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[Tazar]

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*A messenger arrives in Umbra carrying a Bloodied Arrow rolled up on a piece of parchment*

"To the Master of the Order of the Ebon Skull:

Recent times have been good to us and we have seen steady growth in our ranks. As 0DE continues to grow, it has become obvious to us that new lands are needed to support our growth. It is with regret that we have few directions to expand other than into your territories and therefore must move against you. It is our wish that the territories U7 and U1 be turned over to us within the next 6 days or we shall be required to take them by force. If you chose not to turn over the territories to us, it shall be with joy that we and our allies meet you in battle to test our skills with Sword and Sorcery against the skills of your Order upon the eve of the 6th day at 8pm by the eastern sun. We eagerly await your reply."

The message is signed: "Tazar - Lord of Falling Waters Fortress - The Order of Drunken Elders"
_________________

Tazar - Captain of the Royal Britannian Guard - Retired

Lord of "Falling Waters Fortress", the home of "The Order of the Drunken Elders"

[Grignag]

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*A neatly folded and wax sealed letter is returned to the messanger*

To the Lord of the Drunken Old Men:

Allow me to preface my writing by suggesting to you that the use of an acronym to represent your people before you are fully introduced to us will make it rather difficult to know how to respond to you. I was forced to read to the bottom then skim back to the top before I realized that the "ODE" whom was writing to me wasn't a member of a choir or singing group that Dealthagar ordered the execution of for some perceived malfeasance. Or was it Ariana who commanded that? Perhaps one of our deathknights did it on a lark? I forget. In any case, it will expedite matters if you are more clear of your associations in the future. As a further recommendation, find yourself a more potent symbol than a bloody arrow by which to send a message. It has, sadly, become quite cliche and somehow manages to be both woefully lacking in diplomatic subtlety yet also strangely impotent. At least the wolves of Stonegate would send us a savaged corpse or the Order of Sanctus a message burned onto the walls of Charnel Hill. They knew how to tell us we were special.

As to the matter at hand, I am not entirely certain why you bother us with a meaningless justification such as 'lebensraum' as to why to feel you need a city and a stretch of corrupted land. If that were truly your concern then the lands beyond Sanctus would prove oh-so-very much more liberating and with much more considerable blocks of space that are not within advanced states of decay and festering with disease. So please shelve such meaningless examples of 'Casus Belli' and be more direct with your intentions. We actually find it rather refreshing!

As I am the presiding Ancient of the Scholomance and the Necromancers, until someone else wants the job, I can only really speak for my own in this matter, but I shall do so for your benefit. We could not care less about who claims what or what banner flies over a city whose very purpose resonates with that of undeath. The lay of the land speaks its fealty far greater than any bureaucrats map ever could. If you wish to feel as if you are making some great imprint upon the pages of history by being its sentinels then you have my blessings to go forth and do as every nation before you has: drop a flag on the map and claim ascendancy. So long as you do not actively interefere with the comings and goings of our agents, rare as that is in consideration of the multiple methods we travel instead, then you may police the city as you see fit. My only recommendation is to always travel in pairs. Loners have a strange tendency to disappear on the streets of Umbra (and when they get too close to the Stygian Grove for that matter. Strange I know). If any of the other Ancients object and wish to make their own will made known, I am sure they will pass the message along soon.

Oh, and as to the matter of the joy of battle, I invite you to gather your troops and go looking in the territories you seem so keen to gain. If you happen to find a deathknight or necromancer madly cackling and showing a great willingness to stab you, then by all means avail yourselves. And after an evening of bloodletting and murderous merriment you can all go home happier, wiser and with perhaps a corpse or two to sit on. It is, after all, the little pleasures in life that make it worth the living, am I not right?

Izrem Verin'Vlos
Archmagus of the Scholomance

A strange arcane symbol is etched beneath the signature, consisting of a stygian-inscribed occult circle in which a skull and a stylized "I" rest.
_________________
Femmies?! HOWAH!

Can't we all just get along? No? Excellent.

[Tazar]

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*The messenger is again sent forth with another message writ upon an ale-stained piece of parchment*

To The Lord of Umbra,

As retirees from the Royal Britanian Guard, we adhere to the traditions of the Greater Realm. The bloodied arrow is the standard symbol for such a declaration and is most appropriate in this case. As to our use of the ODE acronym, it seems rather conceited to delve into our extensive history in the intro of a message. It was assumed that you would be observant enough to know who your neighbors are... Have you been sleeping in the catacombs again?

Despite your concerns and belief in a hidden agenda, our intentions are as strictly as stated: In our growth, we are blocked to the west by the unconquerable base of Sanctus at the entrance to the Broken Mountains. To spread outward, we have need of a moongate to venture forth into new lands. While Umbra is a decaying cesspool and is certainly no prize, it will allow us passage into the new lands of Ter Mur where we are building another town for the members of our order. This need dictates our movement in your direction.

As to our claim on the town of Umbra, we believe in an inclusion policy rather than an exclusionary outlook. Under our control, the town will be open to all who wish to journey there... including the agents of the Order of the Ebon Skull. So long as you do not interrupt our operations there, we shall also respect your activities.

Long have we watched the town of Umbra and we have never seen a deathknight or necromancer other than the lower classes attending their shops. In all honesty, the town appears to be abandoned by it's masters and is falling into further decay. We hereby claim these lands from their former masters. Should you chose at some future date to reveal yourselves again, we hope to be able to meet in common cause... though a test of arms is also always welcome.

Tazar
Captain of the Royal Britainian Guard (Retired)
Lord of Falling Waters Fortress
The Order of Drunken Elders
_________________

Tazar - Captain of the Royal Britannian Guard - Retired

Lord of "Falling Waters Fortress", the home of "The Order of the Drunken Elders"

[Grignag]

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*The messager soon returns with a bundle of new clothes in his arms and a letter smelling of some sort of heavy perfume*

To the Aspiring Lord of Umbra,

Normally I would simply let matters lie as they are, content that business is complete. But things have been so lonely down here in the catacombs as of late, so I decided I might as well indulge myself in the moment. All research and no play makes the Archmagus a contender for the throne of the Lich Lord. And no one wants that, least of all me. As an aside, I am no "Lord". I came into this world as a commoner and I shall depart from it thus. Titles beyond the creation of necessary pecking-orders always struck me as a rather obtuse. And my apologies, I haven't given much stock to anything regarding the Royal Britanian Guard, what with the king being in self-imposed exile longer than perhaps you have been old enough to grow a beard. Or moustache. I cast no aspersions on humanities strange fascination with growing hair on their faces. And perhaps it is because I view the Guard with such little regard that I find contempt for the overused symbol of war they have selected.

Yes, it would be rather conceited if you were to walk up to our doors and when asked "How did you get here?" started off by saying "Well, one night my Mom and Dad loved each other a WHOLE lot and..." before proceeding into your life story, culminating in your arrival at our gates after 3 hours of exposition. If we had dogs I can assure you we would set them upon you in that case. However, responding that you came from the Southwest from the Order of the Drunken Elders would instantly apprise me of whom I was speaking with. Acronyms, especially those without periods between the letters when written out, I tend to take at face value. Otherwise I wouldn't know the difference between a set of letters designed to stand for something or if you just really liked to sing songs and wanted to bring that to my attention with emphatic capitalization. And yes, I had noticed varying gaggles of individuals moving around your region. I had simply assumed you were a large group of theose gypsies that Kaelthir was so fond of. It is good to finally receive clarification on that matter.

Again we bring ourselves back to the map. I suppose it was very strategic of the Order of Sanctus to position themselves in such a way so that armies couldn't march through them for...some inadequately explored reason. I suppose there was some international treaty you signed that said it was okay to burn down buildings and slaughter each other, but Avatar forbid that you should claim a piece of unused land on the otherside of their capital? I'd understand if the logistics were shaky due to an actively belligerent group of paladins going after your supply caravans, but considering you would be even less likely to receive so much as a "Hello" from a letter to Sanctus, I don't think that would be a concern.
As to the matter of the Moongate, that point I will concede to you and it was the honest answer I was looking for. The gate truely is a marvelous thing. A permanent connection between lands and facets with new things to explore, people to meet and, as most adventurers and nations tend to do, kill. I am, again, curious as to why you feel you need to control the city when it could be freely accessed, but if you simply wish to have such a strategic resource under your watchful and inebriated eyes then power to you.

I wished to respond to your final paragraph in more detail, but whatever it was that you dunked the letter in attracted the attention of a nearby corpser that ripped the lower half of the page away and proceeded to shove the piece of paper into the same orifice that the rest of its hapless prey tends to go. But I believe I got the gist of your last thought. As the fine perfume you are now inhaling will atest, our alchemists are busy making something besides explosion potions (a clear sign of a balanced economy I dare say). I am told it is made from the rotting innards of a Devourer of Souls from the dungeon Doom. I am not sure if I believe them, but it is such a charming idea I couldn't help but get a sample. I now pass that secret onto you. Furthermore, the messanger you sent looked a little worse for the wear so I had a special order of clothing tailored for him. I am not sure what the clothing is made of but I am sure something or someone died in the process. Such is the way of this city, I suppose. Oh, and if you see some poor raving lunatic wandering around the streets and announcing the end is coming this very weekend, do try to ignore her. I am afraid she didn't graduate from our Orders re-education program with as high marks as the rest of the citizenry did. Stared too long into the Well of Souls or somesuch. Pay it no mind. The end will come, but I see no reason for it to be this weekend. So I would say the city is in as good a condition as it has ever been. Take that to mean what you will.

You'll have to forgive me if I often come across as extremely long-winded. I am a teacher and preacher at heart, when I am not busy enslaving the masses or concocting some elixer designed to end all life as we know it. Or at least that is what I am told I do in my spare time. You seem yet young in these lands with much ambition and I can respect that. I simply wish to see you sharpen your skills in the global arena you seem intent on stepping in to. I have walked your path before, so feel free to inquire of me if ever you find the inclination. Or if you are simply bored. That was reason enough for me to write back, after all.

Izrem Verin'Vlos
Sarglitin of House L'Baryl (Retired)
Archmagus of the Scholomance
Order of the Ebon Skull

The strange arcane symbol is etched beneath the signature, consisting of a stygian-inscribed occult circle in which a skull and a stylized "I" rest, is there again.
_________________
Femmies?! HOWAH!

Can't we all just get along? No? Excellent.