Savegame
This is the savegame at the very start of everything.
Gweld Gath Treban Coronation Ceremony
2400 years after the victory of Lanival the Redeemer
So tonight on the first day of 2400, we still count by Lanival's victory just for the sadistic humor involved, tonight the ritual of death and rebirth begins for the fifty-third time since the formation of the guild-clan. I could die, a good death to be sure, to die in this ritual. I could also become Chieftain.
I am the fifth alternative for Chieftain for this ceremony, it is an adaptation of our clans' ways from the days of active death magics. Our old magics have faded with the passing of the gods, but on this new planet we learn more new magics every day. Such as how to propel a large object.
Lich is the mirror position to Chieftain, and the two are always picked at the same time, so a new Lich and Chieftain will be picked tonight. Gweld Gath members once actually became real Lichs at the most advanced point in their careers, but that is a power we lost. The Lich title is now a religious position, a sickly charismatic teacher of our ways and morals, while the Chieftain leads all things mundane, such as warfare, research and food.
In a deep cavern of this world it begins. I walk behind the first four chieftain potentials, and four more potentials are behind me. None of us are afraid. We walk through the pitch black cavern, without a single source of light, but all of us know the way by now. The inductees, during that ritual, are lead in once. After that they must know the way.
The First Chieftain, the current one, stands in the middle of a circle he can not see, while we surround him in proper order, listening. The death blade is drawn. The first Lich walks into the circle, and dies by the blade.
"Lich is dead, now comes Lich. Lich exists in death."
"Lich exists in death," the crowd intones in response.
The Chieftain now passes the blade that will kill himself next, to the second Lich. He dies by the Lich's sweeping slice.
"Chieftain is dead, now comes Chieftain, Chieftain exists in death."
This can continue for a long time. Most potentials die a revered death during the ceremony. The ceremony ends when Chieftain and Lich are picked by the response of the surrounding group.
I am up now. It is my turn to kill a Lich, as a proper Chieftain should. It is not an act of vengence, but one of honoring the Lich. Then I stand awaiting death or a proper reaction from the group. Once a Chieftain or a Lich is chosen, He stands aside while the remaining members of both Groups exchange deaths until a member of his opposite is picked.
I stepped into the circle, and the Lich passed the blade, I swung. "Lich is dead, now comes Lich, Lich exists in death."
"Lich exists in death."
The next Lich walks up, and I hand the blade over. Not until this Last step is performed do I know my fate. But the crowd has chosen me, they shout Chieftain like a mantra. I slowly step out of the circle. I am a bit dissapointed that my turn did not come. All good Chieftains are.
Later the ceremony ended with a Lich picked. I am only known as Chieftain or Chieftain 53 now.
Later, scientists happily under my deathly grip report that they have discovered materials to finalize our design for a Colony DeathShip. We can begin building Colonial DeathShips immediately, to establish our clan on nearbly planets and moons.
To me, it is most important to find Alyden. They were the vilest of our enemies on Elanthia, so it is vital that we find out where they escaped to. Only the identity of our clan itself is more important than destroying this ancient persecutor.
The Alyden hunted us for hundreds of years, and we fought back with some skill, but they were relentless. They kill us not because of any adoration of death, but because they hate us. Proper war should involve death on both sides, but they fought in a tricky manner using a large number of lures and manuevers. We lost clan members at a 10 to 1 ratio to theirs. Alyden had special magics just to destroy us. Plus two thirds of the guilds of Elanthia despised us as well.
If we can find Alyden, but also find our old allies Tyvalger, we will have a chance to destroy Alyden in a particularly dishonorable way. If we can get many of them while alive, that would leave them defeated but not dead, giving them no solace while they suffer in our prisons. It certainly is an effective deterrent to crime here.
Chieftain 53, 2400.0 First Hand Account for Historical Recordkeeping
Treban Kendia Tregwal Wars
Linear Mode
