volthawk

Eilif Dhaoine Round 7 Regions: The Reserve (25), Lassal (24), The Emerald Expanse (41), The Flowering Lands (42), The Solarian Plains (43), Eigh Mothaid (108) Leader: Clagath of Deargabh Diplomacy 10 Military 7 Economy 5 Faith 5 Intrigue 7 Actions End of Turn Ruler Increases: +1 Military, +2 Intrigue Raise Ground Unit [Military] - Unrolled Raise Space Unit [Military] - Unrolled Fluff Coerce TP2 of 33 (Narcotics in Coedd) [Intrigue] - 17, Success Coerce TP3 of 76 (Uranium in Dur-Shalkhir) [Intrigue] - Not rolled yet Fluff Steal Thaumonuclear Reactors from ARK [Intrigue] - Not rolled yet Fluff Secret Action [Intrigue] - GM rolled Fluff Nonactions Attend the Fourth Hexennial. Naturally, Scorcha does not shirk her self-imposed obligation to attend every Hexennial. News and Rumours TBD Statistics Unit Count: 2 Ground, 1 Space Treasure: 0 Country Information Special Actions Available: Faith 5, Economy 5, Intrigue 5 Special Actions Used: Diplomacy 5, Military 5 Heir: Scorcha of Deargabh (Dynastic) Diplomacy 3+2 Military 3+1 Economy 1+1 Faith 3+1 Intrigue 4+1 Diplomacy Reputation/Favours Imperial Court: Rep -1, 0 Favours (Expected Change: None) - Disliked: -1 to Establish and Press Claim actions, +1 to resist actions from EMP Rep 3/4 countries Pan-Tekhum Worker's & Trader's Union: Rep -1, 0 Favours (Expected Change: None) - Disliked: -1 to Impress Merchants, +1 to resist WTU Buyouts Basu-Rahman Group: Rep 2, -2 Favours (Expected Change: None) - Welcome: +1 to Investigations, +2 in regions with BRG Media support/BRG bases - Friendly: +1 to Raise Rep with EMP or WTU, 1/round use a BRG Media support as if it were yours International Renown: Renown 4 - Respected: +1 to Establish and Press Claim actions - Admired: +1 to resist Impress and Sway actions - Emulated: TPs and Embassies count as the other, can use vassal CIs one extra time per round - Jewel of Tekhum: Host events as a nonaction, stats below 4 count as 4 Organisation Bases None Embassies The Eucrus Alliance Cultural Identities Voracious Acquisition (Coerce) Great Works None Military Unit Cap: 14 (4 + 6 regions + 4 support) Government Support: 24, 25, 43, 108 Generals Giomad of Fairnead (Mil 8): Bleed Them Dry (+1 to the battle roll, +10% enemy casualties) Admirals None Perfected Tactical Doctrines None Fortresses None Military Technologies Technology Type Effect Prereqs Met? Active Military Techs Man-Portable Weapons Infantry Equipment Combat Drugs and Medicine Armored Vehicles Field Fortifications Engineered Combat Organisms Detection and Rangefinding Ship to Ship Weapons Orbit to Ground Weapons Crew and Maintenance Armor and Shields Spacecraft Propulsion Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures Special Forces Logistics and Morale Economy Treasure Cap: 5 Trade Posts Effective Total TPs: 4 Treasure Rate: 0 Trade Post Resource Use Support Rate 25.1 Chitincraft Wargear None Owned 2 29.3 Wine 24/25 DI Unowned 1 22.2 Roleplaying Games 42 DI Unowned 1 Mercantile Support: 25 Arcologies None Trade Routes None Technology Type Effect Requirements Met? Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry Starter None None Yes Algorithmic Imagination Starter None None Yes Arcane Amplification Starter None None Yes In Vivo Modification Starter None None Yes Nuclear Fusion Starter None None Yes Xenolinguistic Cataloguing Starter None None Yes Badalian Megadirigibles Traversal Ground units can cross Badal's cloud sea None Yes Wet Navy Ships Traversal Ground units can cross oceans None Yes Faith Media Support: Organised Faith Bonuses +1 to Investigations +1 to offensive battles on Sansar Artefacts None Holy Orders None Miracles None Intrigue Espionage Agency: No Claims 24 - Unification 25 - Integration, Unificaton 43 - Confederation, Unification 108 - Unification Total Passive Effects Traversal: Wet Navy Ships: Ground units can cross bodies of water Actions: Renown: +1 to Establish Claim and Press Claim EMP Rep: -1 to Establish Claim and Press Claim WTU Rep: -1 to Impress Merchants BRG Rep: +1 to Investigations (+2 w/ BRG Support), +1 to non-BRG Raise Rep Defence: Renown: +1 to resist Sway and Impress actions EMP Rep: +1 to resist actions by EMP Rep 3/4 players WTU Rep: +1 to resist WTU Buyouts Misc: Renown: Trade Routes count as Embassies and vice versa

As the others drift off to other games, Cagairmòr decides to not be a third wheel to whatever the hell those two have going on and wanders off to find another game, having a few more drinks in the process. In the end, she finds herself at an Unlucky 13 table and...screw it, this late into the night, there was no reason to not put as much as she could into it, right? Even if that didn't mean playing fair, exactly... Gambling 500 chits on Unlucky 13. Intending to Double or Nothing if my chosen number doesn't show up for a second shot at doubling my bet. Oops not posting here for a week was enough to forget that you wanted them inline. Still, that's a failed number pick but a successful double or nothing.

Black Bird Table 1a Cagairmòr grins and nods in greeting to the newcomers and listens along to the introductions, indicating for the dealer to keep her in when it comes time for a new round - half her winnings get pushed forward, while the others go into some pocket or pouch or other in her clothing. "Good to know, you two. I'm Cagairmòr, by the way. Now, let's see if I can't repeat that 21..." After three cards, she frowns a little, looks at her cards then shrugs. "That'll have to do, I guess." Gambling Sticking with the 500-chit bets on Black Bird. Initial Hand Third Card Sticking on 17. Not great, but hey.

Cagairmòr gives a small shrug and a "It is what it is." when...that one never did say their name, huh?...makes a comment about their differing luck, before focusing back on the game at hand. "Alright, new hand, I'm in. Same bet as before." Gambling Another 500-chit round of Black Bird. Initial Hand Third Card Another 16? Okay then. Screw it, fourth card Sticking on 21.

While the Knights of the Dhaoine were broadly busy supporting the war effort back on Sansar, Cagairmòr had been feeling the old wanderlust again as of late. Maybe it was Eighbris' abduction playing on her mind, maybe she was just hitting the limit of how long she could play the noble warrior role, but she needed some time out there. It was that need to travel that has eventually landed her here at the Golden Phoenix with a pocket full of chits and a need to enjoy herself a little. She'd heard her fair share of sealga rumours about the Biarbu, of course - a lot of them were the usual nonsense sealga came up to tell a good story when drinking, but there were persistent rumours that there was someone behind all this, pulling the strings, rumours that often pointed to the one who owned this very casino...of course, you heard those kinds of rumours about pretty much anywhere, and while they seemed a little more substantial here, Cagairmòr frankly didn't care. Everyone had the right to be a little shady, as she saw it, and so long as it didn't get in the way of her doing what she wanted they could keep their secrets. As she had a little wander of the premises and got a feel for the lay of the land, the Black Bird table gets her attention. One of the Purifiers playing the game, huh, and a whole load of the others watching...well then. In light of recent agreements made between their two countries, she supposed that she better get over there and make her face known, right? What she'd heard of the game had taken her fancy, too. Striding over to the table, Cagairmòr nods at Sha Ren, and grins. "Room for another?" She frowns when she sees the hand she's dealt, particularly after another card is thrown her way. That was an awkard as hell split. "Fifty fifty of another improving this or ruining me...screw it, the Dhaoine don't shy away from risks. One more." Gambling Joining the Black Bird table if possible, matching the 500 chits the others put up. Black Bird Third card Let's be risky, fourth card:1d10

Eilif Dhaoine Round 6 Regions: The Reserve (25), Lassal (24), The Emerald Expanse (41), The Flowering Lands (42), The Solarian Plains (43), Eigh Mothaid (108) Leader: Clagath of Deargabh Diplomacy 10 Military 7 Economy 5 Faith 5 Intrigue 5 Actions End of Turn Ruler Increases: +2 Intrigue Elevate Status to Stellar Power (Gain 2 Renown from Higher Power, being tied first) [Diplomacy 10] - Unrolled With a piece of Firmament finally in their grasp, the Dhaoine military have proved that they are capable of reaching out across the vastness of space and claiming territory for their own just as they have done on Sansar. Regardless of what foe opposes them, be they another of the Elect, or the Emperor himself, the Dhaoine will endure and strike back, and their grasp will extent to take what they want from Tekhum. Coerce TP2 of 22 [Intrigue] - 16, Success Coerce TP2 of 33 [Intrigue] - 10, Failure The attempts to strongarm small-scale mercantile operations to secure the resources those under the ever-growing banner of Eilif Dhaoine continue. The work in eastern Zabava goes well, ensuring a flow of new entertainment and games east across the sea to the Flowering Lands, but the attempts to secure a portion of the flow of drugs out of Coedd goes less well. Theft - Attempt to steal kha-Ujin's Siphon from KRB (Attempt and fail to repay 1 BRG Favour through Enemy of my Enemy) [Intrigue] - 8, Failure While the Knights sent on their quest by Eighbris before his disappearance continue onwards, others take it upon themselves to settle the balance with the Basu-Rahman Group and repay the organisation for the help provided to their peers. Taking one of those who attacked the Group's holdings seems as good a way as any, and a target quickly presents itself. While the Ilumined Utopian and Eucrus Alliance were...politically entangled targets, the Khylokians were both a much more free target and also had a good prize to go for - a powerful magical item. Unfortunately, the heist quickly becomes something easier said than done, and falls apart at an early stage. Secret Action [Intrigue] - GM rolled The band of Knights of the Dhaoine that had been seen in Badal a few years ago make a reapparance - this time in Veehra, sniffing around New Kildora. Nonactions Attend The Grand Opening of the Golden Phoenix. Cagairmòr takes Eighbris' abduction a little harder than most, and takes off to wander Tekhum for a while, as many sealga do. Her wandering eventually brings her to Shiwa Yun and the Golden Phoenix. The Biarbu had invited the Eilif Dhaoine government to send someone over to enjoy the Grand Opening, and while she hadn't cleared it with the officials back home...nobody else was here to claim that invite, so why not enjoy it? Spend 1 BRG Favour. News and Rumours News that Coedd - well, those acting under the god-plant's direction (faithful or otherwise) - is taking action against the Imperial Embassy on Sansar sends the Eilif Dhaoine government into no small amount of consternation. The move was more or less understandable, they supposed - it was not like the Dhaoine had kept their disdain for the claimed authority of the Empire a secret - but nonetheless...it was a concern. Forces are pulled back from their posting supporting the Purifiers in an offensive on the Wyrmlands, plans are made to bolster troop numbers, and particular attention is played to securing ways of keeping the people happy closer to home...just in case. It wasn't yet clear what recriminations the attack may bring on Coedd, nor how many of those may also be brought on the Dhaoine for believing in Coedd's ways and also refusing Imperial taxation, but it was better to be safe than sorry. If the worst came to worst, they needed to be ready to stare down the Armada. While there is a widespread outcry among the common Dhaoine regarding the destruction that has been brought to Basu-Rahman Group holdings across Tekhum, and many are concerned about the future of the Group, the Eilif Dhaoine government does not get involved at this point. With other problems taking their attention, and the volatility of the situation as a whole, the concensus among officials is that it is best to keep ties with the Group but not go out of one's way to help them at this point. The Knights of the Dhaoine, of course, are free to act as they like - the deals struck between knights and BRG officials are not going to be impeded, nor are the efforts of any knights to act in the interests of the Group or strike against their enemies. Eighbris' abduction is a concern for the Knights of the Dhaoine, but between other concerns and the fact that finding him would require scouring all of Tekhum with no lead, no major rescue attempt is launched. The common opinion seems to be that they'll recieve a ransom, or some other kind of demand or plan involving Eighbris, and then they'll be able to act. The fact that so far nothing has happened is...rather concerning, really. With the scattered communities of the Solarian Plain brought into the growing territory of Eilif Dhaoine, it was time to make good on some promises on both sides. Those of sufficient skill and standing back home who wish it are granted the status of Knight of the Dhaoine, giving the Plains a voice in one of the most important organisations within Eilif Dhaoine, while the Solarian communities contribute a portion of their soldiers to the Eilif Dhaoine military as counterbalance. The Solarian auxillaries are an odd lot, many of them sharing in the...uncooperative ideologies of their homeland, but Giomad finds a place for them bolstering the number of outriders and scouts - roles which mostly required enlisted ex-sealga most of the time - supporting the main force of lannan. That way, they could have the freedom of movement and reduced reliance on the chain of command they want, while still proving useful in warfare. While some still ride the mounts or motorbikes of their homeland, a few adopt Dhaoine-built light crawlers to give their detachments a little more punch in a fight. While the supply of synthetic proteins from Anjahar (used for medical research in several Emerald Expanse cities with an eye towards giving the kalee population greater disease resistance and ability to treat the diseases that inevitably crop up in that jungle) has experienced some issues in recent years, Eilif Dhaoine officials are confident that those problems can be handled sooner or later...and as such have a problem with the Bironian Bulwark's aggressive attempts at cutting the Eucrus Alliance's access to their own products. A warning is sent to the Bulwark that an attempt to cut off medical supplies from Eilif Dhaoine citizens and companies by interfering with friends of the Dhaoine will not be looked upon kindly. While the aforementioned issue brings the Bulwark to the attention of many in Eilif Dhaoine, a few Knights of the Dhaoine are caught on camera appearing to mock the country, laughing at how they take the role of crusaders for freedom while also shooting any of those who voice dissent with the direction taken by the country's leadership. For the Knights of the Dhaoine, many of whom were once free-roaming, troublemaking sealga, such a stance is rather amusing - references to the cannons of acceptance become a bit of an injoke for a few months. Before long, though, the knights seem to get bored of the joke and move on to new topics. News that the House of Fire is taking control of the part of Zabava that had previously been taken by the Eucrus Alliance is...somewhat alarming. It was a known thing that Mekhalans are strong supporters of the Empire, veering on fanatacism at times, and the House of Fire was an exemplar of that attitude. Them owning territory on Sansar, so close to the Dhaoine...given their current disagreements with the Empire, it was a concern. Statistics Unit Count: 2 Ground, 1 Space Treasure: 0 Country Information Special Actions Available: Faith 5, Economy 5, Intrigue 5 Special Actions Used: Diplomacy 5, Military 5 Heir: Scorcha of Deargabh (Dynastic) Diplomacy 3+2 Military 3+1 Economy 1+1 Faith 3+1 Intrigue 4+1 Diplomacy Reputation/Favours Imperial Court: Rep -1, 0 Favours (Expected Change: None) - Disliked: -1 to Establish and Press Claim actions, +1 to resist actions from EMP Rep 3/4 countries Pan-Tekhum Worker's & Trader's Union: Rep -1, 0 Favours (Expected Change: None) - Disliked: Basu-Rahman Group: Rep 2, 0 Favours (Expected Change: None) - Welcome: +1 to Investigations, +2 in regions with BRG Media support/BRG bases - Friendly: +1 to Raise Rep with EMP or WTU, 1/round use a BRG Media support as if it were yours International Renown: Renown 2 - Respected: +1 to Establish and Press Claim actions - Admired: +1 to resist Impress and Sway actions Organisation Bases None Embassies The Eucrus Alliance Cultural Identities Voracious Acquisition (Coerce) Great Works None Military Unit Cap: 14 (4 + 6 regions + 4 support) Government Support: 24, 25, 43, 108 Generals Giomad of Fairnead (Mil 8): Bleed Them Dry (+1 to the battle roll, +10% enemy casualties) Admirals None Perfected Tactical Doctrines None Fortresses None Military Technologies Technology Type Effect Prereqs Met? Active Military Techs Man-Portable Weapons Infantry Equipment Combat Drugs and Medicine Armored Vehicles Field Fortifications Engineered Combat Organisms Detection and Rangefinding Ship to Ship Weapons Orbit to Ground Weapons Crew and Maintenance Armor and Shields Spacecraft Propulsion Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures Special Forces Logistics and Morale Economy Treasure Cap: 5 Trade Posts Effective Total TPs: 3 Treasure Rate: 0 Trade Post Resource Use Support Rate 25.1 Chitincraft Wargear None Owned 2 29.3 Wine 25 DI Unowned 1 Mercantile Support: 25 Arcologies None Trade Routes None Technology Type Effect Requirements Met? Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry Starter None None Yes Algorithmic Imagination Starter None None Yes Arcane Amplification Starter None None Yes In Vivo Modification Starter None None Yes Nuclear Fusion Starter None None Yes Xenolinguistic Cataloguing Starter None None Yes Badalian Megadirigibles Traversal Ground units can cross Badal's cloud sea None Yes Wet Navy Ships Traversal Ground units can cross oceans None Yes Faith Media Support: Organised Faith Bonuses +1 to Investigations +1 to offensive battles on Sansar Artefacts None Holy Orders None Miracles None Intrigue Espionage Agency: No Claims 25 - Integration 43 - Confederation Total Passive Effects Traversal: Wet Navy Ships: Ground units can cross bodies of water Actions: Renown: +1 to Establish Claim and Press Claim EMP Rep: -1 to Establish Claim and Press Claim WTU Rep: -1 to Impress Merchants BRG Rep: +1 to Investigations (+2 w/ BRG Support), +1 to non-BRG Raise Rep Defence: Renown: +1 to resist Sway and Impress actions EMP Rep: +1 to resist actions by EMP Rep 3/4 players WTU Rep: +1 to resist WTU Buyouts Misc: Renown: Trade Routes count as Embassies and vice versa

Scorcha lets the conversation play out a little after her statements, and nods along to some of the more convincing parts, before using the current break in conversation to say her piece. "Thank you all for your comments, but I am not swayed. It is in the best interests of my people to vote against all of these amendments and suggestions." She pauses, considering whether or not to continue. "And for the record, the Charter does not give local members special protection beyond those that all members have - that the Library treats their holdings as inviolable. That does not, however, mean that a bad actor cannot use Patronage in ways that act against the interests of other members - after all, isn't that why you suggested these restrictions in the first place? And either way, it is already a protection that both local and visiting members benefit from, so expanding the influence of the latter and diminishing the options of the former in the name of equal protection falls apart under scrutiny, as I see it. Local status is not a matter of securing protection, but expanding your country's influence over the Arkhive - access to borowing their property, preference when it comes to who the Arkhive establishes closer ties to, and a vote in these proceedings. Now, I would be a hypocrite to say that acting in your country's interests is a bad thing, but let's not pretend this is a matter of cosmic justice or ensuring fairness, shall we? You wish to limit the spread of Coedd worship because you have your own beliefs you want to push, and you want Local status expanded because it makes it more likely that your people will qualify and thus give you more control over the future of the Arkhive - and your access to their services. Frankly, if you said as much at the start I would have been more inclined to go along with it."

As always, Scorcha had made sure that she was free to attend the Hexennial. Her father was busy taking a more active role in Eilif Dhaoine's military affairs than he had for the last decade or so, and the Knights of the Dhaoine were as always free to indulge in whatever fancy took their attention now - another tournament, as she understood it - so that left to visit the Arkhive once more. While the scientific nature of much of what was going on didn't take her fancy, she found the visit as pleasant as always, even if her main focus was the upcoming voting. On Residency and Freedom from Religion While she lets the other Sansarite representatives talk, and nods along to what Tuahine is saying, Scorcha's main focus is on what the Llort representatives are saying. "I find it strange that you are so concerned with ensuring that missionaries are never sent to the unwilling, when that is a core part of your own charter. After all, when my father agreed to your assistance with matters on Firmament, a key part of that deal was that once we had conquered the relevant section of the structure, you would be free to send as many people as is necessary to ensure that people there followed the ways of your cult, not their own beliefs, and while I'm not privy to the details, I have little reason to believe that similar clauses are missing from the deals you set out with several powers on Veehra, and indeed with the Eucrus Alliance here. The fact that you have drawn up contracts to ensure that your faith can be spread to Sansar - and while Coedd may think otherwise, I define Firmament as a part of Sansar - and at the same time seek to prevent the faiths local to Sansar from spreading beyond the planet...I just find it a little odd, if you are coming from a place of fairness and openness." "Mainly, however, it is the way that that this amendment has been paired with a drive to widen the definition of resident that I find...distasteful." She holds up a hand to preempt any interjection. "This isn't coming from the same kneejerk xenophobia that we saw in the early days of...Badal-Sansar relations, shall we say. After all, it was my father that worked towards peace in that regard, and it is the Dhaoine that have been the driving force between accepting offworlders and welcoming them to Sansar, despite the way that certain liberties have been taken with that acceptance, such as the destruction that has been caused by the Ilumined Utopian in central Chonkia - an act that has caused us problems given that we were the ones that vouched for them. However, responding to that particular incident is outside of the scope of this meeting, so I'll get back to the point." "Acceptance is not submission, and these two agendas working in tandem lead to one end result - weakening the position of countries native to Sansar with the Arkhive while simultaneously strengthening offworlders. After all, at its core this is saying that offworld Patrons can make the Arkhive act unrestrained on Sansar, regardless of borders or the wishes of those that live here, but it must act with restraint when the shoe is on the other foot. While, yes, our past amendments have thankfully made it so the Arkhive will never need to spread beliefs it does not hold in its heart...all things can be changed, and we are talking about making it easier for that to happen here. In normal circumstances, I'd gladly accept those that we've already been working well with, but while some of those involved are simultaenously working to shackle the Arkhive's activities...it is a precedent I must resist against. However, should the amendment restricting the Arkhive so be struck down, I would gladly accept our friends as equal in the Arkhive's eyes." On Fair Labout Practices This amendment, by comparison, gets a small shrug from Scorcha. "Siobhan does have a point. Would this amendment forbid the Arkhive from dealing in any positive way with the Fiorid Principality? After all, with the degree that slave labour is institutionalised there, anything that helps the state thrive will expand the amount of slaves in the country. The parts restricting the Arkhive itself are...acceptable. After all, my people do not use slaves, and if the Arkhive makes a decision in that direction, then why would I stop that? However, if the intent is to start the process of indirectly restricting access to the Arkhive based on aspects of their government - ones that do not affect the Arkhive or show hostile itent towards it, naturally - then...that is a precedent that I am reluctant to help establish."

The Arena Catching his breath and pulling his dagger out of the Keon Nnight, struggling to shift the now-dead competitor off him, Eighbris can't help but let out a laugh, paired with a gasp of pain, when he reflects on how much time he spent knocked down this fight. Still, as he takes stock of the situation...Doom Soom did it. Couldn't quite manage to close the distance, huh? Eighbris could sympathise there. Wait, that meant...final two. That was a win, huh? He couldn't lie to himself, it smarted a little to have failed to get a scratch on her, but...at this point, he was willing to just take the second place. Guess that makes them even, after his win at the Bironian Brawl. For now, he focused on forcing himself back up to his feet, facing the audience and raising a fist in victory. Just keep up until the show's over and the cameras are gone...then he can collapse. VIP Box Cagairmòr lets out a sigh of relief she wasn't aware she was holding in as she sees Eighbris getting up again, raising her glass in a personal toast before finishing the drink in one. He might have not done it her way, but he did it.

Eighbris grins under his helmet as he feels his dagger sink into the frenzied beast, even as its primal throes sends him rolling across the ground again. Job's not done yet, but he made a start in taking that thing down. Taking another moment to appraise the situation, he chuckles a little as he sees how things are lining up. If he does nothing, there's a good chance Doom will berserk right into the path of Seraphine's shotgun. That works just fine for him. Now, who else is still alive...ah yeah, the odd one from their neighbours in Moonsoul. Alright then. He'd heard a lot about the monsters that lived in those hills, and at least some of it was probably true. Time to put them to the test. Mechanics Eighbris: Mil 4 0, wounded Attack Another Warrior: The Keon Nnight

Arena Seraphine's shotgun drops Eighbris, sending him into a roll and leaving him dazed on the ground. The thought crosses his mind that he could just...stay here for a little longer. Let the others bleed themselves out a little more, play it sneaky, maybe stab a survivor or two, and then eke out a second place. It might work. But...he just didn't like that option. If he was going to put his life on the line, he much preferred that it be because he tried something risky rather than because he was hiding and someone else might decide to double-tap him. Rising to his feet, wincing a little (luckily it was masked by the helmet - no need for the cameras to see that detail) as he puts weight back on his legs - Seraphine definitely hit something down there - he glances to either side for his sword and shield and comes up empty. Alright then, the dagger it is. It wasn't quite as familiar as his sword, but it was still a nasty little thing, built from the stinger of a bàsclan he had to hunt a few months ago and built to make use of its origin to inject some fun little concoctions Eighbris had gotten hold of. Looking around the arena, he quickly judges the state of everyone and...huh. That one didn't have all those snakes coming out of him last time Eighbris checked. He didn't fancy a second attempt at charging Seraphine, and he didn't want to settle for jumping someone when they were weak - he wanted to come out of this looking good, after all - so he guessed it was time to see if he could kill Veehran monsters as well as he could deal with the ones back home. VIP Box Cagairmòr had so far been quite cool and collected when watching the fight, even when Eighbris' early attack led to disaster. But now, seeing Eighbris' latest stunt, she can't help but vocalise an annoyed "Idiot!". He should have just exploited the fall. Mechanics Eighbris: Mil 4 0, wounded Attack Another Warrior: Doom Soom

When the bell rings, Eighbris instantly leaps into action - he wasn't going to let the action pass him by, that wasn't how you made a name for yourself. His choice of foe seems to be similarly motivated, passing by some of the other fighters to charge straight into Seraphine - that gun looked nasty, but if he could just close the distance in time, use his sudden burst of aggression to his advantage... Mechanics Eighbris: Mil 4, both weapons available Attack Another Warrior: Void-Leader Seraphine - 12!

Pregame Drinks Eighbris grins as he starts seeing some familiar faces, and it only widens when a Bironian barges into the room. Now there was someone with some spirit! "Hah! Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of suggesting like that...what did you say your name was? You've got some boots to fill, my friend. I'm excited to see how well you manage it." That said, he glances over at Prisca, his grin still on his face, and gives her a thumbs up. "Of course. I'm ready to settle things whenever you are." The Arena When the time comes for the fight, Eighbris wastes no time in getting out there, his red chitincraft armour, horned helmet, and shield immediately making him recognisable. Once he's in, for now his eyes only briefly flicker over the other fighters before attention immediately moves to the audience on the other side of the fence - bashing his weapon against his shield, raising his arms to them and shouting out to match their roars, egging them on and loving every moment. Why not work the crowd a little while they wait for this thing to kick off proper? VIP Box Cagairmòr, having settled herself into a good spot in the VIP box, chuckles when she hears Andrei's surprise at the Prince's choice of weaponry. "This isn't that kind of fight. We weren't given a list of banned weapons before coming here, and no doubt he was given a similar lack of restraint. You'll just have to trust in the armour you gave your man."

A lot about the group of Knights of the Dhaoine that show up to Hayeli are quite familiar to those who attended the Big Bironian Bash a few years ago - once again Eighbris in his armour took center stage, bouyed by a good record in the Bash (tied for the position of "best performing fighter who was still alive" wasn't bad, after all. As always, his companion/handler Cagairmòr was there to spectate and represent the Dhaoine in the VIP booth, while other miscellaneous Knights filtered through the crowd and got into just a carefully-balanced amount of trouble that could be sorted out later on. If any other fighters from the Big Bironian Bash have come to Hayeli, either to compete or spectate, Eighbris makes sure that they're sent an invitation to some drinks in one of the VIP booths overlooking the arena, a decent amount of timeDepends on how long it would've taken for everyone to get to the place and the general run-up time the event has had IC. Point is, if it's possible he wouldn't have done it on the day of the fight but if it turns out everyone only arrived just before the fight then he'd have fit it in as best he could. before the start of the fight. Nobody else is given an invite directly, but...well, Eighbris would be dishonouring his sealga heritage if he looked too harshly on crashers or chancers trying their luck so doesn't kick anyone out if they've got a decent amount of spirit to their attempt to get in. Once a decent amount of people have arrived, he stands up and gives a little speech with a glass of whatever the locals said was good in his hand. "I'd like to make a toast to the one who bested all of us who are here the last time around, and who sadly hasn't given us a chance for a rematch. For those of you who weren't aware, Shi Lithium went to war after our fights, and died in battle. As good a way to go as any, for those who are like us, but still regrettable in this instance. And so," He raises the glass in his hand. "To Shi Lithium!" Fightan stuff, electric boogaloo Okay, it's Eighbris again (I saved myself from repeating the full description, if you're curious and don't remember it from the Bash), and in this ruleset he's just rolling at +3 or +4 depending on how rounding works (I forget if there's a general Empire rule for that). As I understand it the shield is basically a non-entity weapon-wise, so he'll have his main sword as his main weapon and a dagger as his second one.

Misc fluff stuff: A Sealga's Guide to Sansar OOC Note: I wrote this in round 1, before most places got writeups. Probably won't be accurate any more, but here for posterity. What follows is an excerpt from The Sealga's Guide to Sansar, notable for being one of the first books written by the Dhaoine that's written in Low Imperial - the stated intent between that is that if any sealga actually wants to go out into the new world and make use of the information in this book, they better damn well be able to learn a language that isn't one of the family of languages spoken in Eilif Dhaoine, or at the least get hold of a half-decent translation system, and as far as languages go the one preferred by the people that gave the Dhaoine this opportunity was as good a choice as any. Technically, Mearanoit is not the writer of the book, as one of their subordinates did that, but the work is a more or less accurate copy of what Mearanoit dictated - as such, there is stil some use of words from their native languages, but those have been appended with the closest Low Imperial word when needed (bàscail and bàsclan were left untouched for the sake of not having many repeating amendments). The names of locations in the Reserve as left as-is. This part of the book is an early summary of Sansar - later parts of the books go into more detail on specific countries and locations of note, although with the same slant as seen here where the focus is on what a sealga would find "interesting" or profitable rather than the average tourist's experience. Zabava First of all, we've got Zabava, what most of us have usually just called mòr-thìr [the mainland] - well unless you're one of that Oirdeas lot, in which case it's Erebuus, but if you're not an idiot you'll see the point. Anyway, the continent starts up in the far north, but we still don't know much about things up there other than the fact it's cold as hell up there. Before any of you start wondering, I'm not going to say much about that big eastern bit either, it's the same thing there, people just haven't been able to keep tabs on all of Sansar over the centuries. Pain in the ass, means any of you will be going in blind if you decide to wander down there, but that's the way it is so don't come whining to me if it turns out there's some big monster lurking in one of those places - I'll just laugh at you and ask you why you didn't kill it. Anyway. On to what we do know about. Once things get warm enough that life can actually do its things, you're in Zabava proper. Northern part is where the Empire has set themselves up, so behave yourselves there, you hear? They've clearly got stuff we haven't seen before, and yeah that makes it real tempting for a bit of the old sneaking about and getting a hold of something nice, but it also means they've probably got new and exciting ways to make you regret it either. So I'll amend my last statement - only cause trouble there if you know you can handle it, and if you have to ask you probably can't. Just stick further south, like in Kan. That's where another of the Elect is based, and it's pretty nice over there - if you miss some of the ways our islands can get all craggy and interesting to get around, then they've got some pretty interesting terrain in the southwest without needing to be a fool and start needlessly climbing mountains, and if you're a vaguely normal person the rest has some nice wild areas that are still calmer nature-wise than back home. But if you're willing to get into the real point of coming here, the cities are where it's at. Big sprawling things, and most regular Kanites will tell you to stay out of the ruins and stay in the parts they've built up. We all know you're not going to do that, but you've gotta be careful out there. The people are the right sort, so pretty dangerous if you're careless, and there's some real weird magic going on there sometimes. Still, if you're quick and careful and pick the right spots, you can gather up some of the random old junk they sell there and make some money yourself. As far as the Kanites themselves are concerned...they're an odd lot. They're like us at heart, real fighters and troublemakers, but their unification was...a lot messier than ours, so a lot of them are busy feeling bad about that or getting the fighting out of their systems by playing mercenary. Nothing you can't handle, probably, but still best to not talk about how they're orange unless you're out there looking for a scrap and interesting times. And to finish it all off, we've got the part of Zabava we've been looking at for who knows how long. Lot like the Reserve, just with far fewer bugs - I found a bàsclan or two when I got to the coastline closest to us, so some of them made it over, but not enough to make the rest of the place feel like home. Terrain's the same, though, lotta jungle, and it gets real rocky the further west you go - I didn't go too far up the mountains, and neither should you, it's pointless. You don't need to go that far up to start finding gold miners, anyway, and that's the main point to coming here. Lot of gold flowing around, and I don't need to tell you how to take advantage of that. The cities here are fun places too, always something interesting going on. After that, we start to hit the Reserve, and I hope I don't need to tell you lot anything about where we bloody come from, do I? Erebuus If you leave the Reserve going south instead, you'll get to Erebuus pretty quickly - the mòr-thìr if you ask someone from Oirdeas. First place you hit is all jungle and woodland, up around one of those space elevators. Those elevators are gonna get some attention soon, so you might have some opportunity there, and cities are cities anywhere you go, but in general it's slim pickings up. Lumber and industry is an opportunity for someone, but not really a self-respecting sealga's kind of business, right? Just keep on going to Eskor, if you ask me. It's nice down there, good eating - although that part of Erebuus is good eating in general, climate's good for agriculture apparently, so if you're wandering around this part of Sansar expect to enjoy your meals. Eskor has a pretty good variety going on, while if you go further down into Caipe Ushere the wine is...so damn good. Seriously, if things go well for you and you have some cash to burn, spend it in Erebuus. But anyway, we're talking about Eskor. Nice place, all rolling hills and fields while the cities are pretty damn fine too. Good power grid or something, a local said. The local religion is a little...odd, it's like if we decided to worship the pre-war Reserve rather than reforge what was left into the Dhaoine, but again they're okay enough if you stay away from the old spaceship. As far as opportunity goes, there's some potential in the fact they're like us - recent unification - but honestly I'd rather just enjoy the place as it is. Gotta leave some places clean so you can relax there, right? Past that, I'd leave that peninsula there alone - lot of miners, but not much fun - and just keep on going down the continent to Caipe Ushere - or there are those islands and the long dangly part of Erebuus to the west if you're bold, but I haven't checked things out there much. Caipe's a nice country, again. Like I said, the wine is amazing, and past that...politics seem pretty steady down here, but there's lot of trade going on between all those cities, so plenty of opportunity for a little bit of fun to line your pocket if you've spent it all getting drunk - no judgement here, we've all been there - although you've gotta be careful of the mages down there. It's a real instituion in those parts, and they take learning about it very seriously, so if you slip up...not all of that magic floating around is useful against a troublemaker like you, but they've still got some nasty tricks up their sleeves. Finally, you get to Erisdor. Now, Erisdor is one of those places that fairly recently had a revolution where they killed the old guard and are now running around calling themselves the Radiant Republic. Now some of you - most of you, probably - never lived in a city that had a revolution, so as someone who has I'll explain what that means for us - it means that the locals are either very happy and very supportive of the new status quo, or terrified of looking like they're not in the first group. We're no aristocrats, so you should be fine, but I know how some of you like riling people up and...look, do you want a mob on you? If you said no, then congratulations you're vaguely intelligent. Either way, be careful about revolutionaries - people will do a hell of a lot for a cause, apparently. Still worth hanging around if you can get the right kind of work, as they're pretty big into free markets and the like so long as the people owning them look the part - like I said, revolutionaries, playing along matters - and that means plenty of opportunities. That weird magic metal they use here is a good starting point, if you're wanting hints. Dewlad Weird place here. Gave it a quick visit, but it's just too weird. That Coedd...thing that some of the lads have been talking about recently is based down there, apparently, and...you ever get the feeling when you go somewhere that you're just not supposed to be there? Not because of any law or anything about it, or because there's some bàsclan lurking there, just...you know what I mean, and if you don't then you're lucky. Anyway, if you can overlook that, Dewlad's not bad hunting. It's all forests and jungles, full of interesting animals and...not much people, really. Apparently some of the plants there are smart, though, so be careful there. Be careful in general, a lot of the life here can put our favourite bàscail to shame when it comes to sneakiness. Worth doing though, some of those hides can get a fair amount of coin - I met a guy in Verglass who had a nice little earner getting chameleonic hides in and turning them into outfits. Still, really if you want to make something for yourself in Dewlad, you don't have to go that far inland - the stories go that the plants gather up the fun stuff they make and leave it for people. Sorta a rough kind of trading between outsiders and the plants going on there, far as I can tell. Still opportunity there if you ask me, just...not for me. Chonkia Alright, I guess it's time for the main course. Chonkia, that huge continent across the ocean from us. There's a lot of it, and a fair amount of it is still not properly mapped out by anyone I had access to, but let's use those two mountain ranges there to split things up. Puts us in pretty nice quarters, with one part west of them, one part north of them, and so on - although a load of the locals use this system but call it left and right instead of west and east. Weird, I know, but something to keep in mind so you don't get blindsided the first time you hear "Down Chonkia" or whatever. The north is mostly uncharted, apart from that northwest part that could probably be included in the west inside but I'm talking about it now so...yeah, it's okay - far too cold for my tastes, so I didn't stick around much. Those "Dragon Eyes" are handy if you have a contact wanting something interesting and magical though, so keep that in mind. Arkhive's up there too, and yeah I know plenty of our people have gone over there recently, apparently it's a nice place, but I haven't gone to to visit yet. Apparently they only use those bees of theirs as guards, so they'll pretty soft pickings but not completely unguarded. Still a lot of opportunity there, but from what I've heard you'll get a lot there if you're just free with the information you share. Hell, part of the reason this book is getting written is that little Scorcha wants something special to give to them. Point is, try the soft approach first, it seems like that'll get a lot work done up there. Most of the rest is uncharted, except for the part that I'll call north for convenience but is deep in the middle of the continent. That big media company's based there, so hey there's somewhere else to go if you have a good story, maybe they'll pay to put it on a show or something? Big robotics industry there too, might be something there to work with. Anyway, I guess I should carry on with the west. Big stretch of it along the coastline is unexplored, so the west is sorta in two chunks, if you see my meaning. If you start in that northern area I mentioned then go south...well, you're presented with two bad choices. First is Moonsoul, and...if you're that nostalgic for home but want to start from scratch rather than using centuries of understanding of your foe, then...go for it, I guess. There's a lot of pre-war scrap there, and from what I've been hearing from the people receiving the stuff it's good gear, but getting at the stuff means dealing with the local wildlife, and like I said...nasty stuff there. Only go there if you're sure you're up for it, and make sure to bring the right tools to get some trophies because from what I've seen, there's no shortage of worthy kills out there. Still got no clue how the locals have things together to be part of the Elect while the majority of the region is so wild, and I'm not particularly inclined to find out more about them - there's something...strange about them, and I'm perfectly happy with leaving that particular rock unturned. Your other choice is far safer country, but unpleasant in other ways, because the locals are a pain to be around. If they're not refusing to have anything to do with you because of some sun cult or whatever, they're being actively annoying because of a whole different cult. Just keep on going through here, if you ask me. They're doing some interesting things with computers, but it's just not worth it, seriously. It's worth it, though, because the Flowering Lands are perfect place to do your thing if you're fine with people. Well-developed country, plenty of people, enough prosperity for the rich to get complacent and bored, some fun textiles with magical properties...if you're bored here and don't see any opportunities to have a little fun, cause a little trouble, or make some coin, that's on you. It's also the closest part of Chonkia to the Reserve, so hey, you can just skip through all the pain I mentioned and go straight there. The other part of the west, down by the space elevator, is real fun too. Near the elevator, you've got a lot of our kind of people hanging around causing trouble, tons to work with, and if you like you can go north into the desert proper to see if the scavengers have anything interesting going on - that lot have set themselves up as a little city-state monarchy, far as I can tell, and have a good thing going with all that pre-war stuff that got swallowed up by the desert. Plenty of trade going on there, and if you're willing to do some honest work for a change there's decent opportunities in the salvage crews. And then we end with the south of Chonkia, huh. Main attraction there are the elves - the Fiorid Principality, they call themselves. They're big into monarchy and bloodlines and that sort of thing, and even more into slavery - they have this whole weird setup going on where the nobles are powerful because they own people instead of land, and everyone else has to pay rent to the king. Bit weird, but hey we're not here to judge countries for how they do things, just for what we can do there. Big thing that'll probably catch your eye down here are the mechs their elites use - kinda like our crawler tanks, but even more focused on agility and boiling it all down to one guy. It means they can keep their cultural emphasis on nobles and knights and whatnot while still being able to do war, see? Smart. I haven't heard of anyone human getting their hands on one of those things, but if you're feeling audacious, there's your chance at making a real name for yourself. And a bounty too, probably, the elves don't seem that likely to forgive and forget, but hey what can you do. Past that...well, you're gonna stand out down here, and if you get caught doing something you shouldn't then congratulations, you're part of their grand system of slavery now, but past that it's kinda like home, plenty of jungle - just keep in mind that they know how to make the jungle work for them, just like we do - but the real prize is probably Soleyja. That's where their...ah, what do they call them...Druids, right. They're like our agri techs but a lot more esoteric and fancy about it all, far as I can tell. Still, they mess around with making new varieties of plants and such there, and there's always money there. If that's not your thing, I heard about fights going on in a few places I passed through, but I'm not sure if that's some action you can get in on, and their politics were...complex enough, let's say - and no that doesn't mean I don't understand it, just it's tricky to see it all from the ground like we're on - that there's probably something going on you can get in on or use to cause some trouble if you're feeling stupid brave. East is pretty simple, it's just where the Durats live. It's worth coming here for the novelty alone - if you've never talked to some Durats, you need to. It's such a weird experience at first, load of little rodents getting together and having a conversation with you because they're all psychic. It's wild. Besides that, you're probably gonna want to go to Coastaphornia or Hovell - the former's a nice place to relax for a while, and since it's the main place non-Durats get together and do stuff there's always the chance for something interesting to come up, particularly if it involves that university of theirs, the little guys are big in the science and tech fields. Hovell, meanwhile...that's all wilderness, and they've got some interesting species going on in there if you fancy your skills and want something a little different from chitin to work with for trophies. Big thing to watch out for there is the fauna can be pretty hostile, not like whatever the hell is going on in Coedd, but just the old traditional way plants can try to kill you. ELD Worker Conditions/Rights OOC Note: I wrote this for the WTU inspection - in the end the inspectors got shut out anyway so it didn't matter, but it's still canon stuff so here it goes. Overall, the best way to summarise the typical attitude to worker's rights and conditions in Eilif Dhaoine's dominion is a kind of...practical indifference to the topic, doing what's needed to ensure a decent level of morale and productivity, never particularly veering into policies driven by cruelty or disdain for the common worker but also rarely doing anything that advances their cause without an ulterior motive. This is compounded by the fact that the Eilif Dhaoine government takes a rather laissez-faire approach to business matters and so rarely gets involved if practices the Union would disagree with do crop up. In the Reserve itself, it is hard to escape two factors - the way that residence within the city walls is tied to work, and the omnipresent industry of Reserve cities. The former is a policy that the Dhaoine do not find unreasonable - if you want to live within the protection of the city's walls, you need to pay for the privilege (outright buying property and landlord/tenant arrangements are allowable, as is renting government-owned property - some of the latter category is earmarked as emergency property used as a lifeline for those whose circumstances take a downward turn, but such help is on a strict timetable) and living outside of the walls is more dangerous (although less so in recent years) but far more likely to be less stringent about rents and such. Naturally, if you're gainfully employed (read: not a sealga) there are other taxes and such to consider, though. The latter is likely more of a sticking point for the Union inspectors - Dhaoine cities are very vertical in their construction and most of their industry is found within the city rather than external sites, meaning that pollution is always going to be a concern. When you take the previous point into consideration, and think about how housing that is closer to that industry or otherwise more exposed to the noxious gases and other by-products of industry is far cheaper than, say, the prestigious and meticulously cleaned ground floor properties, an obvious issue presents itself. Within the industries themselves, standards are...sufficient. Most Dhaoine businesses have made the call that a living worker is worth more than a cheaper dead worker, and so take the necessary steps to prevent easily-stopped risks and hazards, and the Eilif Dhaoine government ensures that everyone living or working in a Dhaoine city has certain biological/genetic enhancements necessary for thriving in the Reserve (primarily those allowing for better tolerance and processing of bàscail meat, although others deal with more general toxin and pollution resistance), but there is definitely room for improvement in places where business leaders have decided that the risk of harm isn't quite worth the cost of fixing it. In Lassal, mining is hard work as it always has been, but modern technology has made the process significantly safer than it was in the past, and this has continued into the refineries and other industries that are built around the gold trade. That said, some of the mining towns in the hills are essentially company towns one gold corporation controls it all (often even refining the gold on-site rather than shipping off ore), a practice Eilif Dhaoine has seen little reason to break up given their hands-off approach to internal economic practices. In the sprawl itself, there's a notable amount of unemployment in poverty in the less governed areas, some operations set up in those neighbourhoods definitely cut corners to take advantage of the lack of attention shown there, and wherever you go there's little in the way of social support from the mayors, except for the Dhaoine living under the jurisdiction of the Dhaoine mayor whose policies echo those seen in the Reserve. In the Emerald Expanse, there is no standardised system for safety standards, worker's rights or similar matters - it all depends on the city-state in question, and the way that Pratibdhism is typically interpreted means it's often down to the business owner themselves. That said, the constant flow of trade and people between the cities here does mean that there are some common expectations that have become entrenched in the minds of the working class - after all, if they don't like what a business or city is offering them, the Expanse has some very nice roads to walk away down. While the Flowering Lands works under a feudal system, the prosperity and abundance of the region means that even those working in the farms and ranches have a fairly good standard of living, able to produce enough to cover their obligations and still have enough to live off. The work itself is also fairly safe, with enchanted clothing providing a decent amount of protection against accidents out in the farms, and when it comes to manufacturing and production the overall high standard of living in the region means that a good amount of protection and safety standards are to be expected.