Underneath Hanseti

[Mirtok 2853]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F11oe_6elZ0

*Men and women of The Order gather around the Hochmeister throne, awaiting his voice to command their next move. Each weighed down by large suits of their finest armor, weapons of all sorts strapped to their person. Many can be heard shuffling their stance to better distribute their load, a few voices escape from under their breaths to each other. Suddenly one of the veteran soldiers snaps into a ready position, hand raised to his temple for a salute as the Hochmeister quickly makes his way to his throne. At the sight of their leader, the Sariants assume the ready position.

"At ease my Sariants. Our emperor Godfrey has tasked us with a mission of extreme importance. It has been placed upon us to ensure that the integrity of Oren never faces defeat nor failure. To protect our lands and our people no matter the cost. His request was both specific and vague, but I have a solution.

We are now at the midst of war; A war with our own kind and with our own brothers. The fallout and result of said war will forever scar our country and its peoples. We must ensure that Godfrey comes out on top, for the good of our Order, Hanseti, Oren, and the human race. He has uplifted the humans from their lowly pit of disease, blood, and disorder to a status that has delivered us to the forefront of every race. Under his rule we have grown strong and been ensured longer lives! I ask thee, men and women of the Order to see the good that Godfrey brings to us. Do not be held back by the false notion of what good meant to you! Good in respects to the health and strength of a whole race, to several kingdoms, to thousands of men.

I have asked you all to congregate here to witness the next phase in our existence! We were founded to protect and restore Oren. We have fought and died for generations doing so; We took the nation to secure its existence; We worked long days and fought bloody nights for the sake of mankind. Guilds have fallen, lands have burnt, men have died. But when we came to Asulon, there was no Oren to fight for. We have been lost for a long time my brothers and sisters, lost and without purpose. But Godfrey hath given it back!

I am launching an expedition into the deep underground of Hanseti. There we will unearth everything that was this land's past. I have seen great things beneath our feet, work of great men and machines of greater minds. We shall find what we seek there, for the good of Oren, we must!

Today marks a new chapter in our lives, and when the time comes for such to be written in our history's, we shall show the world what it means to be a Sariant, what The Order can achieve, what Oren will become!"

*The Sariants in the room all throw up their fists in proud manners. Mirtok organizes several groups among the crowd to search each end of Hanseti. The groups file out one by one. As they once more gather in the courtyard, Mirtok appears before them all and says . . .

Beliae doe Moedor Lent!

[Mr_Boomer337 56]

*Raises his fist in pride and shouts, "OORAH"*

"Soea hteaati expand doe mines out farther uened uncover as many of dias land's relics as soea can.

*GrossBergmann Firali walks out of the throne room with a pick over his shoulder*

[Mirtok 2853]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppuM_iX5zXA&feature=

*Mirtok pours over mounds of paper and leather bindings. The pile shifts and a few articles float down to the cold stone floor. Mirtok shuffles through packets of translated works, decorated with symbols and pictures through the walls of lettering. Finally he finds the piece he had been looking for, bringing it next to another text.

*He compares the two, thinking critically himself for several minuetes before arising from his chair. Mirtok walks over with the papers in hand to a large map hung onto the wall. The fire pit behind him crackles and bursts of warmth hit Mirtok's back with each small draft the wafts through his keep. He peers through the slits in his helmet, studying the map and occasionally glancing back down to the two articles of interest. Mirtok stands there motionless with the occasionally pan of his head, then his attention snaps to a small area north of Wachter Stadt. He flattens one of the texts next to the location on the map and mutters to himself . . .

Usaer eru u doe snow. Hteaati kags erhael dias svardv uened ruestene? Doe pilal shec manni; Tillae keill doe Nuaetzelsv, Maenschev, Schaemv uened Duaemmv. Our siege ist secret; Our geale ist even more de. Doe unoz weo hteaati find konasere weo seige doe day.

*In a quick flurry of energy and excitment, Mirtok grabs his mighty war hammer and a pristine shovel and quickly runs north along the river bed that outlines his Teutonic fort. Through the east gate and along the treacherous mountains ledge, Mirtok hurries north in search of the Hansetian compound. He climbs several peaks and slides down several more, until he comes upon a clear indication of Hansetian presence.

Haha! We are that much closer to our final goal!

*Mirtok takes out his twin obsidian horn and gives it a flew blasts. The sound echoes over the mountain tops, reflecting back and forth until it dissipates into the sounds of the harsh winds. An hour pasts, Mirtok spots Teutonic Sariants coming over the east peaks. They greet each other and inquire as to why the horn was blown.

Men, I have found it! I want digging to commence as soon as possible. Bring in all our excavation gear, alert Firali that mining will be needed. What lies underneath us will propel this nation to its full potential! Quickly brothers, I wish to have the secrets of the ancients unlocked within the year! I wish to examine their secrets, their works and their achievements! We are truly blessed by these massive peaks and these frozen fields, for what we seek we will find . . . Underneath Hanseti.

[The Lion 736]

looks at Mirtok

I don't know about his whole underground thing, it has collapsed before, whats going to stop it this time?

[Mirtok 2853]

*Mirtok turns around after hearing his brothers comment. He shuffles through the snow and begins to speak to Lion . . .

Lion, my dear brother, this time will be different. I was a fool to traverse the undergrounds on my own. Carelessly breaking away at the ancient supports to progress further down in order to feed my curiosity. But now . . . now we dig! Celestia smiles upon us always, and now that we break away the barriers that prevent her radiance, we shall always be protected.

*Mirtok puts his hand on his brothers shoulder

Trust me brother.

[Mirtok 2853]

Picks and shovels can be heard breaking away at the soil. Iron hits rock, emitting a ping with each strike. The sounds of crunching earth is lifted away by men hard at work, digging towards the unknown. Mirtok stops shoveling to survey his loyal Sariants, Firali only stopping slightly to wipe sweat from his brow, Maur and Erik setting up TnT to aid in the excavation of the site, Erat and Lion tell stories of the past and Caeldrim knocks mud from his boots. Looking to the sky, Mirtok senses a storm coming on. He climbs his way out of the hole and begins to establish tent posts.

The group descends further into the dark. TnT shakes the surrounding landscape as the stone walls at the dig site give way. Towering supports are erected to hold up the slowly weakening roof as they dig deeper and deeper down.

From the top of the camp, Lion shouts "Break time boys! Get some rest and a little food for your aching guts!"

The Sariants traverse back to the top of the of the camp, their ears pop as they re-enter the heights of the mountains after spending ample time far below. The men gather around the fire and slowly nibble on their food. Caeldrim breaks away from the Sariants and climbs atop a small peak. Awaiting is Mirtok securing a section of tent with rope to the cold ground.

"Sir, what is it we are digging for? There are ruins just over there, why don't we just break a couple walls in there? In fact, I think there is some sort of sacrifice table over there by the looks of it."

Mirtok stops what he's doing and responds . . .

"That is not a sacrifice table, they didn't do that there. And it doesn't matter what we are digging for, so much as long as we get there. I've done the research and it all points here. It would be better for us all if you didn't ask questions, just dig till I say stop."

"What ever you say Mirtok."

[Mirtok 2853]

*Mirtok paces back and forth in front of a large map that depicts the lands of Hanseti. His breath is heavy and his fists are clenched up tight. He stomps on the ground with his right foot and turns towards the map. In a fit of anger he smacks his forearm on the border of the map and peers his head in close.

"What am I doing wrong!? Everything points to that Celestia forsaken mountain range!"

*He uses his other hand to trace three outlines with his finger over a specific mountain region.

"Each time I make a breakthrough, we find nothing. My work assured me that I would find them in those exact locations, but am I doing wrong?"

*Mirtok lifts away from the map and turns towards the large windows at the end of the room. As he slowly walks over to look out the window, Mirtok uses both his hands to remove his winged helm from his head. His ghoulish face is once more exposed to the open air, his toothy smile forever stuck on his face. He shoulders the helmet under his armpit and speaks once more to himself.

"Maybe I've got it all wrong. Maybe there was a mistranslation. One more dig, then we look elsewhere; My Sariants have sustained too many accidents as it is, dam Orcs and their TnT addictions."

*Mirtok lowers his helmet over his head once more and strides out of the room just after gathering a bundle of papers adorned with unreadable text. He mutters under his breath . . .

The East holds the key to our victory. Beliae doe Moedor Lent.

[The Lion 736]

Lion sits at the entrance of the new digsite, he begins wiping down his discipline club and says out loud

All these sariants do is whine and cry about the damn cold and "hurt" feet, they're all lazy, some of them haven't worked a day in their lives, i'm beginning to think ill need a new club after this is all over.

[Mirtok 2853]

*You reach out for a vial of water, pulling it towards you to take a swig. Finishing you wipe the excess from the front of your helmet and return to your work. The sounds of iron on stone chirps away from out side the tent. The voices of men yelling towards each other fills in the should quiet gaps of sound. You pause for a moment- hand hovering over parchment holding a quill. You glance to the right as a series of thoughts invade your mind- then the voices get louder. A ground shaking explosion rings out from behind you- the tent shudders- snow calls to the ground from the door frame.

"Mirtok! Mirtok! I think we found something, what we've been lookin' for!"

*You have the fleeting memory of your nose flaring- your heart beat quickens- your mind races. You stand up and gather a few items-you speak to the dirty Sariant . . .

"Prepare more TnT, gather up ropes and ladders- We move."

*Large Orcs and short Dwarves run about the large hole with materials over their shoulders. You spot Dain helping another Sariant at lowering a ladder into the antechamber, Maur and Erik are moving sticks of TnT to a cleared area- you begin to descend down the long spiraling stairs. You ask yourself, "Could this be it? The Hansetian City?" You stop just before a ladder and peer down the deep hole. Pillars, stairs, doors and rubble meet your view- this is it.

"Dain, I want every tome, book and piece of parchment copied and moved to the surface. Maur, Eric, and Tadok, I want these doors busted open immediately- use Eriks head as a battering ram if you must. The rest of you, fan out and recover as much as you can!"

*You quickly turn and climb back up the stairs, the ladder to the surface is illuminated by a beam of light from Celestia's sun, a clear invitation to wait atop while the men work. Your attention is then directed to your left- a door made of heavy iron is slightly a gap. You approach the door- a slight humming vibrates the walls. The doors lazily fall open, your thoughts nulled by what you see. You barely hear click at the bottom of your feet- the whole room is illuminated by floor- a mess of tangled red stone- massive super coils hang off the walls, and in the middle is the reward for all your hard work.

"Dain! I want this documented to the fullest of your abilities. Diagrams, descriptions, the works- I want it all."

*You reach out and place a chain-mailed hand upon the glass case. You study the lid and base of the device- pure gold. Large wires float suspended above you leading away from it, emitting a small glow and slight hum. Your gaze sweeps the room, your brothers now fully occupying it. You can feel your facial muscles contort into what should be a smile and you chuckles under your breath . . .

"Celestia be praised."

[Mirtok 2853]

Entry 117: The Cloud

"Hochmeister, I believe we left something behind in the ruins; If it is alright I would like to retrieve it."

"Are you certain? The ruins have grown unstable with our searching; What is it that we left behind?"

"In all honesty sir, I wish to see them for myself and if there is something down there I'll bring it back up."

"Denied, I am sending another research team to investigate what ever we missed, until then I want no one attempting to access the ruins."

Why didn't the boy listen? Poor Dimitri . . .

[Mirtok 2853]

Reflection

The following is a recount and clarification to the leading events; I would like to use such system to properly separate new chapters in the RP happenings.

At the beginning of the Flay rebellion, Godfrey was presented with a number of problems that threatened the health and integrity of the Empire. After a particular public display of defiance and confirmation regarding the Flays lost necessity in the Empire, Godfrey arranged a private meeting with Hochmeister Mirtok. The two meet in the lobby of his royal bedroom and discussed the recent events that caused him much worry. The conversation ended with Godfrey issuing an order to Mirtok; To make sure that nothing like what the Flays were doing would happen again. Mirtok acknowledged the request and was given a "Blank Check" to get it done.

After said meeting, Mirtok began to delve heavily into Ancient Hansetian achievements. He reflected on his many memories of what lay hidden below the snow leading up to his accident with the harmful pink cloud. He put all his faith in the Ancient Hansetians hoping that what the Empire needed lay with them. Thus kick starting the large scale excavation and research efforts being enacted by The Teutonic Order.

For months Mirtok studied several recovered tomes, scrolls, and books. He had every piece of literature regarding Ancient Hanseti seized and stored away in his private study. He developed the Marian Dictionary for the use of his scribes to better aid in his research developments. Sadly, his long hours of reading and translating yielded little results and the whole project began to falter, until a single break through.

Much of what Mirtok had seen in the undergrounds went to rubble after his accident. The areas he was able to access that he believed weren't under rubble were a mystery in regards to their actual location and how to access them from the surface. But, through ample analysis Mirtok discovered that the Hansetian Underground lay under an entire mountain range. The eastern peaks was home to several surface displays of Hansetian presence. On the very southern end of the range sits a large complex with a series of puzzles ending in a burial chamber for a single man. Hoping to find what he had long since set out for, Mirtok ordered the digging to begin a little ways from the actual ruins. The Sariants excavated a large hole that extended down nearly to the bedrock but alas they found nothing as to what Mirtok was hoping for. As a result the dig project was moved the north end of the mountain range. However, much like its southern counterpart, nothing was found. The two failures prompted Mirtok to question his research; whether or not he was reading the Ancient Hansetian tomes correctly or properly decoding the vague riddles that lay in a majority of the Ancient Hansetian scrolls. He ordered for one more dig to be set on the middle of the range- if that too failed he would shift focus to other means at preventing civil unrest.

The final dig site was the deepest and the most accident ridden. Many of the Sariants either became incapacitated by TnT explosions or fell prey to falling debris. The dig project lasted a week before they achieved success. Whilst Mirtok was analyzing a map, deciding the next location of his attention he heard several voices ring out from the pit outside his tent. The Sariants had broken through the roof of what appeared to be a Hansetian sub-complex. Much of what is called the Hansetian Underground are tunnels that lead to larger chambers dedicated to different functions. The chamber that the Order had pierced was home to three offices, two of which were accessible while the third was completely caved in. The hallways that lead to and out of the chamber were too caved in and the complex as a whole showed extreme signs of age and neglect. The two offices that were able to be accessed housed many books written in Marian as well as a language that was indiscernible by Mirtok or his scribes.

However, the real discover lay in a room blocked off by two heavy iron doors. Behind said doors was what Mirtok believed to be the key to the Hansetians golden age- nicknamed "The Cell". After its discovery, all writings were transported out of the ruins and into the university library in Wachter Stadt. The Cell was fully diagrammed and documented for future replication. In a containment box located in one of the three offices was the schematics for said contraptions. The diagrams along with the schematics were taken and stored away in the Order vaults for extreme safe keeping.

The Order continued to scan the ruins for several days before being ordered to pack up and return to normal business by the Hochmeister. However, on the final day of the build project, a Plebeian named Dimitri remained in the ruins despite being told to return home. Dimitri was overly curious as to the origins of the Ancient Hansetians thus driving him to over anylize the complex. Unfortunately, Dimitri too was involved in an accident; one that ended his life and ushered in a new threat to the inhabitants of Hanseti- The Cloud. While the Order men waited at the top of the dig site preparing to leave, a ground shaking rumble emitted from the ruins below. In a matter of a few seconds, a tremendous column of pinkish smoke shot out of the dig zone and towered over the landscape. Just then several more columns erupted from the north and south of the Sariants, originating from the previous dig zones. Mirtok gave the order for his men to sprint home and to leave behind all the gear.

The previous dig sites were the product of Mirtok trying to find the Hansetian Underground. He believed that the locations where they dug would put him right over the city when in reality they put him slightly next to another form of chamber- Cloud buildups. His research had not been entirely wrong, just misunderstood. The first two locations were given great emphasis in the Ancient Hansetian writings for the reason that they were production zones for the cloud that erupted from the dig zones. Over the many years of neglect and continued operation, the cloud was able to build up heavily and create immense pressure in their chambers. The only thing that prevented the cloud from venting elsewhere was the sheer size and weight of the mountains that lay on top of it. However, when the rubble wall that held back the cloud in the rest of the underground broke- pressure was released. In the first two dig zones the change in pressure allowed the cloud to break into the area of least resistance- that being the long dig tunnels created by The Order. Now the eastern reaches of Hanseti features three large cloud columns as well as a few smaller trails that feed into the collective pool in the air.

Because the cloud is much heavier than air, it will eventually find its way down to ground level. Luckily for the rest of Asulon, the borders of Hanseti are made up of three mountain ranges. To the North are the Coldshade mountains, to the east are the Eastern peaks and to the west are the grand snow arches. Because of the geography the cloud will not be able to escape the frozen lands, but instead pool between the raised areas in Hanseti. But there too is a bright side for Hanseti. The three major cities that reside in Hanseti sit atop plateaus and raised areas. As long as the cloud doesn't experience too much agitation or shifts in wind patterns the main cities should be able to function. Each city in Hanseti has its own self sustaining farm and other resource deposits.

Currently the cloud is moving slowly west from its eastern origins. The cloud itself is significantly lower in concentration than experienced by Mirtok personally during his accident. What turned him into a ghoul and fused his body to his armor only exists at the actual site of eruption. The cloud that has settled in the lower valleys of Hanseti are not enough to kill a person, but those whom come into contact with the cloud become subjects of organ failure and respiratory problems- but are quickly returned to full health after a few days rest or time with the monks. Eventually Hanseti will be engulfed by said cloud as it drifts over head and then down between the raised area.

[Mirtok 2853]

*Mirtok stands on the balcony that over look the grounds of Wachter Stadt. The pink haze looms just over the walls, but his people remain safe from its deadly effects. One by one Mirtok's Sariants file in place before him. Each bearing the famous black cross, banners displayed proudly over head, the finest Hansetian born weapons and the strongest armor men can forge. A smile tries to break over Mirtok's face, a slight chuckle emerges from deep within. He nods in great approval and satisfaction at the sight of all his brothers and sister.

"Brothers, sisters and comrades of old! It may appear as though the worst has occurred, but let not your first assumption fog the benevolence of this day. It is true The Cloud has dropped and everything that was Hanseti is now buried, it is true that the Moedor Lent has been robbed from us, but it is also true that we have been given the option to start anew. Let us take advantage of this blanket to our operations. Let us take pride in our secret ways and live as we did when the great Gaius Marius directed the cross. I say the Goddess Celestia has gifted us this cloud so that we may regain our strengths and emerge at the peak of our greatest potential and might. Nothing can stop our marching nor our hymns of war nor our falling blades! I need each of you to join me on this mission. There is much to do and the fate of the world rests upon our future actions. May Celestia smile upon us, may the Emperor never falter and may the Moedor Lent forever prosper!"

*Crosses bounce upon their flag poles as the crowd erupts in patriotic cheer. The glint of steel reflects in a spectacle of light while the men throw up their arms in support. Mirtok brings his mighty war hammer into the air with both his hands . . .

Beliae doe Moedor Lent!

[Mirtok 2853]

With the cloud safely at bay behind the Wachter Stadt walls and the Saraints returned home, the new chapter for their progression is now underway. The Order has been healed and has exceeded the strength it had back before the migration. Its numbers have nearly doubled, its coffers boundless, resources bottomless and their purpose hardened. The great Emperor Godfrey hath bestowed upon the nearly fallen ranks of the Teutonic Order with a higher meaning. Through his mighty conquest the divided nations of the Humans have once more become whole under the rightful name of Oren. For that the Order has taken it upon themselves to serve and protect his greatness, his honor and his name!

The schematics and writings regarding the machine the Sariants found deep in the Hansetian Underground were easy to recreate. Through intensive study efforts and the collective minds of the Sariants, they were able to create one of those very machines. However, its uses and function were still unknown to the Hochmeister. The only information that the Order held explained how one was to be built and what was used to fill it.

For months after the initial discovery, Fickloch has undergone a transformation. From its origins as a refugee camp to a prison to an ungodly hellhole of no return. The Order moved the machine into the lower levels of the prison complex for the purpose of filling them. The tomes required the use of living beings as the primary ingredient, but not just any creature would satisfy the Hochmeister. Only the physiology of Humans and Elves yielded the purest and desired strengths for the unit. Each unfortunate person who found themselves on the wrong end of the bars in Fickloch never lasted long. Testing was no stranger to the stone walls of the prison but this new form of research and development was the most gruesome.

Person after person was tossed into the machine and exposed to highly pressurized vent for the pink cloud. Their flesh and bone would disintegrate from their bodies right in front of the observing Sariants, their screams barely heard over the rushing cloud into the cell. In a little over 8 seconds the cloud would have completely broken down their bodies into slag and sludge. Their "energy" tightly contained by the powerful pink cloud for the use in another undiscovered project. Though their purpose is currently unknown, the Hochmeister ordered more built- in the hundreds.

The Hansetian Underground has been a marvelous source of progress for the Teutonic Order's mission, the Goddess only knows what they will find next.

[Mirtok 2853]

"This bloody cloud is both a god send and a hindrance. It masks our activities and protects us from any foolish foe that wishes death upon the Emperors finest, but it too prevents us from traversing the Mother Lands and directly handing out his greatness' will. So much lies beneath our feet but is unreachable due to the prospect of death! So much threatens the Emperors good name and we are neigh to silence it! We need an alternative dammit."

*Mirtok slams his fist on the arm of his throne.

"Get the boys in the college working on a method to counter the Cloud without removing it. We must access the Hansetian Underground or all this will be for not! The Emperor does not accept failure, and neither shall I."

*The two Sariants throw up a salute before quickly marching out of the keep towards the university.

"Celestia be praised."

[Mirtok 2853]

The gloriousness of war is an endless source of progression. The spoils of battle brings the advancement of life through the creation of death. What we have now is unimaginable and impossible if it not were for war. The commonalities the populace enjoys, the intellectuals study, the politicians rule and the warriors wield have all come from a bloody origin; The intent to do harm with the least detriment upon their own.

*Mirtok looks up from his usual work at the tip of a pen on the field of paper. Two Sariants escort a man through the front gates of his keep and march into the Hochmeister's throne room. The three throw up a stiff salute and turn their attention to the man behind spectacles.

"Tell me what you have."

"The project at hand is nearly complete. The recovered artifacts took well to our designs and are proving to be the perfect replacement for the exposed areas of the armor. The armor itself has been very costly, but Erik was able to shape it correctly. However, there is still the issue of weight. The shoulder pads alone are almost too much for one man to lift easily and in combination with the remaining pieces, the whole thing might as well be an ornament or a sarcophagus. Find me something to counter the weight and I can give you the finest creation of modern Hansetian design."

"You shall have what you seek, the Goddess and the Emperor will make sure of that. Go now, I want several more to be made in preparation for our crusade on the enemies of the Emperor. It will soon be time for us to transcend the deadly cloud layer and once more serve the lands of Oren."

*The soldiers exchange salutes with their Hochmeister while Mirtok shakes hands with the college student. After the three leave, Mirtok turns to the desk that supports the mounds of papers and books. He nods slightly and hurries out of the keep- East.