and right, but with the current state of the world, I think that the scientific branch will just have to deal with it.  Only the most important projects will remain open (primarily the Manhatten Project, and the Nanotechnomancy Project).  Every other scientific mind will be focused on finding a way to beat this Oerth-killing disease.


----------



## Sollir Furryfoot

_"My forests were burned down, my children were destroyed with a snap of a finger...what is to be blamed, technology?  Or simply the emotions of my children which have gone unguided throughout these years, my children who have not heard my voice for ages, for centuries...seemingly forever.  But now it dawns to me, I have awakened from my slumber, I have moved form the forest-into Phibrizzo's care it seems.  A child of mine he is not, yet  he proves to have some insight into this land they call Oerth."  Mistress Tao calmly lounges in a private chamber provided to her from Hellmaster.  "And although he is not good, he has provided myself a faithful servant...although outof nature's order, what does he intend?  However he has promised to help me rebuild this world as it once was, and..."

The door to her room abruptly opens.

A messenger comes in, his eyes closed, "Phibrizzo has sent you a message, he wants you to go to a conferance in Loritmils to negotiate with other nations for us, it might help your cause."

"Very well then, i'll be on my way, you may look at me now."

The messanger opens his eyes, and although he is not blinded, he is almost stunned by the mistress' beauty.  He finds himself blushing, and delivers a document gracefully, before being escorted out by Mistress Tao's skeletal guard, the High Guardian Taerix, much to the youthful messengers discomfort.

"We shall be going then I presume."  says Mistress Tao to her assigned guardian, who gives only a slight nod.
_
(Don't worry, you have my assurance, IC and OOC, that Mistress Tao will not use any of her beauty abilities or spells as long as no one attacks or offends her, and that her guardian will be retained by her.)


----------



## The Forsaken One

*Question.*

Here a question from the silent player this IR. 
Since there was no room for me on Kal's mountain. I'd really really REALLY like to know where the hell I've been last month...?

If it's still in the Underdark I'm interested in how dead I am..... (red goo **HINT**). Since I found it out really really late I didn't fit on I'm at a loss where the hell I am and when I read about the underdark being one pool of red goo I thought like.. hmm...... nice..........................................

So where the hell am I? Still underdark (I presume)? And so yes how badly am I screwed for being up to my neck in red goo for a month and not knowing I was and the big question is what the hell is going to happen to me as a result of that and did it interfere with what I was doing down there then....?
Hmm this doesn't seem to fit into my plan but heck.. it's a GIR.... It's all about how well can I improvise and the best way to improvise is with the most distance you have from the problem and the most time you've got. I totally wasted turn 3 since I just sat there with 120 PL and I really hate that I just wasted a turn but heckk.. if I hadn't and we would have gotten attacked all 3 underdark players would have died without even a blink of an eye.

So let me know where I stand.....I've got an Idea about what I'm gonna do...... and I think there's just gonna be 1 person who is not going to be happy with that.

Edena, 1 little more question. Are there any nukes left in the CotG? If so I will accuire one with Vaeregoth, more if possible. If not well she'll just have a nice excursion. A look around and a ticket home will all she will have then.

Kalanyr I have to ask you a few things. They all are based around 2 things. 1 peace, 2 a debt you ow me. I won't ever go to war about the debt but just about the manner you have about 3 rounds of protection and the blood shed to allow you to ascend to the level of power you have now. Now the drow have gone up into the light and I think Festy will follow I have my things to take care of and I was hoping you would not let me down and help me take care of some things that in the end will bring peace. Peace in my way, and someones going to knotch over it because he's most definatelty gonna get his ass kicked if it's going the way I want it, and you bet I'm gonna do all I can to have it MY WAY. Some I do not trust, some I do not care for, some might not even know me. But one thing is that I do not fear anyone or anything for there is nothing to be feared if all you do is for the greater glory of the swarm. Live or die, for the Swarm.

I have been watching, observing. If you have your conference I will just be there briefly for there is not much I want to say. I have watched and learned and all I thought that would happen happend except for 1 thing and that surprises me. I thought edena was ruthless enough to do what he said was so. The city of the gods didn't want to destroy oerth but their PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WAS TO SURVIVE. And if hard pressed I expected NUKES and lot's of them to make their survival a fact. But that didn't happen, so that was the first thing I was wrong about, good for you all.

One thing we must NOT forget that is someone with 5 PL and his 10 PL+ worth of NPC's is sitting on a dark plane waiting to anoy someone with this 15 PL worth if he get's the chance. DO NOT FOR GET MELKOR, DO NOT FORGET RIALTHO, for they will be sceming untill every last shade and BB person will be exterminated. Never dismiss what mayhem they can cause from a very unexpected corner on a not so convenient moment.

The swarms will rest in greyspace and in the underdark (I presume) this turn. We will start forging weapons and armor from the red go so we can start using it at the start of turn 5 for our FULL ARMY. Only Kalanyr will know about this and only if he scries or just asks for it and the ones who he will tell offcourse.

The swarms will send someone to attend the convention.

The swarms will remain neutral as they have been the whole IR unless pressed otherwise.

The swarms await a meeting with lord Kalanyr about the topics stated above.

The swarms are glad forrester is leaving with his army and hopes the angels do the same, go meddle in your own problems and affairs so we can get our own problems solved and in order.

The swarms are actively searching where the hell that rat of a Anabstercorian went with his forces. The swarms want to know where the hell this slimy basterd went. He is supposed to be ultimate evil with the solistraim but he just has proven himself a weak character who is reluctant to show himself and battle in the open and show himself out. He is to reluctant to choose sides until there appears a winner from the fray and allies himself with him and you bet ya he will betray him the second someone grows more powerfull. Kalanyr will be appoached by that snake the second Forrester leaves with his tech and might. The swarms urge you to know your enemy and to never ever trust that mindflayers but he worships Ilsensine liek no other so know that his only and ultimate goal is to rule over all the planes and to have mindflayers rule supreme and the rest of the races be no more that just cattle and so he can feast upon the most delicious and specialy bred brains from this cattle. And know that this cattle is you, what ever he might say promise or do. This is his ultimate goal. Remember this always for now or in a couple of thousands of years this will be he goal. Never shall he desire another thing unless he is destroyed and destroyed again.

The swarms send a taskmaster and a unseelie representative to each and every faction and nation except the solistraim to get updates on their satus situation and what the hell actually happend up there this month.
I hope for personal answers from each individual player by post or mail.

The battles were great, great powers fell and arose above the trouble. Choises were made and people finally accepted there destiny and faced it. People here have earned my respect. Far not all but some have. Vaeregoth is content by the things that have evolved from the conflict. Now their big friend is gone I am very anxious to see how some will do now there are ful in the open, all cover and protection gone and they have to fend for themselves with noone or no thing to fall back on.

I'm curious to what the red goo will do when long and much exposed to it.

    LIVE FOR THE SWARM!!!


----------



## kaboom

*2 new NPCs*

Falian male elf (sea) ranger 20/ cleric 2/ sorcerer 10/ fighter 6, CR 38
Parska female storm giant sorcerer 7/ aristocrat 12/ fighter 12, CR 30


----------



## GnomeWorks

*The Convention - Opening Statement by Kessel GnomeWorks*

Friends from the Oerth Alliance; enemies from the Dark Union; neutral powers from throughout Oerth.

A grave danger has fallen upon us.  A disease is destroying our world.  If we do nothing about it now, then we will slough off the planet's surface, and all of us who live now shall die.

This is not a future I look forward to.  I would also hope that it is a future that you do not look forward to, either.

In the past, our differences have caused great wars to erupt between us.  In the last month, we have seen great empires come and go.  Foreign powers have destroyed entire cities, and have now faded to the background.  As it should be.

This is Oerth.  Our, Oerth.  This is our home.  While I thank Forrester for all the help he has provided, I believe that he is correct in saying that this is our time, our place.  We must make a future for ourselves.  And the first step towards that goal is peace.

---

The first step to creating such a peace is to command peace throughout Oerth.  Between our respective powers, we hold the whole of the planet in our sway.  We shall order peace, and any who disobey shall be destroyed.  The Lortmils may not have nuclear weaponry yet, but we have enough other toys that we could destroy at least one power, if not two, that decided that attacking someone else was a good idea.

Is that a threat?  I don't know.  Take it as you will.  But rest assured, any that break this first step - any that step out of place and begin a war - I shall destroy those who begin it.  Fair warning shall be given: as in the case of kaboom.  I will not destroy him at this time, because he halted his foolish attack.  If he had not, then I would have destroyed his entire nation.

Let this be a sign of things to come.  Order peace throughout the world.  And destroy those who refuse the peace offered to them.  

- Kessel GnomeWorks


----------



## Kalanyr

The Speech from Kalanyr

"I must agree with what Kessel has said. Now is not the time for war, we will stand with Kessel against those who would break this peace! 

For now I am doing what I can to hold back the poisoning and freezing death of Oerth. But we need to fix things, my power may not last forever.

We must work together to overcome the problem."


----------



## Creamsteak

I think I missed everything except the attack on the shade... I can't believe I missed out on some good old demon slaying...

Oh well... I guess my army is back at home by now and is going to be used to aid in crop production if this is still an issue.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

(deleted)


----------



## GnomeWorks

Edena - please.  Don't end the IR now.  Most of us are still here, and are not trying to attack you.  We are trying to get along with the problems you are throwing at us.  There are those that still believe in this game, Edena, and I am one of them.  I think that this can be pulled through.  Don't let one person ruin the whole thing for everyone else.

We all respect you, Edena, and what you are doing for us.  You are providing entertainment for us, at the expense of your time and patience.  

Just as with the whole Draco/Lynux thing in the beginnings of this IR, don't let this Forrester thing get to you!  This can still be pulled through.  I, for one, am trying to pull an answer to the problems you are throwing at us together, rather than quit and say that you've messed up too many times.  Sure, you have made mistakes - but they're nothing to quit over!  Given the vast amounts of information you need to process, it's amazing that you haven't killed us all by now in sheer frustration!  You're human, Edena, and that means that you will make mistakes.  You shouldn't expect yourself to be perfect, and I think that the vast majority of us accept that you aren't perfect.

Thus, Edena, please keep the IR going.  There are still many people actively posting, at least, and we're not about to give in.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

(deleted)


----------



## Serpenteye

I agree with Gnomeworks. I really think that most people in the IR appreciate your efforts, I know I do. This has been a lot of fun and I am grateful to you for making it possible. I understand that you have been put under a lot of pressure and that some of us, including myself, have given you a lot of grief. I apologize for whatever I have done to make this less enjoyable for you and hope that you can give us  one more chance


----------



## William Ronald

*Please stay*



> Originally posted by Edena of Neith
> 
> If I am accused of one more thing (story-blackmailing, or ANYTHING ELSE that could be interpreted as an attack) ...





Alright, people.  I am BEGGING you in the name of all that is dear and holy to you to give Edena some space to breathe!  Give him some peace!

He has been working his fanny off for all of us.

Rhialto, evil people do not necessarily have an advantage in research and accumulating power. The backstabbing and ideology can get in the way. See Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Stalin.  Their leaders really screwed up in the R&D department and ruined their lands to a large degree. (See Soviet agriculture and the Nazi atomic bomb projects.)

Archcleric Hazen sends a letter to all the leaders of the powers of this IR thread.

"I implore everyone to stand together in peace.  This has been the darkest time in the history of Oerth. Even the Twin Cataclysms of the Invoked Devastation and the Rain of Colorless fire pales in comparison to what we have seen."

"Only the most powerful of magics has prevented the world from being cloaked in a chilling darkness.  The spread of the poisons threatening Oerth has been stopped. Now, we must cooperate for a cure."

"No problem is without a solution. There are always options."

"I ask the Oerth Alliance nations stand as one in the search for a cure to the threats to our world.  We urge cooperation with the other powers seeking to preserve our world.  The Dark Union of Eastern Oerth took great losses in their fights against Acerak and the destruction of this time."

"We stand with them in seeking peace and a cure to the ills afflicting Oerth."

"The UC of Toril has chosen to end its involvement on Oerth. I ask that they strongly reconsider, at least in helping us rebuild.  We have given much aid to it, and received aid in return.  Great cities such as Jalpa and Mitrik are in ruins.  Many are wounded and dying"

"We hope that the Angels of Hope Island will continue to aid us."

"For my part, I suggest that  the nations of the world pursue peace while we deal with the efforts to rebuild.  I urge all nations, especially those of the Oerth Alliance, to do so."

"We need to find a solution to the problems that threaten us all."

"In a gesture of good faith, the Kevellond League offers a palace constructed in the style of old Aerdi in Veluna City to the Dark Union of Eastern Oerth as an embassy.  Veluna city will be the new capitol of Veluna for the time present.  Caronis will be the  new capitol of Furyondy.  Shiboleth will be the new capitol of Keoland.  The cities will be rebuild."

"The leadership of the Dark Union made a wise and wonderful offer that I suggest all accept.  That the technology of the City of the Gods be shared with all.  On behalf of the Kevellond League,  I say we should abide by this agreement.  It will take years, perhaps, to master its secrets."

"We will assist all nations with their rebuilding efforts, as soon as we are able to do so.  We urge all to deal with the threats to the survival of Oerth."

"Also, we must stand ready should the Church of Shade - rightfully revoked by the God Emperor of the Aerdi -  Acerak, or the Black Brotherhood seek to return.  The proved themselves traitors to Oerth, and must be punished for their sins against us all. "

"For now, we will send an ambassador to the conference in the Lortmils.  All nations have suffered greatly.  Maybe we can find a cure in time for the wounds of the world."

"Let us remember those who died today, regardless of our past.  In the end, we are all the sons and daughters of Oerth."


----------



## Anabstercorian

*Well, this is a shock.*

Anabstercorian and Forrester meet for one last meal at Pezano's, the finest resturant in all of Unvenilei, before Forrester and his troops pull out.

<< So now, the fire is quenched, and the water goes home to cool? >>

Forrester sighs, sipping his drink.  "I wish it were truly that simple.  But it is not...  Events that I cannot speak of here have forced me to return to Toril, along with all of my standing army."

Anabstercorian's tentacles idlely fiddle with his fondue.  << That is a shame. >>

"Indeed."

<< The manuscript...  It's been published? >>

Forrester nodded, smiling.  "Indeed.  Your history of the Illithid people has been safeguarded, and has, in fact, received critical acclaim.  You have talent for writing."

<< That is good. >>

Forrester nods.  "Yep..."  There's a long silence.  "This is so damn weird.  I think I'm actually going to miss you."

<< And I you.  We did a great thing together, you and I.  Who but those such as we could have done such a thing?  None but Illithid could have defeated Vecna.  And you have earned your title. >>

Forrester blinks.  "Well, when you put it that way, you give me the willies."

<< Good... >>

Forrester grins.  "You're a jerk, you know that?  Look...  You've been a help.  I owe you one.  I'm sharing some of our technology with you.  But promise me something."  He looks stern, with all of the power of an entire world behind him.  "Give up your plans of killing all the non-Flann."

<< I never intended to kill the non Flann, or even to displace them.  That was merely a ruse to get me a power base.  My true intentions are much more benign. >>

Forrester nods sarcastically. "You don't konw the meaning of the word benign."

Anabstercorian grins. << You'll find out soon enough either way, Chosen.  Now go back to your little paradise.  I will keep order here in your abscence. >>


----------



## Anabstercorian

*double post*

double post


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

The combined forces of Forrester, Serpenteye, Kalanyr, and Anabstercorian are victorious in Hempmonaland.

  The forces of the Scarlet Brotherhood, and the people of Hempmonaland, are crushed.
  Their civilization collapses with them, for they fight to the bitter end.

  Acererak, the Father of Obedience, and 5 PL of forces escape into the Deep Astral.

  The Battle of Hempmonaland is over.

  An end is come to the peoples of northern and central Hempmonaland.
  The remnant of the Hempmonalanders, women and children, are now slaves of the Dark Union and Yuan-Ti Empire.

  The Scarlet Brotherhood passes into history, and is gone from the world of Oerth.


----------



## Anabstercorian

*Hmm.*

Edena, you have my complete support.  If there's anything I can do to make it more fun for you to run this, just say so.

JohnBrown, you did promise that you'd stay until turn 10.  Don't back out on that.  Maybe there's something we can do to make it more enjoyable for you without hurting anyone elses enjoyment.


----------



## Tokiwong

*I like it...*

Not sure if I can post here but it looks good Edena... I am sorry i didn't join when I had the chance... this looks really cool maybe I might get a chance to join another if you start one... over the top but fun...


----------



## William Ronald

*A plea for calm and respect*

Edena as the Yuan Ti empire is now turning Chaotic Good, the slaves may be freed soon.

I urge Alzem and Forrester to stay.  Also, I urge John Brown to return. 

We need to treat each other with more respect.

Anabstercorian, I am GLAD that you are staying.  I rather like your style. I hope John Brown will stay. 

'o Skoteinos, are you staying.

I think I need to say publicly what I have said privately.

Edena needs a round of applause for putting up with us.  I have suffered grievous losses on this thread, but they don't phase me in the least.  Why?   The real world has been a whole lot rougher. 

So, Edena, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart for runnign this thread.  I have actually made new friends and learned a little about their countries.

I respect everyone here.  Even though I may have fought against your faction, I respect you as individuals.  I want you to show each other and your moderator the respect that each of you deserve.

Edena, I join with Anabstercorian in saying that I will work with you to help make this thread more fun.  I respect you greatly.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

It would appear that the forces of the United Commonwealth of Toril, are leaving Oerth.

  (this is as per Forrester's e-mail)

  They are going.
  By the hundreds of thousands, then millions, they return to their homeworld through Astral Gates set up with 10th level magic.
  They take with them their weapons, their lore, and all their prowess and strength.

  The Alliance of Oerth lays shattered, it's military forces decimated, it's command and control structure destroyed, it's supply routes broken.

  The Alliance of the Sunrise is less hurt than the others, but a great part of it's warriors lay dead on the fields of Shadow Throne.
  The Coalition of Light and Shadow lays in ruins, it's people massacred, it's lands devastated.  Only the Faerie remain a potent force, and their numbers are badly dwindled.
  The Delrunian Alliance sits stunned, it's infrastructure wrecked by the Antimatter Barrage, it's cities and forests either partly or totally burned and destroyed.
  The Kingdom of Keoland is gutted.  Most of it's warriors are dead, and a large part of it's civilian population is dead.
  The Baklunish Confederation lays shattered, it's armies massacred, it's cities obliterated or burned, it's cattle and grain burned, blasted, or frozen.
  The Sky-Sea League is wrecked.  The Isle of the Phoenix was hit by tsunamis, and it's coastal cities are all in ruins.  It's fleets of Sky Ships and Flying Citadels are decimated, as are it's legions of warriors.  The underwater nations were devastated by the shocks from the sea hits of the Antimatter Barrage.
  The Empire of Iuz lays broken, it's cities smashed, it's people slaughtered, it's army greatly diminished, it's crops burned, blasted, or frozen in the fields.
  The Alliance of the Crescent lays in ruins, a greater part of it's warriors dead, the country of Lyrn largely destroyed.
  The Kevellond League is a shambles, three-quarters of her warriors dead, along with large numbers of her civilian population.
  The Lortmil Technomancy remains untouched, but it's allies the Iron League and the Eastern League are no more, except only for the Duchy of Urnst - which suffered the Barrage and is in ruins.
  The barbarians of the Thillronian Peninsula were decimated by the Antimatter Barrage and the ensuing winter.
  Those civilizations in the mountain ranges remain intact, but most of even them mourn serious casualties from the many battles.

  The great army of the drow took serious losses, but the greater part of it remains.
  The evil forces of the Under-Oerth are almost entirely intact.
  The evil forces of the Underdark are almost entirely intact.
  The Unseelie are largely intact.
  The Pomarj, which backed out of the Alliance of Oerth, has suffered only moderate losses.
  The Solistarim, deep in their underground chambers, suffered only moderate losses.

  The Dark Union, although it suffered major civilian losses and mass destruction from the Antimatter Barrage, has managed to rebuild enough of it's infrastructure to once more field great armies.
  Indeed, it is so intact that it was able, right after the Barrage, to send a great army into Hempmonaland, to obliterate the last of the Scarlet Brotherhood and their Hempmonalander allies.

  Now the Torilians are gone, and with them the only protection the Alliance of Oerth had, is gone with them.

  I wonder what's going to happen now.

  Actually, I don't wonder.
  I know.

  Alzem and his forces of the Solars, Planetars, and Deva still remain on Oerth.
  However, their allies are urging them to return to Toril.

  Alzem's forces are wavering, undecided.
  A lot depends on their decision.


----------



## Anabstercorian

*As I said...*

Wild horses couldn't drag me away.  NOW, wild horses with bats who were hitting me in the crotch, that could drag me away.


----------



## Black Omega

Well, I could send in a notorized statement of intent with regards to continuing promising to give up my computer to my worst enemy if I don't finish but hopefully that's not necessary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Coalition of Light and Shadow is sending Siobhan as well as other representation to the conference.  This is a time for peace and rebuilding.  Looking on the bright side, after they were devestated in WWII, the fact Germany and Japan had to build factories from scratch forced them to upgrade and eventually helped them become economic powerhouses...based on that we should soon all be amazingly wealthy


----------



## Anabstercorian

*People.*

It seems...  That the war is over.

Let us devote a time once spent on death to reneissance.  Let us learn.  Let us find peace.  Let us discover new things.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Tokiwong, you are welcome anytime in the IR.


----------



## Forrester

Edena_of_Neith said:
			
		

> *See for yourselves just WHAT is going to happen, if both Forrester and Alzem abandon the field, and I am playing the Empire of Iuz!!
> 
> THINGS ARE NOT AS THEY SEEM. *




Well I, for one, am anxiously awaiting what is going to happen . 

Edena, I didn't mean the "story-blackmail" line as an attack. But you *are* trying to keep me around by threatening a war with Oerth if I leave. C'mon! 

From the very, VERY beginning I said that I wanted this to be an IR about Oerth, and not Toril. You knew that. From the beginning I said I wanted to be a bit player, at best -- you had to talk me into joining, if you recall. And you promised that this would be an IR about Oerth. 

And so I joined. And didn't do much Turn 0 and Turn 1 . . . and then got sucked in more on Turn 2 . . . and then brought in a huge force Turn 3 . . . and then found out I could bring in a full 500PL of forces . . . and slowly, things descended into madness. 

Which resulted in my being the one whom almost singlehandedly defeated the City of the Gods and Vecna; and without my help the war against the Shade would probably have been far, far longer in duration.

And so Toril dominated the stage. The biggest baddie was from Toril (the Shade), I was from Toril, and now 500PL of angel-types have arrived from Toril. No offense, Edena -- this isn't an attack -- but that just ain't right. 

This is supposed to be the Oerthian IR, after all. 

And that's why I asked Alzem to pull out partially -- it was wrong for me to suggest he wholly pull out, and I apologize for that. But he shouldn't have the largest force on Oerth! At least, not as an ally of the Forces of Good. 

I'm sorry to be blunt about this, Edena -- given the way I control my troops, though, you shouldn't be surprised . 

I hope you get 'em good with Iuz, or whatever else is coming to rough them up next. 

I expect that they're in for a lot of pain. 

But it's pain that, by definition, should be left to them.

*Something's wrong with the story if the only way Oerth can survive is with Toril's help.* 

And that's not what I signed on for. 

Forrester

PS I had a *lot* of fun, but that should go without saying . And I'll be anxiously watching what happens now. It looks like Gnomeworks is starting to throw their weight around . . . shame on him, giving you guys ultimatums like that. I'd blast him good.


----------



## William Ronald

I am e-mailing Alzem shortly and I will try to talk to Forrester. 

As well as Reprisal. The UC of Toril is a major figure in this thread.  Someone should play them.

Tokiwong, welcome aboard.  If you have any questions, e-mail me at williamwronald@aol.com.  I have helped good and evil factions in this thread get up to speed.  I like to think, apart from when we are in character, that we are all in this together.

For now, our big problem is trying to figure out how to recover and heal the planet.  Someone I respect has pointed out that I do have access to the clergy of Beory.  I will consult with them for their counsel.

Guys, please make a commitment to stay and keep it.  As many of you know, I filled in as moderator for a few days on one of the preparation threads for this IR.  I found it very hard work. My e-mail box was filled.  Now imagine what running this is like.

It is probably worse than the 40 man game I ran once in high school with a few friends.  That  lasted hours.  This is going on for weeks.

So, let us cut Edena some slack.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

(sighs, and bows head)

  So be it.

  I await to see what Alzem says.


----------



## Forrester

I know it's very hard work, and it's going to continue to be very hard work -- and I appreciate it on both ends. 

For some reason my exit is being seen as some sort of huge betrayal of the IR and of Edena, and that's nonsense. 

I refuse to believe that my exit is hurting the IR. Imagine what the Peace Talks that are being hosted right now would look like with me there. I'd be able to dictate all terms, and Kessel's threat about using nukes if someone attacked would be nothing more than trivially amusing. 

No. Leave the rest of the story to the Oerthians. With minor help from Toril (the Angels). And if Edena really wants a Torillian heavy, there's always the Eternal Empire. 

We won't be helping you against them, though. We have concerns of our own to deal with. 

Forrester

PS You can always have someone else play the UC, if you'd like. Have another force come in. But not my force, and not me.


----------



## William Ronald

Forrester,

While I am not psychic, I think it is fair to say that your allies, who aided you with 10th level magic research, are in bad shape. We stood with you when we were criticized for helping you and stood with you when you made your tribute speech. 


We fought the Shade.  We fought the robots. We were nuked.

I think casualties OPTIMISTICALLY are at least 50 percent, probably a lot higher.

Essentially, a large part of the Flanaess is in ruins.  Especially your allies' lands.  So, your continued participation is strongly desired.

Tokiwong, expect a reply shortly.


----------



## Black Omega

*Re: I like it...*



			
				Tokiwong said:
			
		

> *Not sure if I can post here but it looks good Edena... I am sorry i didn't join when I had the chance... this looks really cool maybe I might get a chance to join another if you start one... over the top but fun... *



Hmm..well..maybe there is something free?  Edena? With John Brown sadly pulling out, maybe Iuz?  Or Iuz's successor, maybe he gained enough levels to get that divine rank 10 or something.  Just a randm thought.  And welcome to the thread, Tokiwong.  that reminds me...need to post more on my storyhour.


----------



## Tokiwong

*Hey why not...*

Hey if I may make a suggestion... well William suggested it to me.. but perhaps I can take over the UC... or a small contingent there of... that is staying behind to monitor events just in case these upstart Oerthians try to assault Toril...  just a thought...


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Attack + 4 weeks.

  A smoky pall hangs over all the Flanaess, and all of Oerth's northern hemisphere.

  The abandoned ruins of tens of thousands of thorps, villages, and towns gives mute testimony to the magnitude of the disaster.
  Around the ruins, cattle lay dead in the burned fields.

  Roads pass through great stands of burned trees, lifeless trunks and branches stark against the grey sky.
  Great stands of what look like tall, black, sticks signify where forests stood, blackened ground shows where lush meadows were.

  Seen from space, most of the Flanaess looks like a desert, could one see it through the pall of smoke.

  Hempmonaland is little better off, it's forests ablaze from the great battles there, smoke drifting in gigantic plumes across equatorial Oerth.

  Great craters, some more than 10 miles across - more than a hundred of them - adorn the Flanaess.
  More than 150 more adorn other parts of Oerth.
  Around these craters is nothing.  Nothing at all but empty scoured rock and badlands, for 30 miles in every direction.

  The Flanaess is silent of birdcalls.
  There are no birds singing in the trees, just as there are no trees to sing in.

  The Flanaess sees no small animals running through the underbrush.
  There is no underbrush.

  - - - 

  There are isolated places where the reality above is not true.
  In part of the Amedio Rainforest.
  In Sterich and Ket.
  In most of the great Vesve Forest.
  In most of Adri Forest.
  In western Ahlissa.
  In the easternmost part of the Thillronian Peninsula.
  In the Lendore Isles.
  Across the Hellfurnaces, Crystalmists, Barrier Peaks, Yatils, Glorioles, Rakers, and Corusk Mountains, where the mountain valleys were sheltered from the heat and the blasts.

  In a hundred small isolated places.  
  Here.  There.  
  There are surviving woods, surviving plants, surviving birds and animals.

  - - -

  The Shade are gone, but the region of Shadow Throne, and all the region around it, including the Nyr Dyv and northern Wolly Bay, remain dead.
  They will remain dead for centuries.

  The Blood Waste remains.
  10th level magic is no longer containing the sickness.
  There is no magic short of 11th level magic that has any hope, now, of containing the sickness.

  There are mounting signs of further, and much greater trouble than the Red Goo, across all of the Flanaess.
  Earthquakes.
  Lava flows, volcanoes becoming active.
  Dormant volcanoes coming to life.
  Volcanoes appearing where no volcanoes ever were.
  In some areas, people notice the land is sinking, and becoming wet.
  In other places, the land is rising, and becoming drier.

  Wild Magic storms are a regular part of the climate now.
  However, the climate itself is not regular.

  The prevailing winds have disappeared.
  Freak cold waves are striking southward.
  Although it is only late summer, Veluna City is buried in snow which is not melting in the frigid cold.
  In the Thillronian Peninsula, an enormous tropical heatwave of unheard of proportions is hitting that subarctic land.
  In the mountains, the glaciers are melting, and flash floods are occurring on every river.

  In the oceans, the ocean currents are shifting.
  They are also bringing to shore tens of thousands of bodies of merfolk, tritons, and sea elves, along with sahuagin and others, killed by the shock from the Barrage.
  Not to mention countless millions of dead fish.
  The oceans stink of rot.

  - - -

  In the midst of this ruin, feverish activity is going on amongst those called the humans, humanoids, and demihumans.

  Cities of stone and concrete are going up.
  New fortresses and citadels are being built, grim and hunched against the sullen sky.
  New roads are being laid.
  New waterways are being made.

  Most of the people of the Flanaess now live in the new cities, by necessity.
  As there are 170 million beings in the Flanaess, there are a lot of cities being constructed.

  Grimly and determinedly, men and women are putting back up communication lines, communication towers, pipelines protected by magic.
  Factories that survived the Barrage are going back into production.
  New factories are being built.
  Great fortified shelters are being built, capable of withstanding enemy attacks or further natural disasters.

  The whole of the Flanaess is a fever of activity, as it's people work at a frantic pace to reestablish their infrastructure.

  What they are building, what is rising from the ashes of the world that was, is entirely new.
  It does not look anything like the old world.
  It does not feel like the old world.
  It does not sound like the old world.

  It is new, coldly efficient, methodical, ruthlessly effective, and industrial in nature.

  A paved road may not look very good, but it moves vehicles and troops very well, be it through burned fields or dead forests.
  A tenement building, made of steel and concrete and reinforced with Walls of Force, may not look very nice (nor is it necessarily a nice place to live in) but it does house people and shelter them from the elements.
  Processed food may not be pleasant to look at, much less tasty, but it keeps one alive.

  Government by the military is a hard government, but it works.
  The laws are harsh and punishment is swift (and almost universally lethal) but law and order are maintained.

  Step by step, the Dark Union puts back together it's infrastructure, and in so doing puts itself back into a position to proactively attack or defend itself.
  Those lands conquered by the Dark Union are brutally reorganized and their populations put to work in reconstruction.

  In the Pomarj, the humanoids there pull themselves back up out of the abyss.

  In Varnaith, Zindia, the Empire of the Yuan-Ti, Aaqa, Orcreich, and the Celestial Imperium, the damage was less.
  Although these nations are in full mourning for the terrible war losses, life is at least semi-normal there.
  There are still forests, crops, birds, and animals, there.

  In Lyrn, the grim reality of the Flanaess has come home, and that nation is down, unable to pick itself up again, probably permanently broken.
  In Ishtarland, there was no damage, and they are wondering what happened in the other lands.

  In the sea nations, under the waves, the sea-elves, tritons, merfolk, and sahuagin are grimly burying their dead, and trying to rebuild from the massive blast through the water.

  In the Underdark, the evil races cackle in glee, knowing the surface-dwellers got just what they deserved.

  And finally, in the many, many lands held by the Alliance of Oerth, a desperate struggle is on to duplicate what the Dark Union is already doing.

  Cities are under reconstruction, infrastructure is under repair, fortifications and shelters are being created, ingenuity is at work.
  But it takes time.
  Crucial time.
  Time the Alliance of Oerth may or may not have.


----------



## Serpenteye

The crowd gathered before the palace of Rauxes is vast beyond counting. The throng packs the great plaza and fills the wide avenues as far as the human eye can see and everyone in that enormous mass of people is cheering and chanting praises to the God Emperor. The new capital of the Dark Union is celebrating, celebrating victory and survival and peace. 
Suddenly a great hush fills the plaza and spreads like a wave of excited calm into the rest of the city. A precence is felt, awesome power radiating out of one of the doors to the front balcony of the palace. The feeling is followed by an unoearthly golden light, seeming to radiate from the very peak of Mount Celestia and the deepest pits of Baator. All this originates in one man, one God. When he appears on the balcony the crowd falls to their knees. They attempt to fall to their knees, but they are all packed too tight. At a thousand places at once people start to fall over each others, or climb over each others in their attempts to kneel or throw themselves face down on the ground. The poor fools who succeed in the latter soon find themselves crushed by others who kneel or throw themselves face down on top of them in blind devotion. The God-Emperor sees this and laughes inside while he speaks:

"Rise, people of Aerdi. Rise and stand proud before me. For you are my chosen people. Regardless of your race or origin you are one people, united in worship of the true faith, the One God. All over Oerth, new masses flock to our banners, to our faith. Vast lands have fallen easily under our control, most of them without the loss of a single drop of blood, and all of our enemies have been eliminated. The world is at peace again. Four months of war and we have tripled the size of our empire. Four months of peace and we will have healed all wounds and rebuilt, richer and stronger than ever. Under my blessing and your work and dedication we will build an empire to rival anything Toril could ever create. The infinite planes of the Multiverse will gaze upon us, upon you, in awe and envy."*

 The deep and commanding voice of the God-Emperor continues to wash over the assembled ocean of people. Ripples of positive energy ride on top of the waves in the air and caress all who hear his words. Fatigue and hurt are washed away, injuries are mended and those who died, from the sheer bliss of seeing their God, rise back to life. Not all of this power originates in the God-Emperor himself but is conjured from a hidden gate to the positive energy plane by a team of wizards and clerics. To the people, though, there is no doubt on the source of the power that they feel. There is no doubt in their faith and their love.


*The God Emperor is a far greater speaker than I am a speach writer, unfortunately. If you were there you would probably soil yourself in extacy at hearing him speak. 

Eh, somewhere up there I lost the point of my post. I'll post again when I find it.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Tokiwong, would you like to play what remains of the Empire of Iuz?


----------



## Tokiwong

*Wherever you have room...*

yeah if you have room... I can try it out... Edena


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Then, welcome to the IR, Tokiwong!
  I will send you the Roster of the Empire of Iuz when the IR Interlude comes up here, and explain things.
  Welcome in!

  I wish to note that Black Omega's realm of the Vesve is a NOTABLE exception to the picture of the Flanaess I just painted.

  Within the Vesve, the Power of the Faerie has prevailed.
  Within the Vesve, birdsong and animals sounds are bright and clear.
  Within the Vesve, the power of the Faerie holds the Magic Storms at bay, and produces a warm and pleasant climate, and gentle winds.

  The Faerie are everywhere, ethereal and beautiful, merry faces turned solemn, as they tend the soil and the land, repairing damage done by the City of the Gods.
  Trees are regrown, sickness and rot healed, health and hope returned to the land.
  In the Vesve, the rivers still run clear.
  In the Vesve, the sun still shines clearly in a sky free of smoke.
  In the Vesve, those humans, demihumans, and humanoids who had a home there to begin with, are healthy, well fed, and well sheltered.

  They are under the strict rule of the Faerie.
  Faerie rule, is absolute from one end of the forest to the other.
  Their rule is gentle and kindly, and everyone is eager to obey them - since the Faerie are the reason they are alive.
  The penalty for breaking the law is magical alteration into a new form, with a new mind - one that will obey the laws.

  Unfortunately, several million refugees are now moving towards the Vesve Forest.
  Some, are fleeing from ruined lands that cannot support them no matter how hard they work to rebuild.
  But many more, wish to help themselves to this apparently untouched Garden of Plenty that miraculously has survived when nothing else did.

  The same situation is occurring in the Adri Forest, where the Lost Elves, Unseelie, and some of the Faerie are protecting the forest.
  Adri Forest survived the Barrage by mere chance.
  The elves, faerie, and unseelie intend to see it continues to survive.

  However, a very large number of refugees, desperate to survive, and a very large number of people who wish to help themselves to Adri wood, Adri food, and Adri plunder, are moving on the forest.

  Similar, lesser problems are occurring around all the remaining, surviving natural regions, including the mountain regions of the Flanaess.


----------



## Serpenteye

*Welcome Tokiwong*

Join us. 

____
Order is reestablished kindly but firmly, extremenly firmly. Refugees are directed to where they can recieve aid and employment. If they do not respond to that in the desired way, they are dragged there by force. We need everybody to work as hard as they can wherever they are placed and are most needed. The propaganda machinery and the Church of Aerdi indoctrinate the people in this necessity.


----------



## William Ronald

Edena:

I have e-mailed Reprisal and hope that he will take the place of Forrester, who seems to have left.  If not, I suggest that you take the place of the UC or at least try to assign the UC to a new player. 

Tokiwong, welcome aboard.

Alzem, please check your e-mail. I would like you to stay.  I want everyone to stay.

For now, I suggest we rebuild rather than fight.


----------



## Tokiwong

*Wicked Grin....*

_Evil smiles... in the silence... from the ashes a restoration shall commence... there are many old wounds to attend to... for now peace... let the calm settle... before the storm of blood and fury commence..._

OOC: Thanks glad to be aboard.... I get to be evil... ooooh


----------



## Rhialto

*Re: Please stay*



			
				William Ronald said:
			
		

> *
> Rhialto, evil people do not necessarily have an advantage in research and accumulating power. The backstabbing and ideology can get in the way. See Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union under Stalin.  Their leaders really screwed up in the R&D department and ruined their lands to a large degree. (See Soviet agriculture and the Nazi atomic bomb projects.)*




Yes, but the equations for nuclear physics don't tend to pop up after you sacrifice a thousand innocents to Xxigtvist, Dark Lord of Hangnails.  Therein lies the difference between magic and science.

And I should point out that the "Good" guys had problems with backstabbing and ideology as well.  

(Note--I'm not saying that Nazi Germany and the U.S.S.R. weren't evil--I just don't think their enemies, by and large, were all that good.  Just a hell of a lot better then the alternative...)


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Tokiwong is now the player of the Empire of Iuz.

  - - -

  Forrester has not quit the IR, per se.
  He has withdrawn the forces of the United Commonwealth from Oerth, back to Toril, as is his right.

  I am not allowed, as Moderator, to dictate to the United Commonwealth what it can or cannot do.
  Nor may I run the United Commonwealth, or assign someone else to do so, unless Forrester gives me explicit permission to do so (and, unless Toril is directly threatened, I will not do so ... I have enough to deal with already.)

  Forrester speaks for the United Commonwealth.
  If he withdraws their forces, then those forces are withdrawn.

  The only person who could counteract Forrester's decision is Reprisal.
  I do not expect to hear from Reprisal again, I fear.
  It is a shame, for Reprisal was one of the most eloquent players the IR ever knew.

  It is also an unfortunate shame that Forrester is effectively out of the IR.
  For he is one of the most colorful and interesting people the IR has known.

  I hope Alzem stays.  For the sake of the IR.
  Again, here is one of the players from the older IRs, and Alzem was a very notable and important part of the 2nd IR.
  However, it is up to Alzem, whether he stays ... he has only just joined, and I hope he decides to stay.

  Needless to say, the loss of both John Brown and Forrester makes this a hard day for me.
  If Alzem departs, it will be all that much harder.


----------



## Anabstercorian

*Cripes*

The smoke was everywhere.  The dust was everywhere.  The sunblight was gone because there was no more light.

Anabstercorian, floating in deep space, looking down on the waste that was Oerth, could only shake his head.  There was so much needless loss of life.  There was no purpose to this, no cause.  No one was being served - This was mere madness.

What was needed here was control.  An iron hand to guide a lost and shattered world to a better place.

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

<< Edena, the Solistarim is focusing its efforts on rebuilding.  Now that the City of the Gods is no longer a threat, we will loot the thing good as soon as it's feasible.  We need that technological edge!  We're behind in the technological race and we know it. >>


----------



## Sollir Furryfoot

(OOC-I think Forrester made a post that he stripped the City of the Gods of all its technology...)


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

Everyone trying to plunder the City of the Gods is in for a disappointment.

  Yes, you can gain 2 PL per Turn from the plunder, and the City cannot defend itself anymore.
  It can only watch helplessly as it is plundered.

  But the great secrets of it's superscience are beyond comprehension.

  Beyond the comprehension even of the Torilians, who can grasp only the least of the great wonders.

  Clearly, the race who built the City were much more intelligent than any known race of humans, humanoids, or demihumans, having IQs of 1,000 and up.
  Clearly also, they were a small people, very diminuative, and also their bodies were very alien.

  (As in alien, think of the film War of the Worlds.  As in intelligent, think of the Krell from the film Forbidden Planet.)

  Because full access to the City is now possible, the one power dominating it - the Solistarim - are able to plunder it at the rate of 4 PL per Turn instead of 2.
  Everyone else must sneak in and gain their 2 PL as usual, avoiding the Solistarim as they may.

  - - -

  This is not known publicly IC, but OOC it is worth mentioning.
  The Lortmil Technomancy has created something new.

  The Lortmil Technomancy long wanted a tank that could move around without the encumbrance of roads, but flying technology or magic eluded them.
  So, they built legs, and put the tank on them.
  The legs were made of the newest steel, ran on hydralics, had specially cushioned feet, and worked quite well.
  Walls of Force protected both tank and legs.

  However, the Lortmil Technomancy quickly found that the resulting product was very awkward.
  Using new designs, and primitive versions of the computer (not the microchip, which they have not yet invented), they redesigned the tank part as a kind of torso for the legs.

  The newest weapons were mounted on the design, and then the Lortmil Technomancy looked around for a power source.
  Not having fusion power, they were frustrated, and took the weapons back off, except for the two main turrets.

  Then they added magical weapons to the design, and managed somehow to make them permanent.

  They managed to create a machine that could fire twin lightning bolts, once per round, with a great range.
  Melding technology with magic, they build targetting systems and sensors for the thing, so the gunners inside could fire accurately.

  Then they looked at controlling it, and used a gnomish set of levels and pulleys to control the movements of the legs.
  When this turned into a disaster, they refined and refined the controls, until the user could control the machine with special hand controls and pedals.

  Satisfied with their design, the engineers plated the thing with the latest armor ... only to have it fall down.
  So, they plated it with Walls of Force instead.

  Something was still missing, although they could not figure out what.
  Then they saw that it had legs and a body, and even stubby arms, but no head.
  They created an ornate head, militarily useless but pleasing to the gnomish eye, and stuck it on the top of the thing.

  After several more tries, they got the whole thing to work properly.

  Just then, the technomancy of combining Fly with Permanency was accomplished.

  The engineers set to work casting Fly spells and Permanency spells on the machine, and repeatedly they failed, but they kept trying until the succeeded.

  The resulting machine could fly at 30 MPH, go straight up - even into space (using the Spelljammer rules) for short periods, move forward and backward, and fire it's twin cannons loaded with magical rounds, or fire it's twin lightning bolts, a limited number of times per day.

  And thus, the Lortmil Technomancy has, without knowing it and in only the most primitive way - as of yet! - entered the age of Robotechnology.


----------



## Anabstercorian

*irrelevant*

irrelevant


----------



## Tokiwong

*Iuz contemplates the Current Situation...*

_"The world is a shambles... a pity that it is not my doing... but the awesome combination of technology and magic here to fore unknown to this world... I shudder to think what it could possibly do if our enemies ever settled their differences and turned their strength upon us..." Iuz glanced to no one in particular, "we shall continue our alliances wrought during the battles with the Shades, send word to the Kevellond League, that I shall honor it for now..."

The servant nodded slowly, his long ebon hair contrasting with his crimson eyes, "It shall be as you instruct milord..."_

The Iuz Empire shall recoup their losses and focus on expanding their Magic and Technological might... and assist in what needs to be done to hasten recovery and fortify our borders... to prepare for peace... is to marshall for war...


----------



## Spoof

*Weekend*

sorry something personal came up and I had to rush off over the weekend.  I will read the threads tomorrow and see what is happining


----------



## zouron

From dark halls far beyond the reach of Oerth or Toril, hovers a strange creature, a mere shadow of a man yet far more grusome then the simple undead then it resembles. The being is all alone in a huge stone cave, before it a hovering vortex of darkness swirls and twist. This being was formerly known as a great wizard, a man of peace and knowledge, now nothing but a corrupted soulless shell is left. 

Inside the vortex pictures of war, destruction, and yet even peace is seen, mindflayer and humanoid dining together, wishing each other good luck, deep in the vortex proclaims of destruction is given by the leader of the gnomes, and yet deeper is the site of steel and eletronics.

The being sees this and ponders for a long time watching the humanoid warlord withdraw back home. At the sight a sinister laughter escapes it filling the cave and chilling the blood in the animals outside. The Being speaks, to whom it is hard to tell: 

"Rain of death, Plague of Red, War of dead and Living, fading."
"Warlords withdraws like cowering dogs, jesters commands give."
"Undead rise and fall, wounds treated, Suns in darkness helpless."
"The End of war is now? Death with stop harvesting fields? no."
"The beginning has ended, now Death busy will be."
"Fools to strive for eternal life, Death brings the gift of truth."
"Blood shall flow, ants shall work, and the plague of death shall spread."

The Being turns away from the vortex and floats throw the walls of the cave searching for a soul to feast on.


----------



## Edena_of_Neith

For everyone's information:

  Zouron was an active member of the 2nd IR, which occurred on Toril.

  He created and led the Magocracy, which occupied the official canon lands of Chult, all of the peninsula southeastward of there, all of Halruaa, a large part of the western Shaar, and the entire area around the Lake of Steam.
  Of course, these regions changed dramatically in climate, terrain, and name during the IR, and would not be recognizable now by someone who had travelled away from Toril for several years and was just now returning.
  As the 2nd IR ended, the Magocracy joined the Technomancy, which was in the process of creating the infant United Commonwealth of Toril and the World Forum.
  The leader of the Magocracy, Zouron's PC, disappeared and was not heard from again.
  It is not clear what happened to him, although the Torilians went on an extensive search for him.


----------



## Sollir Furryfoot

Led by Grand Mage Hraenan (one of many contingency spells), several looters were mass teleported in and out of the City of the Gods, raiding the city and being very careful not to be seen or get in the way of others.

Meanwhile that cloaked figure is still eating corpses all around Flaneas.


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## kaboom

*what hapaned to the giants?*

I have some good giants under my control so I'll ask: whatever hapaned to them?


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## Edena_of_Neith

Kaboom, the good giants are the most intact of your surviving forces.
  Being up in the mountains shielded them from the Antimatter Barrage, and the mountain valleys were likewise shielded.
  Obviously, those living underground were less affected, although earthquakes rattled their cities and holdings.

  However, Sonnmonten, Archenmont, Silvamont, Aerlindre, and the other avariel and giant nations of the mountains have weathered the storm pretty well.

  Your underwater nations fared very badly, being slammed by tremendous shock waves from the sea hits of the Antimatter Barrage.
  They all suffered severe damage and large numbers of fatalities.

  The Isle of the Phoenix was not hit by the Antimatter Barrage.
  Damage to the Isle of the Phoenix is minor, mainly due to tsunamis flooding coastal cities and harbors.

  Damage to your Flying Ships and Flying Citadels is ... well, the best way to put it is to say that not a single one of them has yet returned to the Isle of the Phoenix, and only a dozen or so have yet reported in, as of yet, via telepathy.


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## Edena_of_Neith

Sollir, your PC has company.

  A lot of animals, permanently blinded but still with a sense of smell - animals who are natural scavengers, and some who are simply desperately hungry - are helping themselves to the dead bodies, eating to survive.

  A lot of starving monsters, many permanently blind themselves, are helping themselves to the ready feast.

  A lot of starving humanoids, who are not blind, are helping themselves to the endless banquet, after it has been cooked (well, most of the time, after it's been cooked ...)

  And, sadly, more than a few humans and demihumans, starving, desperate to survive where survival is simply not possible, beyond hope or help, are also partaking of the grisly feast.
  They eat with tears in their eyes, and more than half of what they eat comes back up from the sheer horror and revulsion of the act.


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## Mr. Draco

Edena, I think a mistake was made.  Earlier, Kalanyr teleported all of his Yuan-ti out of their empire to join up with the remainder of his forces, and gave the Yuan-ti lands, and all of their infrastructure to the DU.  The army we sent south to fight in Hemponaland, therefore, is currently occupying all of our conquered territories and the Yuan-ti lands we gained from Kalanyr in exchange for letting him and his allies attack the shade through our lands.

[edit]- also, did you ever get the email i sent for clarifiction regarding the lands we gained from Kalanyr?


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## zouron

The being returns eating what would appear to others as a glowing bread, but in reality is the inner self of people. The Being stares deeply into the vortex discovering a sight most enjoyable to itself and once more it laughs, a cold and feverish laughter watching the feast on the dead and it speaks highly amused.

"Bloods flows, flesh rots, The dead's heart beat still."
"Living feasting on their shells, stomachs filled with rotten flesh."
"Ghasts see this sight, Ghouls will raise from the feast of flesh."
"The Dead shall prey once more, and the world in darkness lay."
"The Time for us draws closer, the candle of light flicker a last time."
"never more shall the light of day spread over land."
"But now we my ghast shall watch the undead raise once more."

The Being laughs again in its cold and feverish way, alone in its dark cave, perhaps it is for the best not to disturb it.


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## Edena_of_Neith

The death of so many people does not go unnoticed by the world of Oerth.

  The poison from the Blood Waste is expanding, at the rate of 100 miles per Turn.
  No 10th level magic will stop it now.
  It's been strengthened beyond the power of 10th level magic to stop.

  The Whyestil Sea is growing appreciably larger, spreading both northward and southward as the lands sink, and eastward as well.
  Dorakaa has to be picked up and moved, in total, well to the north and east of where it has always sat.
  Crockport is simply submerged.

  The Whyestil advances westward into the Vesve Forest, then is stopped by the magic of the Faerie.

  Delrune is sinking, growing slowly more swampy.

  The Nyr Dyv is drying up.
  It was an exceedingly deep sea, the Nyr Dyv.  Now, people apparently will find out just how deep it truly was.
  By the end of the Turn, the Nyr Dyv is only three-quarters of it's original size, but the lake level has dropped over 1,000 feet.

  The building anger of the planet erupts in violence in the Yatil Mountains.
  This range was not volcanic, has been known for it's quietude.
  Not anymore.
  Huge explosions are heard, and all of Perrenland shakes, as the western sky is filled with smoke, and rocks come raining down, and ashfalls follow.

  Those venturing close enough see enormous eruptions in progress, dozens of them.
  The fiery lava is flowing out at such a prodigious rate it is creating vast lakes of molten rock, and waterfalls of it cascade in red and yellow curtains down the eastern sides of the mountain range.
  Many of the green valleys of the Yatils, which survived the Antimatter Barrage, perish now, buried under torrents of molten rock.

  Sonnmonten, Aerlindre, and the Dwarves and Humanoids of the Yatils are all plagued with earthquakes and volcanic fumes.

  In all of the other mountain ranges of the Flanaess, warning tremors and the smell of sulphur give an ominous warning as to what is coming.


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## Mr. Draco

Edena, perhaps this would be a good point to end the turn?  after all, more than a month has passed, and people probably need some time to get their thinking back in order after so many world-shaking events...


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## Anabstercorian

*Let's get cruel*

Those of the Solistarim are destroying your food.

We are taking the bodies of the dead for our own pantries.  We burn what we cannot carry home.

You will die hungry and alone and desperate, and you will never know that it was our hand that stole the food from your mouth.

<< Edena, we're doing the above, and we're doing it secret.  The Solistarim are INCREDIBLY FRACKING BITTER over the demolition of our holy land (The Flannaes) and we want you all to die because of it.  But we're doing it secret!  We're being so secret we won't even give people who have 10th level magic a reason to even CONSIDER scrying us.  Secret secret. >>


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## Creamsteak

I will send forces to raid the city of the gods... I guess we can't do this till next turn if I am correct in thinking that most of the "actions" of this turn are over.

So Iuz has a new leader... hmm...


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## Edena_of_Neith

Well, you all heard Anabstercorian.

  It would appear that someone has decided to bury (or at least, deal with) the dead.

  However, there are 30 million corpses.

  The Solistarim, have quite a job ahead of them, even with their capacity.

  As for the MOTIVATIONS of the Solistarim ... I'll leave you to deal with that.


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## Edena_of_Neith

You may most certainly raid the City of the Gods, Creamsteak.
  Everyone has.
  This Turn isn't quite over.


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## Sollir Furryfoot

The cloaked figure works double time, triple time if possible on devouring every single corpse it can...ignoring the animals and demihumans, except for the strongest-looking as slaves for Mistress Tao (but fed)...


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## Tokiwong

*Iuz Plays his Hand*

_Iuz glances to his advisor... "I do believe that we have a virtual surplus of troops and workers all around us.  I want them... I want them by the legions, the undead work quite well and never tire... create as many as you can muster if need be..."

The advisor nodded slowly, "Yes milord, what of the City of the Gods," he kept his head low.

The demigod peered back at his advisor, "Dispatch a raiding force to procure what we can... if the Torilians wish to strip it bare then we shall take what scraps we can.  Be sure that it is handled quickly and with the utmost subtlety, for now we must lie in waiting..." Iuz did not look pleased and for a moment his form wavered, pulsing with sickening energy...

The advisor bowed his head once more, "It shall be done, as you command."

Iuz clucked his teeth stroking his chin..._

The Empire of Iuz is moving to create as many undead as we can... and also pursuing a raid on the City of the Gods... with what forces we can muster...


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## Mr. Draco

Then, with the help of the representative of the Legions of Kas who was already in the City of the Gods, and has spent all this time studying it, we will teleport in some forces and raid it.


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## GnomeWorks

Oh, give me a break, Anabstercorian.  You're a "bad guy", so to speak, so of course we'll be watching what you're doing.  The Lortmils are very nervous at the moment, and we've got a trigger-finger on a trigger that could blow up half Oerth, given a little time.  Don't mess with us.  You leave our food alone.  Or you'll wish you hadn't ever heard of the Lortmils when we're through with you.  We are scrying everyone.  We are watching over our shoulders.  We tread lightly, and speak softly.  And we carry a very large gun.  Forget the stick - we've got robots.

BTW - I don't encourage war.  At this point, I detest destruction.  But, if it is necessary, I will utilize everything I've got to take down whatever or whomever is screwing with Oerth.  At this point, alliances and enemies matter, but they are very trivial in comparison to the RL of Oerth.  Survival is all that counts, and if something threatens that survival, then it must be destroyed.

Edena - we raid the CotG for all we're worth.  If anyone interferes with our raiding, we'll send in a few (consider few to mean "several dozen") of our lovely new 'mechs to blow them up.  Don't mess with us, boys and girls.  We have a job to do, and we intend to do it - and that job includes raiding the City of the Gods.


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## William Ronald

Any efforts to steal food are met with LETHAL levels of force. No questions asked.

The Kevellond League will raid the city of the Gods.

I was under the impression that the UC of Toril had averted famine.  

Efforts to increase the food supply and to rebuild continue.

William


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## Mr. Draco

The DU will increase the security of our food suplies.  Also, considering the level of devotion that every single citizen has to the God-Emperor, your attacks on the food supply Abnastercorian will stick out like a sore thumb...


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## Tokiwong

*Iuz backs the Kevellond League*



			
				William Ronald said:
			
		

> *Any efforts to steal food are met with LETHAL levels of force. No questions asked.
> 
> The Kevellond League will raid the city of the Gods.
> 
> I was under the impression that the UC of Toril had averted famine.
> 
> Efforts to increase the food supply and to rebuild continue.
> 
> William *




_"I shall make a rare show of solidarity and help protect what food supplies we have.  For it would be a shame to lose the living to famine... and worse things...."_

Empire of Iuz will assist the Kevellond League in protecting the food supplies... the living have their uses afterall


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## kaboom

I'm raiding the city of the Gods.


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## Tokiwong

Mr. Draco said:
			
		

> *Then, with the help of the representative of the Legions of Kas who was already in the City of the Gods, and has spent all this time studying it, we will teleport in some forces and raid it. *




OOC: and to whom are you refferring to here? Just curious...


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## Edena_of_Neith

Turn 4 ends with a bang.

  A cliche, I know.
  A bad cliche, considering what has happened this Turn.
  Yet there it is.

  It is a bang a lot bigger than Tambora was.
  It is seen in Rauxes, a thousand miles to the north.
  It is heard on the Isle of the Phoenix, 5,000 miles away.

  In one gigantic explosion, the Glorioles blow themselves up.
  The soaring fireball, composed of uncounted billions of tons of rock, magma, and dust, rockets up into Oerth's stratosphere, clear up beyond it into near space.
  A red, dripping glow is seen as a geyser of lava 2 miles high fountains into the sky.

  There is an enormous earthquake, and the whole of the eastern Flanaess shakes violently.
  The people of Nulbish and Torrich watch in awe as the southern heavens fill with fire.

  The people of Sunndi watch briefly, then they are engulfed, for the flows head southward, and whelm all of Sunndi in pyroclastic blasts, followed by a sea of molten rock.

  A GIANT rending and cracking sound is heard.

  The Flanaess breaks apart, from central Idee in the west, across the Hollow Highlands, then northeast around the geyser, and eastward across southwest Medegia to the sea.
  The geyser grows wider and wider, and the ocean roars in on both sides, only to meet vast amounts of lava storming up through the broken crust of the planet and from the great geyser.
  Explosions follow, and clouds of steam cover all of the southeastern Flanaess.

  But still the great geyser, a mile across and two miles wide, fountains into the heavens, and the molten rock pours west, east, and southward.
  Building mountains where no mountains existed.
  Remaking the landscape utterly.
  Sunndi, passes forever into Flannae history.
  The Glorioles, pass forever into Flannae history (or, rather, a far loftier and greater range will replace them, and truly earn the name given the old, small area of mountains.)
  The storm giants of Starmont, pass into history, unable to escape, the eruption catching them without warning.

  And the rift widens rapidly, the oceans flowing in to fill the gap, while the entire southeastern peninsula, cramming millions of years of geological movement into a few days, moves over one hundred miles south of it's current position.
  The freshwater sea that had been the Vast Swamp is carried with it.
  The Tivanot Peninsula twists, turning northwest to southeast, and moves 50 miles southeast of it's current position.

  The northern landmass slams into Hempmonaland, as the Tilva Strait ceases to exist.

  The continental shelves groan in protest, buckle, then shatter, sending more massive earthquakes through the whole region (fortunately, far away from any settled land, for they are greater than 10 on the Richter Scale.)
  Volcanic eruptions and explosions occur all along the clashing line, where Hempmonaland meets the peninsula of the Flanaess.
  And a new set of mountains begins forming south of the freshwater sea that had been the Vast Swamp.

  So great is the eruption of lava that there is no place for it to go, and Sunndi is filled with an inland sea of lava, a thousand feet deep, hundreds of miles long, and hundreds of miles wide.

  The heat from this lake, hundreds of thousands of square miles in size, turns the climate of all of the southern Dark Union into an equatorial steambath.
  The word autumn is erased from the vocabulary.

  The ocean currents flowing northward past the Sea Barons and the Lendores turns warm, then hot (over 100 degrees), producing storms of ungodly proportions.
  Magic becomes a necessity, and not an option, for survival in these places.
  Travel by ship becomes impossible, unless very great magic (7th level or higher) is employed to get through the storms.
  Hurricanes with winds one would not wish to imagine form over the open ocean, sending massive waves in all directions, flooding the whole eastern coastline.


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## Forrester

You see why I wasn't allowing anyone else into the City of the Gods? 

Greedy bastards! Greedy gnomes, threatening to blow people up!

Oerth really *is* going to hell in a handbasket. Good riddance! 


Forrester


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## Edena_of_Neith

*TIME OUT*

TIME OUT.
  TURN 4 IS CONCLUDED.

  DO NOT POST ANY FURTHER TO THIS THREAD.
  POST TO THE NEW INTERLUDE THREAD.


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## Tokiwong

*This is bad...*

OOC: I wish I knew where I was located so I could assess the damage to my lands... but I will assume I was affected in some way... I think... but that had to suck... definitely working to recover from that....


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## Darkness

Shutting down... See y'all on turn 5!


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