Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Imythess, the border between dreams and reality. We hope you enjoy your visit.

Imythess is a creative writing board where you narrate the story of a character in the medieval land of Imythess, on the planet Chaon. Each topic is an opportunity for your character to interact with the world and its peoples by cooperatively writing pieces of a story with other members, one post at a time. We call this role-playing, because you assume the identity of your character as if it were your own.

In order to play, you must register an account for each character you would like to write about, and begin their tale by filling out their basic profile information: Race (human, elf, demon, etc.), class (warrior, mage, etc.), physical appearance, and any other personal details you would like to describe. You are also encouraged to come up with some background history information for what your character's life has been like up to the point at which their story in Imythess begins.

There is no approval process or application required to join, so long as you follow the rules then you are free to write whatever character details you choose. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Create a character now!


If you're already a member, you can log into your account below:


Username:   Password:
Reply
Intelligence Reports from the White Queen War; Historical Record
Topic Started: Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:49 am (2,112 Views)
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


One year ago, a floating castle of ice laid siege to the City of Magic, Striberg, led by an enigmatic figure known as the White Queen. Striberg's navy and guard fought tooth and nail to defend the city-state against an army of encroaching warriors from a foreign land. With the assistance of an overwhelming number of outsiders sympathetic to their cause, Striberg's defenders were able to drive the invading force back. However, that was not the end of the White Queen. Many members of her army were stranded in Striberg and willingly deserted during the retreat of the floating castle, wishing to live a peaceful life in Imythess. A combination of overcrowding, poverty, political outrage and the machinations of the White Queen's covert operations force, the White Guard, made their lives in Striberg a difficult adjustment.

It was only recently that Striberg, still recovering from the attack and the integration of its new citizens, found out where the White Queen's floating castle went during its retreat. It lies closer than anyone had expected.

After her initial drive to conquer Striberg, the castle of the White Queen came to rest within a cove on a treacherous, rocky coast south of the City of Magic. They believed there would be little fear of counter-attack; after all, Striberg's forces were all but depleted in the invasion and tensions with the Stranded destabilized the metropolis' infrastructure. The Queen and her forces set up military outposts and supply lines to gather resources from the nearby land, clearly intending to make their stay permanent and waiting for the best opportunity to strike again.

In order to break the enchantments the mages of Striberg's Academy of Magic used to confine her within her palace, the Queen tasked the White Guard unit with kidnapping a number of the institution's high profile professors and administrators. Re-integrated Stranded that had been forcibly returned to the Queen's stronghold from Striberg facilitated intelligence gathering required to locate these important figureheads, some against their will. Much of the time since the Queen's initial retreat was spent decoding the enchantment, and to this end she was successful. Her forces now appear to be preparing to mobilizing once more against the weakened, struggling city-state.

Upon receiving confirmation of the White Queen's presence from numerous scouting parties, the Grand Duke of Striberg, Vincent Strilin, has appealed the other nations of Imythess -- for if the city were to fall, the rest of Imythess would be next. He realizes that simply waiting for the White Queen to strike will not guarantee the end of this invasion; they need to end this. He knows that they must go on the offensive before the White Queen does.

The White Queen doesn't plan to go down without a fight. She has deployed small companies of light infantry supported by ice elementals. The defenses of her outposts have been heavily modified and strengthened to survive even very tough assaults. Furthermore, every mile of ground between Striberg and the Ice Palace is rocky, difficult to traverse and have been littered with booby traps both magical and mundane in nature -- all threatening to seriously impede or cripple any potential advances. On the seas, giant serpents constructed from ice guard each supply boat that threaten to sink any foreign forces.

War is coming to Striberg.

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Dear Vincent Strilin,

I am writing to inform you of the recent results of the Council of Merchants meetings following the one you attended. It is with great pride that I announce Cascadia's acceptance of your request for aid. The Council has declared a state of war, and as such has appointed me temporary Admiral-of-the-Fleet: the highest military command in our Air Navy. Our air forces, of which many have not yet seen live combat, are enthusiastic about testing their mettle against a real threat.

The airships we are sending as I write this are the pinnacle of Cascadian craftsmanship. When selecting troops, I prioritized ship crews that had the most live combat experience dealing with air pirates and bandits. As such, this overall detachment is composed mainly of frigates and destroyers. Frigate airships are built for speed and maneuverability, often with their armament concentrated on one or two decks. Some of our most notable frigates include the Katar, Stiletto, Sickle and Smallsword, which are all operated by experienced members of our navy. Destroyer-class airships are both maneuverable and hardy, intended to defend larger and less maneuverable ships in the fleet. Distinguished destroyers on their way to Striberg include the Cutlass, Rapier, Battleaxe, Scythe and Lance.

I have also called upon the battleships Longsword and Warhammer to aid the cause. The crews of these powerful airships are mostly untested, but I hope the sheer firepower they bring will be more than enough to aid the war effort.

Sincerely,
Admiral Sonia Minak
Cascadia

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Grand Duke Vincent Strilin,

Clan Almurre accepts your plea for aid in the north. While the other horselord clans continue their petty internal squabbles, we are fully willing and capable of assisting our northern allies push the attack on this White Queen menace. Currently we seek to gather up every capable member of our clan, which is spread across multiple villages near Kellen.

In case you weren't aware, we boast having some of the deadliest horse archers of all the settled Kellenites -- but do not worry, for if the terrain is too difficult even for our disciplined horses then we can operate nearly as lethally on foot. Instead of hiding behind thick armor and shields like cowards, we are highly mobile and very flexible on the battlefield. In total, we estimate we should be able to provide 25 skilled horse archers, 15 powerful cavalry-magi, and at least 30 Almurren warriors from the numerous smaller families that serve or are indebted to us.

When all capable Almurrens have gathered, we have made an agreement with Guard-Captain Fara Merdell to employ the use of their portal-mage. This will allow all of us to arrive at Striberg within a day or so. Until then, we look forward to participating.

Best,
Victoria Almurre
Kellen

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Dear Grand Duke,

I speak for the High King and Queen. After much deliberation about the role of the Norwood Monarchy in the resumption of hostilities, they have graciously decided to lend aid in your hour of need. You might be aware that our nation does not have a standing army and can therefore not provide a large number of troops. However, we can provide troops that are utterly unique in all the realm: the Fëadin.

As you might be aware, the Fëadin are unlike any other military unit in the land. They have protected our homeland for centuries, and only the highest caliber of warriors are inducted into their ranks. The Fëadin specialize in covert military tactics. We are aware that the capabilities of these individuals is obscured in rumor and superstition. Let me guarantee you of their expertise: in the past dozen years, they have not lost a single soldier in combat. If you need a job completed quickly and quietly, there is no better group for the task.

The High King and Queen look forward to updates about the progress of the assault.

With Respect,
Chamberlain Felora Ree'And
Norwood

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Vincent Strilin,

We were there when you addressed the Congress. When the Head Minister told you our republic was still too weakened to send reinforcements, we could not abide that decision.

You do not know of us. We are former members of the Taras Army's 2nd Marine Assault Unit, the Coiled Serpent. We are survivors of the fall of our city, broken off from our self-centered government so we can work for the good of our homeland unimpeded. Our small order mainly hunts demons, but we intend to branch out.

If you are plotting an amphibious assault, you need us. Each brother and sister in our order has decades of experience protecting allied ships, boarding and destroying enemy ships, carrying out shoreline raids, and otherwise attacking from water. We are outfitted in top-of-the-line amphibious heavy armor and have no want for equipment or special amenities.

We cannot tolerate the risk of our ally Striberg suffering the same fate as our homeland. Our order offers up its full membership of thirty-seven marine knights without expectation of reward.

We refuse to let Striberg fall while we still draw breath.

Signed,
Brother William Alder, the Iron-Flesh
Taras

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Vincent! A pleasure to have met with you!

My Istani forces are already mobilizing. Her Majesty is happy to aid our friends in the north. With all the forces we have in surplus and reserve, I'm certain you won't gain more raw manpower from any other nation in Imythess. Truly, you should see the commotion at our military headquarters! Streets are crowded shoulder-to-shoulder with eager soldiers waiting to enter the portals to Striberg. It could easily take a full week to transport this number of people, even with portal magi working around the clock.

In total, we have called upon sixteen-thousand Istani warriors to aid your cause. In case you weren't aware, our army is divided into a system of specialized regiments. Her Majesty and I have selected portions of several regiments to create a deadly fighting force, which I have summed up forthwith:

To form the backbone of the Imythessian land force I have enlisted approximately half the number of Taber Nahkal heavy infantry, often called "Axe and Ox" in Common. These tough men and women stride into combat outfitted in heavy armor even despite the heat of the desert. Taber Nahkali tend to favor long-handled weapons such as spears, glaives, pole-axes and halberds, but they are also trained in the use of many other weapons including the traditional sword and shield. Having served with them in my youth, I can personally vouch for their absolute unwillingness to let the line fall.

Summoned from every corner of the Istan Desert, I have called together a large proportion of the Shevakiri shock forces -- which many Common-speakers simply refer to as the Istan Rangers. Shevakiri units have saved the lives of my men more often than I can count. They specialize in small-group combat, forming tactical strike teams to perform all sorts of functions on the battlefield. My Shevakiri can break the line, flank the enemy, destroy strategic points... you will not regret having them at your side, my friend.

Last but not least, I have supplied some of the finest scouts and skirmishers I know. My Kirik Jal pathfinders move and communicate like parts of a single living thing. I even prioritized scouts with more experience in the rougher terrain of Istan so they might serve us better during the march. About a quarter of the total regiment is moving through the portals north. Unlike many scouts, the Kirik Jal can even hold their own in a fight, especially with thrown weapons like javelins. There is no doubt in my mind that the Kirik Jal will be a massive boon to our scouting forces.

Once I've finished my business here, I will personally take my place on the battlefield and offer as much assistance to the war effort as I'm capable. I look forward to seeing how you fight, Strilin -- I suspect the rumors of your lethality are true!

May you find happiness in all you pursue,
Hakan Solak
Istan

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


To All Imythess Forces,

Please distribute the following information to all commanders that plan on taking the field. I lost some good men and women gathering this intelligence; don’t waste it.

Noak Ryjell
Striberg Academy of Magic, Black Squad



Description of Enemy Forces

Common Troops (“Barbarians”)
Occurrence: Common
The bulk of the White Queen’s forces consist of lifelong soldiers. During the initial invasion, they were mistakenly labeled as “barbarians” by the Striberg City Guard and the moniker has stuck. They are taller than most Imythessians, with an average height of roughly seven feet tall. They generally have olive-colored skin and light hair, although there are the variations you would expect within a population. Their standard battle uniform consists of fur-lined leather armor, although variations in appearance are common. Their standard armaments consist of a thick, double-edged sword slightly longer than the standard shortsword. Most soldiers carry individual weapons as well that can vary widely. These troops have extensive training in the art of war, but pose a minimal threat individually.

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Description of Enemy Forces, II

Berserker Corps
Occurrence:
Common
These are specialized troops that excel at raw offensive potential. Although they were not encountered during the initial invasion, multiple scouting parties have encountered these soldiers in the field. Similar to the Faceless Berserkers of the Army of Istan, these individuals are capable of entering a “rage-state” that turns them into killing machines. In this state they are nearly mindless and will viciously attack opponents until they are literally incapable of movement. We are currently unsure of the number of members of the Berserker Corps or how the White Queen plans on incorporating them in her tactics. These troops are extremely dangerous even when encountered individually and the utmost care should be used when fighting them.

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Description of Enemy Forces, III

Northern Dragon
Occurence:
Unique
Capabilities unknown. Extremely powerful warrior. Previously appeared during the invasion of Striberg, but combat skills were not aptly examined. No attacks seemed to do any serious damage. We do not expect to encounter the Northern Dragon during the march.

White Queen
Occurrence:
Unique
Capabilities unknown. Extremely powerful magical abilities. Previously restrained within her palace, but this is no longer the case. We do not expect to encounter the White Queen during the march.

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Description of Enemy Forces, IV

White Guard
Occurence:
Uncommon
These are specialized troops that are tasked with the protection of the White Queen herself. Reports indicate that they rank higher in the command structure than typical soldiers or berserkers. They have a large degree of training and are martial experts that excel in anti-mage tactics. Their standard battle uniform consists of enameled steel armor that has been enchanted or forged to appear like ice. This armor has been shown to diminish the effects of cold- and heat-based attacks both magical and mundane. Their standard armaments consist of weapons that have been enchanted to freely change shape. This arcane addition gives them a huge degree of versatility. Thankfully, this enchantment has been reverse-engineered and is available for our soldiers as well. These troops are extremely dangerous even when encountered individually and the utmost care should be used when fighting them.

Ice Elementals
Occurence:
Uncommon
Elemental creatures summoned by the White Queen herself. It is unknown if they serve her willingly or if she has subverted their will through magic. These creatures can vary widely in appearance, size, and physical strength. They usually appear to be made out of ice and sleet and snow. Their mere presence will make the temperature in the area drop significantly. Some of the stronger ice elementals seem capable of using magical abilities. They are difficult to harm with physical attacks. Magical assaults have proven to be the best tactic for eliminating elementals.

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Description of Enemy Forces, V

Ice Serpents
Occurence:
Rare
Specialized ice elementals that have been spotted in the waters surround the White Queen's palace. Their entire bodies are made out of incredibly resilient ice. Massive bladed spikes extend from their backs that seem designed for sinking ships. We have been unable to directly engage these opponents and are unsure of how to best engage them.

Giant Corps
Occurence:
Rare
These are large humanoids that fight for the White Queen and have been given the moniker of “Frost Giants” by the Striberg City Guard. They can be up to twenty feet tall and possess massive amounts of strength. Most of the giants encountered thus far have fought with large cudgels that allow them to take advantage of their extended reach and massive strength. Although they do not appear to wear any standard uniforms or armor, it should be noted that their skin is extremely tough and resilient. It is unknown how many of these giants are available to the White Queen.

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Dear Grand Duke Vincent Strilin,

Your request for aid has reached the Office of the Balefire Clerks and was successfully processed. Unfortunately, the city is currently incapable of pulling together surplus military support of the type and breadth that you specified. Among our forces of Sheriffs and free law enforcement agents, we do not possess a single member who is not already fully occupied by large, imminent, and internal threats which take precedence over a distant and foreign one.

Sincerely,
Clerk Lucas Gelens
Balefire

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Grand Duke of Striberg,

I write this reply with great regret. While I have not yet had the honor of meeting you in person, we citizens of the dwarven hold of Axerise feel our allies in Striberg deserve due aid. I pleaded your case at this season's Grand Hearth, but the atmosphere of the meeting was more tense than I have ever seen it. Belligerent feelings toward the dark elves have risen in these recent months. Many other Deep Kings think the political discord among the dark elf leadership marks a perfect opportunity to strike against them.

The First Among Equals, Eirik the Blind, does nothing to stop discussion of this violent and imprudent possibility. Many Deep Kings have already taken sides for or against the war. Dwarven troops are amassing, either in self-defense or in preparation of an attack on the dark elves. All of them think nothing of the White Queen when our own conflicts lie so close to home.

Not even I can send more than a handful of my own soldiers. Because the safety of my Hold's citizens is imminently threatened by the possibility of infighting, I must keep as many of my trusted men here at home as possible. I am truly sorry for this, but sending any aid from our government is untenable at this time.

Sincerely,
Deep King Olaf the Farsighted
Deep Cities

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


Grand Duke Strilin:

Thanks to the efforts of our scouts, documents collected from outposts that were overcome, and interviews with Stranded still in Striberg, we have managed to accumulate some knowledge about the homeland of the White Queen and her forces.

  • The country from which the White Queen and the Stranded hail is named Rejevi [rye-yev-ee]; this translates in the Common language to Iceveil. Citizens of Rejevi are generally referred to as the Rejevii. Rejevi's capital city is Afaldei or Grayhearth.

  • Their spoken language is Rehel; it shares few or no commonalities with any language native to Imythess. We are making progress in transcribing Rehel's complex runic alphabet thanks to the help of the Stranded.

  • Rejevi has been a monarchy since its creation. The same royal family has ruled for this entire period of time. Little is currently known about them except for the fact that they have strong magical abilities that are passed from parent to child.

  • The ancient Northern Dragon has been closely related with the monarchy for their entire reign. There is a deep connection shared by the current ruler of Rejevi and the Dragon. He is often referred to as 'the Shield of Rejevi,' revered as the guardian of the entire country and the royal family. Some Rejevii even believe that he is the country's patron god and worship him as such.

  • Rejevi is one of a series of smaller nations surrounding a large country known as Abnathea. There are some significant cultural and economic ties between all of these countries.

  • For reasons unknown, Rejevi and Abnathea have been at war for a lengthy amount of time. We estimate that it has been at least a century since hostilities began. The huge amount of troops that the White Queen has brought to Imythess has surely had an impact on the war effort against Abnathea.

We will let you know as soon as we obtain more information from the translation of the captured documents.

Sincerely,
High Sage Rathmore
Academy of Magic

Written By: Seele
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
Storyteller[ST]
Member Avatar


We've got a pretty diverse outfit here. I guess that's to be expected, considering our situation. Walking through parts of camp is kind of like walking through miniature slices of all the Imythessian city-states. It's not just government troops anymore; a whole slew of mercenaries and adventurers from across the continent have enlisted. I like to think they realize what's at stake here and want to help out of the goodness of their hearts, but I know that's not always the case. I tip my hat to some new orcish warriors that came in just recently; I saw their blind leader fight, and I can say for sure I have respect for that kind of help. I take a seat by the fire near my unit and catch the tail-end of some story the Corporal is telling. He talks with his hands, and he's gotten so into it that he's flailing his arms all around like an idiot. Even our humorless Istani is smirking at the spectacle.

"--and this- this sphere falls straight from the sky and bam! Kills the scout in one blow!"

"I wonder if we can mass-produce those things..." They laugh.

"No use now. That bugbear I was talking about claimed it as its own, and seeing the kind of destruction that thing can wreak, I'm not so sure I'd want to risk taking it away."

Everyone nods. Burgess, a Kellenite, passes me a bowl of slop and I dig in. "What about you, Magister Ercole? Hear anything good?"

I scratch my beard, thinking. "Lots of news on the outposts. Looks like we've been taking those rather successfully. I heard that one of them got proper wrecked, but the task force responsible didn't make it. Not sure what happened there. Last I heard, the army's still conducting an investigation."

Our Istani, which we've taken to calling Scars since no one can pronounce his name right, puts down his bowl. "Indeed. A few friends of mine are stationed at another outpost we took just yesterday. It used to be full of berserkers. Needless to say, it is not anymore."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Some Istani war hero and a tribal, right?" Burgess chimes in. "Istani women are scary."

"Better to be straightforward than sneaking around in the shadows and stabbing people in the back," I say. "Did you hear about those dead enemy officers? Rumor has it the Black Squad's involved. Seems like the loss of leadership is causing a bit of a stir in the lower ranks."

Our Tarasian mercenary, Kateline, scoffs. "Yeah, right. There were flames exploding all over the place. That's not Black Squad work." I shrug.

There's a moment of silence while we each finish our dinner. It's fairly quiet here at camp: just the crackling of the fire and the low pervasive hum of other conversations. I listen to an Istani scout giving a verbal report to her superior. She's talking about the elimination of enemy scouts and the clearing of the marching path, mostly. "It's true," she breathes. "A huge garrison of soldiers. Those mercenaries who scouted ahead were right." Her commanding officer clearly doesn't like or trust mercenaries, since he makes a face and gives a curt confirmation, then dismisses her. But I see he's worried, and he's not going to let something like that go unaddressed.

I come out of my eavesdropping and realize our own conversation's already gone ahead. "--'Barbarians' is an awful thing to call them, Kat. You could easily call a lot of our soldiers the same. I saw a huge man with a dragon tattoo going into battle just the other day, and another time I could swear I saw a Sulerian. We've got barbarians on our own side, killing all kinds of enemies."

Suddenly everyone's conversation in the camp is interrupted by a world-shaking roar. Some people scream or duck down or draw their weapons. I grab my seat to steady myself and instinctively look for my staff. By the time I take it up, the sound is gone. There's a bustle in the camp as people frantically search the skies for the source of the roar. Nothing is there, of course; I know the skies were basically cleared with the help of several volunteers, including a half-elven monk, and they would have seen something huge coming. No, the source is still waiting in the White Queen's stronghold, I'm sure. It's probably just blowing off steam... or reminding us what kind of danger we're marching toward.

Word comes back a few minutes later confirming that the skies are indeed empty, but that sound has disquieted me. I realize that this light mood won't last much longer. We have almost arrived at the White Queen's stronghold, and things will only get more difficult from here.

Written By: Ozan
Offline Profile Quote To Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Culture and History Lore · Next Topic »
Reply

Top RP SitesVote for Imythess at Top Site List Planet
Top Site Lists
Misty Woods created by Helena & Cory of ZNR