Zhangku

IC: Souper Saladd Despite all of the hubbub so far, Souper was glad to have gotten out of the arrangement of being under fire. Fire was difficult to move from and difficulty to move meant easy target, especially in a place that was as open as the market. Sliding smoothly across the floor, the slugperson followed Wulf Kharon silently. Sure, it could have been much worse, this whole situation, but the slug was glad to no longer be THAT near to the Mantis. The Mantis were a terrifying army, and despite the past that Souper had gone through, the slug was in no mood to repeat past actions. Traveling in groups was good, and in the case that there were Mantis still in the hanger, it was good to have at least one person there with a free hand to shoot at whatever ugly enemy popped up to think at shoot at you. OOC: My apologies if I'm not even supposed to be there, the last torrent of posts had me so confused that I'm not sure where Souper actually is at this point.

IC: Souper Saladd Not even picking up the gun, xhe rolled his eyes and showed the other slug their ray gun, "I am armed already, in case you did not notice the potshots I was doing earlier while you were throwing those jars of painful mixtures." the chef said as he yawned and readied himself to fire immediately at whatever Mantis that wasn't one of them came over the ridge next into sight. For now the slugperson was armed and dangerous. Unless the slugperson was disarmed somehow. Putting the medicine he'd held out away, his query was more towards anyone who needed it, but for now it seemed that was not a reasonable option. They could be killed in the middle of the transfer after all. Breathing in carefully, xhe focused as hard as xhe ever had in their life when it came to mental capacities and managed to do something that the slug had never been able to do. One of the nearby carts, not the one that xhe'd been focusing on, surged directly towards them and stopped right in front of the slug, to be used as cover, "...I hate how my mind works" was all that xhe said as he hoped that they'd get it.

IC: Souper Saladd Well at this point it seemed that this slug was mostly here for the ride. Sure, Souper could go hide and go play the human Rambo as a slug, but that wasn't what was on call today. No, as the chef xhe had a very important thing to deal with and that thing was making sure that the crew had enough food to survive the way to the next stop. This was the last place xhe'd be able to get any human centric food for the humans, so Souper was extra careful to hoist it around in a manner that would allow the slug to not drop it on the ground. It must weigh 50 pounds despite that at this point, because it was starting to get heavy. Perhaps he'd gotten some herbs to help. "Do humans perhaps consume this drug I bought for accidental cutting of self for painkiller?" Souper asked, holding out a bottle of Ibuprofen. Sure, Souper wasn't sure it would work on a slug, but xhe'd figure that out when xhe got to a doctor. It was human medicine, not that they'd have slug medicine all the way out here. While they were still away from the mantis, Souper determined that he got something at the right time, perhaps. Thank the many ancestors for coincidental buying of things.

IC: Souper Saladd Well this shopping trip had gone to human . Following Francis' slime trail, Souper made sure to shoot at the stairs as Mantis came up with the ray gun xhe had hid in their bag in the very case that something like this had happened. Souper didn't look back except to shoot directly into the chest of any oncoming Mantis. Today was not a good day to die, today was a day to move quickly and quietly while taking pot shots at the enemy. Xhe was just glad that their particular subspecies of slugperson did not secrete the slime trail unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps the Mantis would think that Francis was alone, in the case that this happened. Whatever happened, xhe'd be right behind the more telekentically powerful slug and there was literally nothing else to worry about except to get to safety. Hopefully the ship wasn't in bad shape at the moment, because if so xhe'd be stranded. Again. Xhe hated being stranded, after all.

IC: Souper Saladd "Assistance would be good. Wear gloves please, it is hard to get mucus off of the food. The humans get offended very easily at the thought of non-taste changing mucus suddenly on their otherwise perfectly edible foodstuffs. As does everyone else these days" xhe said, sighing as he grabbed some more non-perishable meat.

IC: Souper Saladd Grabbing through his bag, he got several containers of exactly what the other Slug had asked for, "It wasn't hard to determine what type of food you would want. You are practically leaking it every time you have a meal, so I got sick of hearing about it. I have at least ten cans here that can last a while if you don't eat it for every meal. Besides, I have to cook for everyone, if you have a dietary askance, go ahead and tell me, but if you fail to tell me anything at all, I will assume that your thought pattern is a temporary craving." "And besides, that tin can you speak of allows me to focus, when there are far less people around. I also got green beans. Any other requests before I grab more of the salted or pickled meats that I cannot actually touch?" the obviously irked Slugperson responded as, waiting for the possibly insane rock having slug to respond.

IC: Souper Saladd "Ah that" Souper said, "I'm sure that I have just the thing" the Slugperson said, reaching into the bag and handing over a salt block in a container, "Put this in water and allow it to dissolve. After that, apply the solution to your...pet. What is that, anyways?" Souper asked, a little confused, "And also, did you not realize that Soy Sauce itself is filled with salt? And if you are wondering why we don't have non-dried fruit, it's because that spoils VERY quickly. I have dehydrated foodstuffs in here, and several cans. I have to worry about the dietary needs of the entire crew, and that includes those of my own people, despite the fact I must get salted things" Souper said, walking over to a merchant, and piling some pickled "Mackerel" into the bag, where it hermetically sealed immediately to avoid contamination.

IC: Souper Saladd Feeling something hone in on them, Souper clutched their head for a moment before shaking it off. Why did that always...it didn't matter. All Souper knew was that "Francis" was on their way over to the current location Souper was at, so Souper got prepared, "Well hello" Souper said mentally, concentrating hard to actually talk through the mind with Francis, "What exactly do you need of me? Looking perhaps for Rock Nourishment? Perhaps you'd like to tell me what the rock normally eats" Souper said, having picked up the thought as Souper was scanning the crowd, having only moments ago tossed away the thought as useless. OOC: There is an explanation for hearing that, just don't feel like elaborating on THAT just yet.

IC: Souper Saladd So it was time to leave the ship for a while. Time to gather up ingredients. Xhe had already been allotted the necessary amount of money to buy the ingredients necessary to keep the ship well fed, but knowing that they had to go to a heavily crowded place gave Souper the shivers. They'd get over it though, not that they had much of a choice. Taking some medicine to deal with the issue for a little while, Souper left the ship and headed to the market, with their bag of food stuffing, ready to fill it the first change they go the need to. Heading through the market, Souper began to buy a variety of ingredients, avoiding anything that would spoil quickly or was poisoning to the majority of the group. Sure, Arsenic Pops could be something to get high off of for some...mutants...but it also killed humans, so not a good pick. Filling the bag to halfway, Souper was not at all happy to find out that they'd gotten to the end of the market and hadn't filled the bag. Focusing, Souper stood in the middle of the market, looking for something that would normally kill the slug, salted meat. OOC: Feel free to bump into Souper.

IC: As soon as the alert rang out, Souper sighed. Because this was the exact thing that would cause the slug problems, and now people weren't eating their food. Pushing a single button on the kitchen's outgoing beacon, it declared, "FOOD IS AVAILABLE, AS ALWAYS, ONCE THE ALERT IS DONE. THE CHEF IS WILLING TO ACCOMODATE SPECIES RELATED DIETARY COMPLAINTS ONLY AFTER YOU'VE ACTUALLY EATEN THE FOOD. THAT IS ALL" on the message board outside to the mess hall. Technically xhe noticed another of his kind headed over, but xhe had no reason to discuss ANYTHING with another of his kind right now unless they wanted access to Souper's Kale stash. In which case, Souper would tell them to go to . Or Xibulba, or Hades, or one of the various human . Or Souper's family's personal deific . Another time, either way, as the door to the kitchen was sealed tight. No boarders were going to get in easily, let alone a friendly face.

IC: Enter the Souper Saladd Many of those of Souper's race didn't understand why xhe insisted on being called that. An old joke from Earth, xhe explained, and from then on, Soup, as they were called, ignored all questions relating to naming conventions. Why care at all when your name was unable to be pronounced out loud after all. However, his...hearing...issue was having problems again. The Kestral was far more crowded than xhe'd hoped, but now that they were away from the majority of the nearby settlements, Soup was again at ease. Sipping the water for what was going to be, ironically, a simple chicken substitute Chicken Soup, Chef Saladd had to make sure everything was right. No one was allowed to have food poisoning as a result of their cooking, after all. Besides, there were more pressing things to worry about. Looking through the thin slit that showed them the mess hall, Souper wondered when someone would come to bother them to complain. They always did. What was xhe supposed to do when they didn't have that many fresh ingredients, go over the top and make ONE wonderful meal at the expense of everyone else on board? Sure, the food xhe'd sent the leader of the expedition had been a little off, but what was the slug chef supposed to do with subpar ingredients? If there was anything Soup was good at, it was at making the inedible edible, and it was his job to feed the large crew at meal time. Wondering who would complain next or ask for something special, the slug chef waited. and Waited. And waited.

Name: Souper Saladd (Name too incomprehensible for human tongue to pronounce) Gender: Slugperson Age: 30 Species: Slug Profession: Cook Skills: Cooking, Stealth, and Snark Items: Crystal Laser Gun Appearance: Forest green skin with pink antennae Personality: His lordly snark towards those xhe considers lesser (Everyone) is legendary, and for the most part xhe seems aloof. Although xhe does listen to what everyone says and actually is interested in other lifeforms(Why does your character do what they do? What makes them tick? Why can't they all just stop thinking for a gods ###### moment) Biography: Classified due to a series of unfortunate events. From the planet Systarnius near the outer reaches of Slug Space, Souper Saladd was born as part of a relatively recent spin off of the varied slug species that all share the same slug to slug psychic powers. As a young slugling, the colonial capital of Sluknar (Shortened for Terran files), was the slugperson’s home until it was destroyed utterly as a result of a[REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED BY THE TERRAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. Xhe eventually reintegrated with survivors of Systernius’ destruction, and started a family. However, in order to make ends meet, xhe became a chef for the Highest Bidder Restaurant and was eventually hired by the Terran Government for off-world colonies due to their famous ability to make food out of anything edible. Hired on the Kestrel as a chef, Souper Saladd remains as a troublesome, snarky, extremely chef-wise, and overall remains to be someone who looks at themselves as able to do anything xhe needs to. However, xhe tends to be incredibly uncomfortable being around a large amount of people and has shown this since their REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED BY THE TERRAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY at the hands of REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED BY THE TERRAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Weakness(es): Salt and Crowds

IC: With the Silver Rain that has come down, there was much rejoicing in the Kingdom, although no one knew at the time it had happened elsewhere. As a result, the people were even more confirmed liking the leadership of Duke Victus Tarr, the ruler of Vardal. As such, they helped funnel the Silver that had been accrued to help fund the Great Vardal Bridge, funneling a good deal of effort into it's construction (10 EP) more added to the costs of making the bridge), and an expansion project to increase irrigation to the areas of the nation that needed it more (10 EP) was instituted. As well, a good deal of resources were sent north to Fort Confluence, where more supplies to battle the River Guardians were sent, as well as prisoners from some of the cities who had done only minor offenses were sent as laborers, swelling the population of the Fort's area to around 14,000 from 13,000 last season. Additionally, a road to Fort Confluence is being constructed to properly get supplies up river without worrying about any guardians that get past the Fort (5 EP), and a wizened man by the name of Thadeus Blowjaw was put into the fountain, to be turned into a wizard (5EP). The remaining funds are kept safe during this time (6 EP), for reserve. OOC: More funds towards the bridge construction, Irrigation expansion in my fertile lands, a new road leading up to Fort Confluence, and a Wizard is made.

Nation's Name:The Republic of Vardal Nations Characteristics: Imagine if you will, Venetian characteristics added to an expansion focused people, ethnically and culturally, like the ancient Greeks. So, I guess, sort of a weird hodge-podge of Venice and Greece. However, they're Arabian in looks. Religiously they have an assortment of Gods, the prime ones being Hiberion and Luxorae, the Gods of Farming and Riches, with other assorted gods being worshipped by those who plied certain trade Nations Society: Vardal is a farming and maritime state, nestled in the natural harbor of the Oxos Bay, up the Oxos River, the people are well used to war, as it is technically in a rich zone that has been raided in the past. Most of the people living in the capital, Vardal, have a vested interest in sea going trade as well as fishing. Nations Perk: Road Builders, To Holmguard and Beyond, Terror on the High Seas Nation's Starting Units: 2 Wizards, 1 creation and 1 Alchemy, 3 Biremes (3EP Upkeep), 1 Triremes (1 EP UK), 1 Quadeirimes (3EP) , 2,500 Professional Troops (2.5EP UK), 6,000 Troops (2EP UK) Nation's History: Originally a vassal of a large nation known as the Kingdom on the Oxos, the city of Vardal was a trade city built during the time of the Emperor Kamen Mec, although it was but a small little hamlet back then. The Republic soon grew after a large amount of merchants banded together to form a trade union and the city became a Republic then. Enraged at the apparent "traitorous" nature of the pact, despite the fact that the Vardali merchants made no claim of sovereignty, the Oxosian army was sent to crush the supposed rebellion. The Vardali sent messenger after messenger claiming peaceful intentions, but they were brushed aside as the Oxosian army came down the river. Quickly mobilizing the city's defense force, a Wizard named Gilad the Stoney led the army as he helped build a hastey fortress on the road to block the path of the Oxosian military. Soon, the Oxosians arrived at the fortress and besieged it, not being able to pass otherwise. Once they wore down the defenses, they were let in by a supposed traitor, who then let the Vardali ambush and destroy the Oxosian army. Knowing they'd send more, the Vardali military, gaining recruits from the countryside and defecting military units, slowly conquered Oxos and absorbed the whole territory. That was a hundred years ago and there seems to be no want from inside the country to ever shatter like that again. Vardal's Pop: 121,000 Oxos' Pop: 71,000 Fort Confluence Colony: 13,000 Total Population of the Republic of Vardal: 655,000 EP Totals +2 For Roads +30 Industry (Farming and Fishing) +1 Barbarian Trade +1 Horranian Trade +1 Sherdian Trade -11.5 Upkeep +10 Silver Rain 33.5 EP Remaining. Second Cycle

IC: Captain Eumos sighed as he heard the stilted reply. Foreigners and their lack of understanding of Vardali, the language of the common and intelligent man alike, "Alright, Alright, but you get an armed patrol. Follow my boat to the harbor. There's men already waiting. We saw your boat a few days out." Turning his boat around, with the help of his crewmen, the Captain led them to the Harbor, where several armed men waited, "Time to see the Marchioness, she's been waiting to see you. The Duke's busy, sadly, so he can't see you in person. Ready to come ashore?" he asked, looking back at them.

Posted seeing your boat arrive, TLZ.

IC: One foggy morning in Vardal was a normal one. As it sat along the ridge of the peninsula that led into the bay, Vardal was greatly situated at a variety of heights, making it an ideal tiered city. However, due to it's unique place, it also was constantly needing patrols from local vessels, working not only on the Vardali coin, but also out of a sense of security. Today, Captain Eumos was the man in charge of the various boat squadrons in the area. He was to expect a boat from a foreign land, he'd been told, and he'd also been warned to board them should they be hostile. Finally, after a goodly time, the boat appeared, just as the scouting boats had foretold. The fog lifted enough for flags to be hoisted, so Captain Eumos hoisted the flag of Vardal. "Stay your water, declare your business" the Captain said, watching the, as he'd later know, Sherdrian boat.

IC: As with the success of the northern expeditions, several groups of scouts, led by one professional soldier each, are being sent to venture into the southwestern portion of the Crown of the World to see if any mineral wealth in the region can be gained, on top of if there are any tribes in the region. Duke Victus Tarr, himself, has also send some of the men to properly map the region, to see if there are any passes that it would be beneficial to know about so that a faster route through the mountains can eventually be created. At the same time, the coastal passes are being further explored in that region, so as to tell where it would be appropriate, in the far future, to put trading posts where future population centers might be able to safely store their boats in the midst of storms.... The Duke was getting wary. He hadn't expected to find out that there were people in the farther zones, near the Great Lake to the north, but it was not something that was completely unexpected for his men to eventually find another people that he could consider...civilized. Nonetheless, as he made the scouting plans, as well as approving designs for the bridge's parts, he did his best to focus. Soon, he's have a better trade network inside his country as the time for certain trading sectors to meet each other would be cut from a week and a half to a day, making sure that any produce grown on the west side of the bay would not spoil by the time it came to market. Much less waste that way, he was sure. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but be wary of his new northern..."neighbors" so to speak. He'd heard terrible rumors of them, and if any of them were true...well then, he'd need to recruit more men, eventually, to deal with the potential threat from the north. Unlikely as it may come in his lifetimes, anyway, there was far too much empty land between the two powers for now. Despite this...the worry remained as he approved of the new border maps. He hoped he'd not have to worry about these again for a long time... OOC: Lots of scouting. To the east of my nation.

Sorry to be forgetful/lazy, but who here has sent missions to Vardal and not gotten responses due to travel time?

IC: With the settlement of the northern borders made safe as per allying with the High King of the barbarians to the direct north of the new settlement, the Duke Victus Tarr was at a crossroads. The military was far larger than necessary, especially with the amount of troops he had currently. Therefore he sent out what would be officially called the Resettlement Act. In order to make it so that the north had enough manpower to eventually give more to the society as a whole, 3,000 more levies would be sent north to settle the farmlands that would soon spring up, as well as their families, on top of 500 of the professional army men would be sent up north to retire there as well, leaving the new population of the northern frontier at around 13,000 Men, women, and children. It would take many years for them to fully settle the region, but it was vital for the area to be safe, secure, and profitable. Equally important was the Duke's other act, the Disbarment Act, which aroused some anger amongst the sea captains who were forced to retire their men. As there was less of a need to keep the waters safe due to not only the elimination of the old pirate threat, on top of the ending of the Sea Guardian threat a few years before he'd come into office, an invasion from the sea was now completely unlikely. As a result, 4 Biremes and 3 Triremes would be retired, sent to rest in the harbor and have lackadaisal management over them, excepting the guards who would keep them safe as well as men to occasionally maintain the boats. Additionally, as there is a good deal of demand, the Great Vardali Bridge shall be built crossing the gap between the cities of Vardal and Innslum, a city of note as the headquarters of the Bay Area's water policing. It will take a long time, but the Duke's engineers claim it'll all go well. OOC: Disbanding some troops and sending them to colonize, putting some ships aside for eventual refurbishment and rebuilding later on. -20 EP.

Nation's Name:The Republic of Vardal Nations Characteristics: Imagine if you will, Venetian characteristics added to an expansion focused people, ethnically and culturally, like the ancient Greeks. So, I guess, sort of a weird hodge-podge of Venice and Greece. However, they're Arabian in looks. Religiously they have an assortment of Gods, the prime ones being Hiberion and Luxorae, the Gods of Farming and Riches, with other assorted gods being worshipped by those who plied certain trade Nations Society: Vardal is a farming and maritime state, nestled in the natural harbor of the Oxos Bay, up the Oxos River, the people are well used to war, as it is technically in a rich zone that has been raided in the past. Most of the people living in the capital, Vardal, have a vested interest in sea going trade as well as fishing. Nations Perk: Road Builders, To Holmguard and Beyond, Terror on the High Seas Nation's Starting Units: 2 Wizards, 1 creation and 1 Alchemy, 3 Biremes (3EP Upkeep), 1 Triremes (1 EP UK), 1 Quadeirimes (3EP) , 2,500 Professional Troops (2.5EP UK), 6,000 Troops (2EP UK) Nation's History: Originally a vassal of a large nation known as the Kingdom on the Oxos, the city of Vardal was a trade city built during the time of the Emperor Kamen Mec, although it was but a small little hamlet back then. The Republic soon grew after a large amount of merchants banded together to form a trade union and the city became a Republic then. Enraged at the apparent "traitorous" nature of the pact, despite the fact that the Vardali merchants made no claim of sovereignty, the Oxosian army was sent to crush the supposed rebellion. The Vardali sent messenger after messenger claiming peaceful intentions, but they were brushed aside as the Oxosian army came down the river. Quickly mobilizing the city's defense force, a Wizard named Gilad the Stoney led the army as he helped build a hastey fortress on the road to block the path of the Oxosian military. Soon, the Oxosians arrived at the fortress and besieged it, not being able to pass otherwise. Once they wore down the defenses, they were let in by a supposed traitor, who then let the Vardali ambush and destroy the Oxosian army. Knowing they'd send more, the Vardali military, gaining recruits from the countryside and defecting military units, slowly conquered Oxos and absorbed the whole territory. That was a hundred years ago and there seems to be no want from inside the country to ever shatter like that again. Vardal's Pop: 121,000 Oxos' Pop: 71,000 Fort Confluence Colony: 13,000 Total Population of the Republic of Vardal: 655,000 EP Totals +2 For Roads +30 Industry (Farming and Fishing) +1 Barbarian Trade +1 Horranian Trade -11.5 Upkeep 22.5 EP Remaining.

Fort Confluence is being constructed and shortly afterwards, namely a week after it's done the settlement around it will start being built in the open land and farming areas nearby. Little villages will also be built on either side of the river, with contingents of troops with salt and mud tossers stationed at each village. Scouting to find the barbarians and offer them entreatments and trading opportunities. Pretty much try to slowly sway them to being friendly towards Vardal.

IC: Captain Greer panted hard as he had his men turn about and make sure the catapults and ballistae were all stationed at all times. In the chaos of the attack, however, it seemed that Corporal Grigam Jeung had slipped and cracked his head open. It seemed natural to him and not that he was hurt purposely, so he immediately ordered his men to deal with this, "With the Corporal dead I am temporarily in charge of the this outpost. Send word back to the Capital for a replacement, and order more Salt and Mud to be sent up the river. We might need to deal with more of these. Also ask to requisition some Catapults from Oxos, they don't need them right now and we have a danger to deal with!" Turning to the Councillor-Magus, he bowed his head, "In the meantime sirs, I would recommend you stay the night. If there are any more of them out there, we would not only fear for your safety on your own, especially with your few numbers, but also your expertise should anything unexpected stop by." He bowed to the dignitary and counted his losses. They were lucky only to lose around fifteen soldiers to the creature, including the Corporal, but now they had other focuses. Among the messages sent south were demands for extra supplies to deal with the River Guardians, but also for scouts to figure out the tribal situation in this part of the world. OOC: More supplies are brought in, Scouting Missions to the Barbarian tribes to offer trade and diplomacy should they be found where the Councillor said they'd be.

IC: The Captain nodded to the Councillor-Magus, knowing full well that men like him were the best defense against the magics and the foulness of such "River Guardian" creatures who deigned to smash the defenses of the Fort. Magical Creatures had long ago not been much of a problem here, but they would be more common along the frontier, "Men!" He yelled once more, "Fire at the beast, pummel him with the ammunition our fine guest has given us!" and thus the men fired at the River Guardian, pummeling it over and over, each time they could fire, until it was gone....

IC: The captain had never before felt so useless in battle as his men were flung aside. Seeing Privates Angko and Horja smashed into the ground dead by a creature that didn't seem phased by the monster, he led his men, along with the Horranians, back into the fort. It wasn't that long of a jaunt, especially when they were in such a hurry. Artillery...they did have a few ballistae installed, as well as a catapult, but at the moment they weren't ready. Salt? Why did they need- wait. The Salt Licks. Storming up the steps past the Colonel, who was ordering his men to close the gate as soon as the foreigners got within, the Captain began yelling orders to pack the catapult with the salt blocks. There weren't too many of them, but they were numerous enough to get out a few shots. "Men!" he yelled out, "Load the catapult with the salt licks. I don't care how long it takes, just do it, men!" His men scurried below, hoisting several salt licks into the catapult, the engineers who came with the soldiers slowly putting it into the right position, "Men, fire!" he yelled, waving his sword as the salt licks were catapulted into the creature. Hopefully the Horranians weren't lying to them about the weakness of the creature.