Dominion The Shadow War | WotS Dominion of Ammuud/Bonadan Hex

[Stilicho Drumarch]

Thread narrative takes place entirely on Ammuud

Ammuud, a Corporate Sector world that after years of languishing under the chains of the Sith have thrown them off… or so they believe. Once, in the time of the Old Republic, the Seven great Clans of Ammuud were known for their incessant infighting. For a millennium, through the plague and through several incarnations of Sith Empire, they have kept the peace among themselves. Some Ammuudians have even called it a golden age but the bar is low, and times are changing once again.

As the eastern border worlds of The Sith Empire are wracked by the Warlords Crusade. Ammuud, breaking free from the Empire following the Rimward Wars, is engulfed in a brutal civil war once again, sending the people back into a dark age.

The planet’s two wealthiest clans, Reesbon and Tikeris, have formed an imperial bloc and wish to retain the status and security they had under the previous regime, but without the Sith as their masters. The other clans, Almowri, Odeon, Owphrin and Melchett, led by Clan Glayyd, have rebelled against authoritarian rule altogether. Though they are smaller, they have strength in unity and willpower. The only thing that could unite the two warring parties is the Sith.

Still reeling from their loss at Malachor, the Warlords’ Crusade lacks the resources for a full-scale invasion of the sector. Yet, enterprising Lords have seen the territory that is up for grabs, and the bountiful Corporate Sector resources that would come with expanding their demesne. Thus a covert race to take over Ammuud has begun.

Spies posing as foreign dignitaries and soldiers of fortune have been sent to infiltrate and destabilize both sides of the civil war. To the victor go the spoils, and victory will be with the Warlords when the Ammuudites are too weak from their war to resist us. ​

Fearing the Sith will come to take their world from them again, several moderate groups from both sides of the civil war have sat down for peace talks in the capital city of Neo-Thokos, hosted by the planet’s influential mining guild. Such a resolution cannot be allowed to happen. As spies embedded in the halls of power, whisper in all the correct ears and stop peace dead in its tracks. Use stealth, poise, and tact to sow the seeds of discord among the dignitaries, and carefully nurture those hostilities until war is the only option.

Of the 7 Clan Mors, the title held by the Ammuudite rulers, only one is attending in person: Mor Llewellyn Glayyd, leader of the republican faction. He speaks passionately and quite vocally for the coalition of republican-aligned clans, and is known for his rhetoric. He will be the greatest challenge for any would-be Sith infiltrators. It may not be possible to change his words, but it will certainly be possible to change how the other delegates receive them...

Pushed back from the cities and unable to fight on the barren tundras, the republican armies have resorted to a guerilla campaign in the mountains and dense, snow covered pine forests of the planet. Under the guise of mercenaries, many Warlords soldiers and Sith have joined the fight.

It doesn’t matter whether you choose to support the republican defenders in their guerilla war or the heavily armed and armoured imperial attackers, so long as Ammuudites are dying. See that the war on the frontlines is as bloody as possible, and break their morale.

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Build your own story somewhere on the planet!​

 

[Chimera]

C I N D E R S
H I G H W A R L O R D
E M B E R S T O R M

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The die had been cast and thus, he came to Ammuud, bothered only by the frigid wind nipping at the tips of his ungloved fingers as the band he roved with traversed the mountainous pass. This deep undercover, he could not afford the luxury of his eternal flame, else he suffer the exposure and unveiling of the plot of his kin. The seeds of war had long since been planted here, though they had been forced dormant, trampled beneath the armored boots of the Imperials and left to waste in winter's maw. It would not come to pass, no more than it had already.

The sole regret in the muted man's mind, as he marched forward through the weather, was his failure to act sooner. Had the issuance of command come hastily, perhaps the war would not have come so far in favor of the imperials. Yet still, under the guise of an adopted mantle, the infernal warrior wandered, establishing himself within the defender's ranks as a silent and efficient soldier, one who quickly stood out amongst his peers by the edge of his blade alone. He held little respect for most of his temporary comrades, seeing them as nothing more than dogs hungry for the next bite of prosperity- bare, instinctual animals with little more ambition than credits to secure their will.

But, surprising to Chimera, was the respect he had found with his makeshift commander, finding the native man a resilient, cunning warrior who understood the value of reflection and consideration rather than the typical brute-force tactics he had seen deployed previously.

"Akan, eyes up!" The man's voice caught his ear and tipped his head up, drawing him from his considerations, "Take Kadis and scout ahead, we need eyes on their nests."

The woman a pace or two away straightened and shouted her confirmation, tapping fingers against the Sith Lord's shoulderguard, grabbing his attention. Chimera nodded towards her and then turned his goggled, masked face towards the man at the helm, dipping it briefly with his dismissal.

Snow crunched beneath the pair's boots as they rushed from the group and darted ahead, eyes set ahead in search of danger.​

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[Molly Armstrong]

Chimera

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Snow churned and branched cracked as the tanks moved through the thick woodland. Once again Kuric was sent to do the bidding of his master, to fulfill his strange whims. What interested Vinaze, or any of the Lords, in this world was beyond him. But today he was not Kuric Taumin, feared crusader. He was a simple mercenary from Devaron, clad not in his imposing black armour but thin duraplast. No Sith sword hung from his back, instead he sported a small blaster rifle. He sat quietly on the side of the tank, cultivating his stoic disguise.

Four Imperial tanks, older Sith Empire models recovered and repainted, trundled along on their repulsorlifts. There had been no sign of "rebels" for a day now, though the Imperial Captain he was serving under was sure they were on the scent. He'd had a hand in bringing down the great Powersnake of Helgard, and this was how he was repaid. With grunt work. He knew if he wanted to he could destroy the convoy and leave no survivors. Pin it on the rebels, perhaps. But alas that was not a bright idea. Even though his power grew stonger everday, his master would not hesitate to strike him down should he slip up.

Kuric hoisted himself up to the top of the tank where the Captain was observing something off in the distance with his binoculars.

"How much longer do we have to go on with this wild goose chase?"

Without looking down from his binoculars, the Captain sighed, "They don't pay you to ask questions, merc. Keep your weapon at the ready for when we find those rebel scum."

Kuric didn't give him a response. He sat back down with his legs hanging from the side of the tank. There would come an appropriate time soon for tearing the Captain's head from his shoulders, it simply wasn't right now...

 

[Darth Mensis]

Tags: Maja Komnenic

The hall was filled with bustling dignitaries and chattering representatives of the clans, all clamoring to find a way to mitigate the potential bloodshed that their people faced. Among them, Mensis silently walked. The security at this gathering had been quite thorough, but none could have known his true purpose. He had come here under the guise of being a mining guild representative, to which none chose to bat an eye. All it took was convincing the right person to vouch for him, and Mensis could be very convincing when needed. Mensis slowly made his way through the crowded room, eventually coming to a small alcove where his new student had been waiting. Maja had proven to be the most inquisitive sort, and Mensis couldn't help but to take notice. He had managed to get her into the gathering under the pretense of being another mining guild representative, and though her purpose would run parallel to his, she would have different targets.

As he approached her, Mensis made sure to keep a watchful eye on any who may attempt to listen to their conversation. It was only when he was sure they would not be heard, that he spoke.

"Such a shame to think that all of this effort these people are about to put forth will come to naught. Yet, such is the futility of politics."

He leaned in, words growing even quieter than before.

"Tell me, how many of these politicians would you say have peace on their mind? How many of these republican minds must we sway to swing these events in our favor?"

Mensis had taken it upon himself to gauge the stances of the two wealthier clans, as well as those from the mining guild present. He left the others to Maja to sniff out. The idea was simple, they would each mingle with a different faction, planting whispers of upheaval within their minds, inevitably leaving them to slit each other's throats. Normally, they could slit their throats themselves and be done with it, but today required a more delicate approach. The Sith could not be seen openly manipulating these events, lest they unite the planet against them. So here they were, playing the game, waiting for the moment when the peace talks devolved into violence and war.

 

[Placeholder 25346357]

Darth Mensis

Maja scrolled over here preliminary notes as she hid in waiting for her master. In the corner of her datapad, a holonews feed played, showing drone footage of the fighting still happening across the world. A lot of it was showing the Imperial Bloc forces routing the "rebels" from the cities. Though it didn't show on their faces, the Republican delegates to the conference were desperately suing for peace. They kept a composure that seemed to irritate the delegates from the Imperial Bloc. They were already reluctant to be here, but unfortunately the mining guild held too much influence to ignore this summit. The guild's size also let the Sith slip through the cracks.

Maja was clad in a simple, formal black dress with her hair tied back. She was posing as some kind of analyst, though she didn't care too much about her cover story. The conference room had much more to focus on then a girl tapping away at her datapad in the corner.

She heard faint footsteps approaching, and carefully peeked around the corner to see her master coming down the hallway. She ducked back into the alcove and awaited his news.

"Such a shame to think that all of this effort these people are about to put forth will come to naught. Yet, such is the futility of politics."

He leaned in, words growing even quieter than before.

"Tell me, how many of these politicians would you say have peace on their mind? How many of these republican minds must we sway to swing these events in our favor?"

"They seem dead set on it. Mor Glayyd is the only one with any sense of hope. I wanna know how he stays so optimistic."

Hope. Lauded by the Sith as that quality definitive of Jedi. She'd been told it was the illusion of some kind of victory, told by the weak to themselves to make them think they stood a chance. Perhaps that was what the rest of the Republicans needed... the cloud of hope obscuring the truth from them, the truth that their demise was imminent.

"The Republicans only seek peace because they're weak. They can't maintain this war for much longer. I don't know how, but we need to make them think they can. Then boom... they get swept away." Maja made a little waving motion with her hand for effect. She was beginning to speak like a true Sith, cultivating the mindset that came along with study of the Code...

 

[Darth Mensis]

Tags: Maja Komnenic

Hope... such a quaint concept. Often taken into the embrace of those in need of it, and yet, rarely doing anything to serve those same people. Mensis never found a use for it, except for in circumstances such as the one presented to them today. Hope was for the weak, and these representatives were indeed weak. Perhaps his apprentice was on the right track.

"He hopes because he lacks the understanding to know that his mission is futile. You see, hope stems from a lack of clarity. The ability to calculate risks and potential outcomes allows one to be open to the possibilities. When one accepts these possibilities, hope becomes irrelevant."

Mensis took a moment to look over her notes. She had been incredibly thorough, much to his satisfaction. Her detailed research of those present was just another example of her potential, just as she had shown on Helgard. Once he was finished, he looked back to where the representatives had gathered. He reached out, searching their thoughts, feelings... anything useful to their mission. Finding a few potential options, Mensis turned back to his apprentice.

"Reach out to those who feel hopelessness among the Republicans. Use their fear, pride, anger... whatever is needed. I will reach out to those among the other houses and do the same. As for the mining guild, we may be able to use their greed to our advantage."

He paused for a moment.

"As for Glayyd... lets get into his good graces. We will stoke the fire within him until it becomes a blaze. If all else fails, I will get in touch with our friends in the field. If they can swing the battle in this coalition's favor for just long enough, then word will surely reach this delegation. If all goes our way, this will be over by sundown."

 

[Arador Khan]

H U N T
[ Theme ]
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| Location | Amuud, Planetside​

| Purpose | Make Credits​

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A quiet, vocoded hum was heard echoing throughout the halls, the sound of clacking boots stepping at a methodic pace as the bounty hunter had soon left a meeting with a hooded woman, hiring him to carry out his next paycheck. Sow the seeds of conflict, by whatever means necessary - Something Arador was rather fond of as the destabilization of governments via radical methods brought him a certain glee, and a hefty paycheck as well.​

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He'd raise a hand up, holding a puck as it activated, and out came the figure of Mor Llewellyn Glayyd in a ghostly blue color that reflected and danced off his smooth onyx visor.​

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Apparently, an important summit was scheduled for later that day, and the goal was to instigate civil war. Since it was on such short notice he had asked for triple his fee, something his client was willing to pay for his services. The bounty hunter already had a plan in mind to instigate such a conflict, having requested the dossiers of the other prominent high-profile Ammuudite leaders.​

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He would need to intercept one and 'persuade' them to allow him into the summit as a bodyguard for such tense times. From there, it would be little problem to instigate war amongst the leaders.​

 

[Placeholder 25346357]

Darth Mensis

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"I understand, Master." Maja Nodded. The two approached the large, ornate wooden doors of the conference room. The tension was palpable. She could immediately hear a few sighs of relief at the sight of two "Mining Guild associates". It almost made her giggle with anticipation.

She parted from Mensis and weaved her way through the crowd of diplomats and their aides. There was only a thin veil of civility between these people. She imagined deep down that they were still hungry for war. After all it was in the blood of their people. She just had to get it to rise to the top.

Maja took her spot at the side of the room, intent to look like she was minding her own business as she tapped away on her datapad. Deep in her notes, writing her observations, she didn't notice the sound of approaching footsteps on the tile. A mans well-refined voice shook her back into focus.

"I apologize if I startled you. You're with the Mining Guild, are you not?"

"Yes and you're..." she instantly recognized the man, late-20s with a well pruned goatee and a mop of brown hair falling to his shoulders, "Mor Glayyd."

"I see my reputation precedes me." he joked. But he was right. The young firebrand was making waves. Of course he was oblivious to the various Sith Lords who were surfing them. "You don't seem like the rest of those old stubborn mules the Guild has sent as negotiators, so you may be able to help me. Your comrades have been all to eager to accept my thanks for hosting this parley, but I'm beginning to suspect there's a catch I'm not being told about."

Maja looked at him puzzled. Was there a catch? Did the Miners have an ulterior motive that the Sith had not learned of?

"I... don't think so? Peace is in all our interests. This war affects more than just our planet."

"Hmm. I suppose you're right. I did hear about what happened to the guild on Brosi. Such a terrible waste of life that the Sith force upon us. I hope that when the time comes we will stand against them... united. Anyway, you've set my mind at ease my lady."

The Mor bowed and turned to walk away. She was uncertain if she'd truly placated him, or if he was simply being polite after realizing he wasn't going to get much information from Maja either. One way or the other he would still be in the dark about the true nature of the machinations going on in the room, just how they wanted it to be.

 

[Caithir Barrick]

Kuric Taumin Chimera
​

Caithir felt naked without his lightsaber on him. This Imperial winter uniform was quite fitting and helped fight the chill. It was quite relieving actually to be portray a merc serving with imperials since it gave him a fresh new perspective on the field. Caithir played the role of Kans Lodt, a strategist and advisor who was working with intelligence staff. His resume portrayed him as a security consultant and ex-Sith Empire intelligence officer so he was given his own office and team of analysts to compile preliminary and situation reports to advise command staff on conducting operations. He was asked to attend strategy councils and provide his commander with his analysis.

Caithir's commander was head of operations in this specific sector and was using this op to be his big break or something. What made it obvious? Since the last hit and run attack, the troops were stretched out too thin, the Lieutenant Colonel sent a tank detachment to chase the rebels through a thick wood. They were lumbering bantha in a kill zone, and the other infantry detachments were too far out for armor support, it made Caithir a tad uneasy. At first Caithir thought the LTC was attempting to scare away the rebels and regroup in order to prepare for a defense but this was more than a drastic measure.

As he went over the reports on his terminal, Caithir decided to go to the LTC personally to convince him to pull back the advancing forces. Walking from his office to the command center, he saw his commander looking over a holoprojection of the battlefield. "Colonel you need to pull back our advancing units." Caithir urged.

"Come again Lodt?" The LTC asked looking perplexed.

"Look at our positions." Caithir said as he pointed at the holomap. "Our infantry are too close to the ridge line, they should've engaged the enemy by now. Our armor is still bogged down in the woods and isolated from our reserves and forward line. And not to mention e-web nests aren't supporting anything. These woods aren't agreeing with our formation and the rebels know this. We need to pull back while we still can."

"The rebels are just threatened by our numbers. The presence of our forces in these positions means their intimated and are retreating from this sector."

"But we haven't seen any enemy activity confirming this to be true. We need to pull back."

"When you get another report Lodt, you'll see if we've already taken this mountain. Anymore talk of retreat and I'm obligated to terminate your contract."

It wasn't worth blowing his cover to maneuver the LTC's orders. He had to maintain his position at the base and let the situation play out.

 

[Darth Mensis]

Maja Komnenic offered little in reply other than understanding and compliance. Two qualities that furthered proved to Mensis that she had been a proper choice for an apprentice. He left her to her own devices as he made his way to two of the Mining Guild representatives. One of them was a short, sloppy mess of a greedy man, and the other was a scrawny, sniveling rat of an individual. Neither were to be trusted, and those at the meeting were fools to think that they wouldn't have ulterior motives.

"Ah, my friends, I see that you've been making connections with these politicians. Tell me, what is the word?"

They both seemed a bit uneasy at the sight of Mensis. They didn't know of his connections to the Sith, but they knew that he had enough influence to be a threat to their positions within the Guild. The shorter of the pair began replying, stumbling over his words as he did so.

"Well, er... you see, there's a push for peace, and, uh... we are beginning to think that it might be in the Guild's best interest to follow suit..."

Mensis shot a cold look over to the man, sending a shiver down his spine.

"I see... and tell me, is it in the Guild's best interest to lose control over 30% of their mining rights? Because that is what will happen if this rabble is allowed their time of peace."

He turned to the other man, sending him an equally cold stare.

"Could your family live knowing that the head of the house decided to lose a large part of their fortune just because some rebels decided to throw a fit?"

The implication held more depth than what was said. Mensis had taken time to conduct his own research before coming here, making sure to locate each family member of those involved in the peace talks. These two fools may not have known the full scope of his intentions, but he did want to make it clear that their families would be at risk if they didn't fall in line.

"Uh... no, I mean, yes... yes of course you're right. We... uh, well we will chat with the other Guild representatives. We're sure they will understand."

Mensis placed a hand on each of their shoulders, both a reassuring and unsettling gesture.

"Good... make sure that it gets done. I will talk to the others and make sure that we are all on the same page."

With those words, Mensis moved to his next targets, the heads of the two main houses. Keeping these squabbling politicians at each other's throats would be a tedious matter, but then again, that's why the Warlords sent the scholars. Tedium and minutia were their day to day, after all.

And the whole time... these politicians would be none the wiser...

 

[Arador Khan]

H U N T
[ Theme ]
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| Location | Amuud, Planetside​

| Purpose | Infiltrate​

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The bounty hunter leaned hunched forward with his leg up against the edge of the roof as his gaze watched the skies of approaching vessels, his internal HUD displaying hacked information of passengers as well as scanning to confirm the number of individuals inside. A ping would sound in his ear as one of the vessels carrying one of the delegates, passing over him as he straightened up. The pod on his shoulder opened up as a small device shot out and latched itself onto one of the engines.​

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A brief moment later a sudden ionic pulse would trigger, deactivating the engines as the shuttle began to lose altitude, a digital crimson smile appearing on the featureless helmet the bounty hunter wore as he soon stepped off the roof of the building and let his jetpack activate as he flew towards the anticipated point of impact. The shuttle would let out a distress signal as it rapidly approached the ground the vessel soon slamming into the ground despite the pilot's best efforts to keep it airborne. The shuttle skidded and bounded against the ground as Arador soon arrived.​

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The bounty hunter landed just above the hatch on the side of the transport that would allow the crew and passengers to disembark, already having unholstered his weapon and held in one hand. The hatch would open as the guards of the high-ranking Ammuudite came out, followed soon by the unconscious Ammuudite himself being carried by one of his guards. Arador raised his arm up as his HUD locked onto the heads of all the guards who were unaware of his presence.​

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The sound of blaster fire followed by the rapid dropping of bodies was heard as Arador hopped down, having dispatched all of the guards before turning to the inside of the shuttle, a quick flick of his arm causing a blade to extend from his elbow as he hummed softly to himself, slicing through what was left of the crew as he spoke, " No witnesses... " A spray of blood would splatter over one of the windshields in the cockpit as the crew and any other passenger were quickly dispatched, leaving the bounty hunter to return to the unconscious Ammuudite on the ground as he knelt next to their body, " Time to make the switch. "​

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Arador reached into his pouch as he grabbed two small disc-shaped devices, one of them scanning his body while the other scanned one of the fallen guards. The bounty hunter pressed the device that scanned himself onto one of the corpses lying around as the body seemed to distort, morphing into the image of the bounty hunter himself while he placed the other device on his own chest, the bounty hunter shifting into the form of one of the guards, making it look like a failed attempt on the delegate's life.​

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A shuttle soon filled with Ammuudites would soon come by as the disguised Arador was seen seeming to treat the slowly awakening Ammuudite, the relief taking both Arador and the delegate with them as he fabricated a convincing cover-up story and pointing towards the corpse that bore his likeness. The delegate would brush off the need for a medical examination as he muttered to the relief shuttle to redirect him to the meeting, stating it was far more important to the future of the population's peace for him to not be in attendance.​

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And so the wolf hid amongst the sheep, ready to wreak havoc once he had been allowed into the assembly.​

 

[Rylan Caedes]

Arador Khan | Darth Mensis | Maja Komnenic

Rylan was getting used to becoming someone else, though this time it was to be only short-lived and with a very specific goal. Currently, he was playing the part of Pyliir Savar, a relatively junior minister from the Almowri clan. He hadn't come to anyone's notice prior to the current conflict because his village was relatively minor. It bordered closely with Clan Tikeris land, however. Clan Tikeris was an Imperial clan, while Clan Almowri had allied with Clan Glayyd in backing a more Republican ideal. All of this was no reason for a minor minister to be talking directly with the Mor of the Almowri concerning the fighting, instead, it was the fact that Pyliir happened to be one of only a handful of survivors of the village. Pyliir and several others appeared only days prior bringing news of an attack. They couldn't be certain who had perpetrated the attack, but the nearness of Clan Tikeris made them the obvious culprit.

Of course, this was all fabrication. Rylan had helped annihilate the village himself. They were wearing gear from Clan Glayyd, using weapons manufactured in Clan Glayyd's mountain stronghold, and made sure to leave none alive. They had attacked in the night from nearby caves and returned to the same caves after the deed was done. Any satellites overhead would have seen only this, and further investigation of the caves would show it was inhabited for a short period and all of the refuse left behind would point to Clan Glayyd. Obviously being a ruse, as Clan Glayyd was suing for peace with their every fiber.

The ruse allowed Rylan to play his part with quite a bit of anger, which suited him just fine. He pushed a minute amount of power into his aura, letting his anger suffused the air around him. It was all about finessing the power, he couldn't show himself to being a Sith or any other form of dark side force user lest his influence sputter and die as the village Pyliir Savar had come from.

"Mor Tikeris flaunts his son here at the talks while he plots incursions into our land." He whispered so only his clan head, Mor Almowri, could hear. He could feel the man's subconscious trying to fight the influence Rylan wove around him, but the fact that Mor Almowri truly cared for his people would be his downfall. The news of the attack on their village had itself caused a dark cloud of doubt to cover his mind. "We need Mor Glayyd to push for reparations from the Tikeris clan before we can allow them to know peace."

"The Tikeris whel...Mor Tikeris' son denies any involvement, Pyliir." Rylan felt a shock of pleasure that the clan head would use his character's given name, showing he felt a closeness to Rylan. "He continues to point out that all evidence says it was Glayyd clan that attacked us." Mor Almowri had a calm tone, he was far more a diplomat than a soldier, though admittedly not accomplished at either.

"Outrageous, Mor Glayyd would never attack us." Rylan retorted, the utter surety he pushed into the words brought with a hand brushing the idea away like some fly.

A tone sounded, bringing both of them to look up towards the door of the chamber.

"We are being called back to session, Pyliir." Mor Almowri stated, almost sadly. "Join me, take notes and give me counsel on what you see from the others there."

Rylan, his face still red with the anger of his conviction from a moment before, simply nodded. Inwardly, though, he was smiling. Almowri wasn't the most influential clan, but it was a vital part of Glayyd's endeavour to find peace. If he could continue to push Mor Almowri towards warfare, it would be a vital chink in Clan Glayyd's proposals.