BNN: Thy Virtues Will Not Protect Thee
Deborah the Scribe July 31, 1999
In a shocking move by choice of location alone, the Gelidum answered the ultimatum of the High Council last night with an attack on the Shrine of Honor. Located in the balmy jungles south of Trinsic, the scene at the Honor Shrine was an odd one indeed last night. The iced serpents slithered proudly around the Shrine, greeting what appeared to members of the Followers of Darkness, Orcs, and GD as a small wave of trolls, snow, and ice elementals wrecked havoc upon those that dared to stop in their path.
Last week as previously arranged, on Wednesday, members of the High Council (guarded by the Lord British Loyalists and Honor Guard) as well as many, many citizens gathered at the Shrine of Sacrifice to await the gate to the meeting place. After pouring through the icy moongates, the citizens packed the walls in the depths of the ice dungeon to hear the demands of the Gelidum, represented by a frost troll, an ice fiend, and an ancient white wyrm. The request seemed uncomplicated:
- A termination of invasions by the “warm ones” into Glacia (the Ice Lands)
- Territorial demands, presumably all of the Lost Lands, although the wording was vague and it is speculated they also meant British controlled territory.
The High Council took alternating appeasement and threat stances with the Gelidium. They were boastful and defiant to the threats. “Looked to me like the High Council was ready to just hand over chunks of land for a couple minutes there,” commented one observer.
Regardless, the High Council issued an equally uncomplicated ultimatum keeping in mind the good of all citizens of the realm, and not just temporary appeasement:
- Return all frozen shrines to their former condition
- Cease and desist of all attacks upon the Realm
- Release the Lady Kyry from her icy entrapment
The deadline was set for a week. This ultimatum was met with murmurs of approval from the crowd both during and in the days that followed the meeting. The last topic of Kyry received much attention from citizens of Skara Brae, who heard Theron’s plea to the Gelidum to let her go. A statement was issued by the Public Relations office of Skara Brae referring to an “all town meeting” on the topic of the ice invasions to be held in the upcoming weeks. The Councils of Yew and Moonglow have issued no statements as of late.
A new era of darkness is afoot as these evil guilds appear to have expanded their scope outside the realm of affairs in Trinsic and NuJel’m, fighting valiantly side-by-side with these iced creatures. This suspicion was confirmed this morning by a note found in Britain, in part reading:
- The enemy of our enemy is our friend, and what wonderful friends they are. The efforts of the High Council to negotiate with them failed. Our negotiations have not. The Followers of Darkness have become allies to the Gelidium. Their battles are our battles. We laugh at your struggles to oppose us. You will fail.
Many of the defenders of light and virtue fled the scene, and it appears turncoats are well within the ranks of the ‘do gooders’. One ‘defender’ was heard running away yelling, “Stop! Please! I’m sorry!” within minutes of being chased by a serpent.
An ice fiend, appearingly bored by the antics and amused at the lack of presence of defenders of the virtues, appeared and froze the shrine, bearing a message that read: The warm ones have shown no honor in dealing with the Gelidum. Thy “virtues” will not protect thee.
It is presumed this ice fiend and General Frost (with the troops) escaped with much ease, as corpses were unable to be located for either. Generals Frost and Sleet give the impression that they are trained far better than their predessor, General Nordica (who fell at the Shrine of Sacrifice), as they have managed to escape before falling to the angry crowds in each encounter.
Is Virtue enough? Is anyone out there to defend it? The odd silence hangs in the air as curious writers wonder about the stillness that stems from the Councils of the citizens the morning after.