|
My army comes from Nikaia, a colony located somewhere in the Border Princes. The background I came up with goes like this:
"It is indeed a historician's duty to form a very strong bulwark, preserving the real deeds of great men and heroes from the stream of time, saving them from drowning in the depths of obscurity, securing them, binding them together so that they do not slip into oblivion.
I have been graced by Asuryan with the chance of witnessing an age unparalleled in heroism and unsurpassed in wisdom. The greatness of the men I was allowed to meet: the great Lord Iluhir, the venerable Lord Gwynwytchtl, the delightful Queen Andrea and many other scions of the Elven race has pushed me to writing down not only the deeds that took place in my lifetime but a record of the achievements of our Empire since its dawn as precise as my sources allowed.
Asuryan blessed me with a keen mind and the 100 thousand tomes without one that are stored in the Great Library of the East I memorised swiftly but it was in my long journey across the lands of Elves, Men and Dwarves that I have gathered knowledge of all things. Now, in the autumn of my days, I feel I am obliged to tell the story of an Empire, whose apogeum of power I witnessed and whose end, I fear, will come before mine.
When, in the tenth year of his reign (1589 Before Sigmar according to the Imperial Calendar), the Phoenix King Caradryel ordered all High Elven armies to depart from the Old World and head for Ulthuan to repel the Druchii invasion, not all of Asur colonies obeyed. The most well known seperatists are the Asrai, known to those not of Elven Kind as the Wood Elves. Hidden in their mysterious woodland realm of Athel Loren, they have abandoned most of the traditional Elven culture. But they were not the only ones to refuse leaving their home. During the thousand-year long presence on the continent, generations of Elves were born and raised to live in a kingdom completely unlike the isle of Ulthuan. It was for the protection of this land that their fathers sacrificed their lives, and it was in this land that they would remain until Chaos consumes all.
This is the record of the fate of those colonies.
Upon the departure of the last of elven regiments from Nikaia, the city fell silent with fear of the unknown. The Exarch-Governor was, too, summoned to the capital and the inhabitants of the port city would have expected a bloody power-struggle between the factions, clamorous processions of Vaul monks preaching the end of the world, or at least some strife among the unruly sailors, now that the wardens have left. But there was nothing.
The city of Nikaia was founded in the straits of the Black Sea to guard trade routes leading to the kingdoms of Ind, Cathay and Nippon from marauder bands of Orcs and wild nomadic tribes of human warriors. Although the comodities of Ulthuan are by far the most valuable, the goods produced in the East are also sought be many Elven nobles as exotic and prestigious, and so the city grew and prospered.
A large port forms the heart of the city and it is linked with finely paved streets to the numerous famed markets of Nikaia. Along these streets the wealthy marchant princes had built their glamorous appartment houses, rivaling in trying to astonish the by-passers. The most influential build their palaces in the street leading uphill, to the Exarch Palace and the temple of Asuryan. Built entirely from anullian marble, they have served as a reminiscence of Ulthuan for every single one of its inhabitants.
Numerous industrial districts surround the hill, and each is controlled by a guild. Guilds, often organised in form of religious orders, control almost all of the everyday aspects of their members' lives. As such they are groups of great political power and military strenght. Every ruler must take their will into consideration, because, although loyal in times of need, the master craftsmen have a long tradition of overthrowing stubborn Exarchs.
The city is protected by a ring of walls and maintains a strong regiment of militia at all times. Thanks to this, despite beening under siege several times, it was never conquered.
Silence was uncommon in this busy port. But for a brief moment it seemed that the city held its breath. The noisy alleys of the guild districts, where the boisterous barter seemed to never stop suddenly became as calm as the spacious halls of the Exarchs. And even though the population of Nikaia is notorious for its down-to-earth approach, witnesses described the moment the sails disappeared in the west as ... heartbreaking."
_________________
cheers, Lee
Elven Field Surgeon, Department of Intensive Care, Resuscitation and Necromancy
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Welcome to the forum and happy gaming!
