Asselia/ Forgehall

Sir Prevas Dray was one of the few, only a dozen now, knights who had survived the immigration to their new home, the Asselian army had been torn apart fighting through the demons and monsters that had stood against them on their escape to this new home.

Rania had remained the Empress's chief protector and confidante which Prevas was fine with, her infatuation with the Empress had been obvious to anyone looking but her devotion was unquestionable. Orlen had been named training commander and Prevas and the rest were off commanding villages or acting as diplomatic envoys in the name of the Empress.

Which was fine for him, he was content to travel, which was why he was making the long journey to the rumored location of the disciples of Forgehall, the Empress wanted new trade partners and Forgehall would be the first of hopefully many.

Like the Asselians, the Disciples of Forgehall had few among their number who had lived during the Second Age, but for different reasons.  The goblins were simply too short-lived.  All who had fought and lead in that time had passed away, and the remainder who remembered it had been children at the time.

Yet, the dearth of living memory was more than made up for by a wealth of memory passed down by writing and word of mouth.  When a village patrol caught sight of the Asselian royal flag, the captain recognized it immediately.  Riding on an old but hardy warg, she made her way to the elvish knight with all haste.

"Hail, knight of Asselia!" she cried from shouting distance.  "Ye be friend of the Disciples of the Saints as your Queen was to our forebears?" The patroller wore a tunic and leggings of boiled leather with a few old metal plates fixed at seemingly random locations. The strains on her visage were those of an older woman, but one still not past the age of hard voyages and good fights.

Prevas waved to the patrol, making sure to keep his weapons holstered and his stance friendly. Asselia's interactions with Forgehall had been minimal during the Second Era and while they had been friendly he wasn't completely sure of their stance now.


"Hail! Riders of Forgehall! I come on behalf of my Empress, Artas Orleans who wishes to discuss matters of trade and friendship with your people."

The captain was mostly satisfied with the knight's response, but she didn't appreciate not having her query replied to directly.

"Then you are friend, not foe!" she announced, answering her own question. "New Forgehall is a half-day's ride Southwest; if we hurry we can make it before nightfall! Will you follow?"

Prevas nodded though at the distance she likely couldn't see or couldn't see it well. He gently guided his horse towards the goblin patrol, this was going better than he anticipated.

"I will follow your direction good lady, please lead on if it pleases you."

While the rest of the patrol continued its rounds, the captain lead Sir Prevas to New Forgehall. As anticipated, the duo reached the capital in the evening as the sun was just beginning to set. There were no great walls or tall towers to greet the knight and his guide, just a sentry post at the edge of what looked like a fishing hamlet and warg-herders' village fused together. Ahead on the horizon, the wooden huts seemed to grow denser but not much different in character. The only things marking New Forgehall as a city of import were cobbled roads, royal banners, and the din of thousands of goblins in common society.

"Who goes there?!" shouted the sentry, hardly visible from behind the cover of the thick oaken structure, from atop the small tower.

"Priest-Captain Daluk Hayani, accompanying a knight-dignitary in the service of the Queen of Asselia! I am leading the fine sir to the Council of Orders!"

The sentry could see the warg-rider and recognized the flag the elf carried. No reason to doubt them, and even so there was little danger in two very distinguishable riders entering a city where they'd stick out like sore thumbs. "You may pass!"

_

The Great Hall was one of the very few stone buildings in all of New Forgehall, and it hadn't been brought over from Allis. When after years of chasing the lizards Saint Nakbaj and her advisors had decided on finding a place to settle, it had simply been waiting there for them. To this day it towered above and outclassed everything else in the city with its gleaming marble walls and columns. But those were hardly the most fantastic elements of the Great Hall.

"Before you go in, a warning," advised Captain Daluk as she stood next to Prevas before the superbly-polished darkwood and gold doors of the hall. "Not everyone you'll meet in the Great Hall is exactly, er, alive in the way you're familiar with. If you see anyone wearing gold and jewels, or a goblin man with a big red turban, or a goblin woman in full armor with an orange headband...or really anyone who isn't wearing plain robes of a single color, they're a Saint come from the Divine Hall to meet us here."

Pravas was honestly intrigued, it would certainly be a unique experience to see one of the divine saints but it was not his purpose here, he was just here to speak to the Grandmaster about a set issue, Pravas found it easier that way, made his job simple and removed distraction.

"I understand, I will endeavor to be respectful and honorable as befits my station as a knight of Asselia."

The inside of the Great Hall was even more splendorous than the outside. The marble here seemed to glow more brightly than the walls outside, but with a strange luminescence that did not strain the eyes. Tapestries of goblin history hung high above the hall's denizens in a great rectangle along the edges of the ceiling, theoretically too far to make out but somehow crisp and detailed in everyone's sight as if they were but a few feet away. Not only that, but the tapestries detailed the stories of every Saint from the First Age and the Second, far more than even the Great Hall's perimeter could fit on paper. And yet they fit.

"Greetings, knight of Asselia," welcomed a figure in dark orange robes ahead, standing idly in the center of the hall. "I'm probably the goblin you're looking for, Grandmaster Olga Nakbaji." The woman's voice was self-assured but soft, relying on the natural acoustics of the Hall to carry itself to the elf. She bowed respectfully before speaking again. "It's a quiet day in the Great Hall so far, just me. Though I can't guarantee we won't have company."

Prevas bowed before the woman. He suddenly felt apprehensive though dismissed the notion as ridiculous, simple anxiety after coming so far. The Hall was surely beautiful and some of his more culturally inclined comrades might have enjoyed spending time just reading the tapestries but Prevas was here for a simple task and he aimed to accomplish it.

"Perhaps that is best that we may talk in peace, thank you for your time to talk with me Grandmaster, I come on behalf of the Empress, Asselia is seeking trade to expand our economic interests at home and abroad."

"A worthy and acceptable proposal," the Grandmaster replied with a smile.  "Of course, New Forgehall must expand to accommodate the flow of goods, either in the docks or along the roads.  Would your traders be coming by sea or by land?"

The Black Alliance.

The thought suddenly pierced into Olga's mind, in the voice of her mother.  She shook it off.

The Black Alliance.

Again, this time in bother her mother's voice and the Saintly Queen's.  Nakbaj and Taraba.

The Black Alliance!

Louder, because Saint Kizilsaf had decided to chime in as well.  So far none of the Saints were to be seen in the Hall, so it seemed they preferred to speak to the Grandmaster herself and only herself.

"Also..." she added, finally conceding to her divine advisors, "would your noble Queen, as a traditional friend of the high goblins, be open to an agreement to ensure the stability and security of our trade?  A mutual defense pact perhaps?  Times are turbulent, and the World-Destroying Lizards still lie in wait to cause us harm."

"Our trade would come by land, we have no ports for trade, as to your second request it is easy to accommodate, though some at home will be anxious about such an alliance. I would have to request what would be specifically covered by this pact."

Asselia had rushed into alliances in the past and they had been punished for their foolhardiness, The Empress was determined to not let it happen again.

"Mutual defense," Grandmaster Olga Nakbaji repeated. "Should either one of our realms come under attack, the allied liege would be bound to assist. But should one be the aggressor in a war, the other is under no obligation to join."

Prevas nodded, acceptable terms.

"Those terms are acceptable, the Empress will approve I am sure, You have my thanks Grandmaster for agreeing to hear out my request."

"I await her royal missive with great anticipation," Olga replied contentedly. Her smiled widened, creating a few wrinkles on her otherwise smooth round face. She explained, "I shall have two copies of the intended treaty written by my scribes, which I will sign and hand to you. One in Asselian elvish, one in high goblinish. The copy in goblinish your liege will send back here after she has signed both copies, assuming of course that she agrees to the treaty.

"Is this arrangement acceptable?"

Prevas smiled and nodded, bowing his head again in thanks to the goblin Grandmaster.


"This arrangement is more than acceptable, I will bring the missive to the Empress and return it with her response in due haste.."

In the new year a group of knights rode to New Forgehall bearing the Empress's response, they approached the city slowly, not wishing to cause too much of a worry as they presented their credentials to the guards.

"We wish to speak with the Grandmaster or someone of official rank for a diplomatic matter if they are available."

As friends of the High Goblins, the Asselian knight-ambassadors were promptly escorted to the Great Hall, where four goblins awaited them patiently: Grandmaster Olga Nakbaji and Masters Ymira Hayani, Vyolet Tarabayi, and Darbi Kizilsafi. The Council of Orders.

"Greetings and blessings to you, noble dignitaries of Asselia," began the Tarabyi Master. He was a short but strong-built goblin-man clearly in his older years, but with plenty of energy nonetheless. Of the group, he was the only one whose robes had any finery, embroidered modestly with gold in the tradition of the Purple Tree - the bureaucracy of New Forgehall.

"I trust you have word of your liege's confirmation or rejection of the treaty?" he continued. "And if there is more, what other news or tidings bring you from the Court of the Asselian Empress?"

Prevas bowed before each of the four goblins, starting with the Grandmaster before reaching into his tunic pocket for a neatly folded piece of parchment with a string tied around it to seal it.

"Her Majesty, the Empress, has decided to agree to the terms of the treaty between our people. She hopes this will provide for better relations between our two nations." He handed the scroll to the Grandmaster and motioned to one of the hooded knights behind him.

The Knight stepped forward and pulled down his hood, bowing before the four goblins, the young elf smiled in a friendly manner as he addressed them.

"Greetings, Grandmaster of Forgehall and the respected masters of the Goblin people, I am Loran, prince of Asselia and son of Her Majesty. I've heard much about the wisdom of Forgehall and would humbly request your permission to remain in the city for the year to learn what I can."

The Grandmaster received the scroll gently with both hands, taking care not to make even the slightest dent as she handed it off to a scribe behind her. Almost imperceptibly to anyone not paying attention, Saint Koldar the Chronicler entered the mortal plane further behind and eagerly helped the scribe open and read the document, presumably so he could jot it down in one of his enormous Tomes of History.

"This is excellent news, Sir Prevas," Grandmaster Olga replied to the elven ambassador after she had handed off the parchment. "And noble Prince Loran." She turned to the (un)hooded knight. "The elves of Asselia are honored friends of the High Goblins. You are welcome to stay in New Forgehall as long as suits you. You will have full access to our libraries and theological schools, and permission to enter the Great Hall under the supervision of a High Cleric. I trust your Highness will show the Saints the same deference and humility as any one of your subjects would to you, if the Great Ones bless you with an audience at any juncture."

Loran smiled and nodded, inclining his head in a respectful bow to the Grandmaster. He'd been looking forward to this for some time now and the thought of finally being able to study with them made him smile.

"Of course, Grandmaster, I promise I will show them the greatest respect for the honor you grant me."

A trio of armored goblin riders galloped into Asselian territory at breakneck speed. When accosted, they announced that they were carrying an urgent message from the Grandmaster of the Disciples to the Empress of Asselia.

The goblins were escorted to the palace with due haste as ambassadors of the Grandmaster, they were led to an antechamber and told to wait while they were announced to the Empress.

After a few minutes the guard returned and gestured them to go into the throne room. The Empress sat upon the throne, a crown of gold and jewels atop her head as she stared down at the goblins.

"Welcome, ambassadors of Forgehall, what tidings does the Grandmaster bring?"

The goblin soldiers bowed deeply before the Empress as due her station. Though they were in something of a rush, they would not sacrifice proper respect for a great friend of Forgehall.

"Somber tidings, unfortunately," announced one of the soldiers after standing back up. "The Disciples march to war against Tikal, in support of our ally Tariácuri II of Michoacan, recently crowned Emperor of Sotek." There was a slight grimace on the goblin's face, but no hesitation in her words.

"Since we have not been attacked as of yet, we cannot oblige you to support us. But the Grandmaster in her wisdom asks that the historic friends of the High Goblins at the very least send some of their forces to garrison New Forgehall and patrol its vicinity, lest our treacherous enemies find a way to pass our army unnoticed and attack our homeland."

Artas considered their request silently for a moment, the thought of her soldiers potentially dying in a fight so far from home was not one she liked but she knew her obligations and the goblins were friends, she could hear the whispers in the court around her as the court wondered about what she would decide.

"As friends of Asselia we can do no less for our allies, I will personally lead 2,000 men to patrol the area for the duration of the war."