Winter.
Kiopar the assistant to councilman Porpallion makes his way back up the watchtower after using the privy down on the ground floor.
The councilman's assistant makes his way back onto the roof of the watchtower.
He slightly frowns, then Kiopar the assistant murmurs "What was that?".
As he's pretty certain he just heard someone quietly talking to someone else, here at the back of the tower.
The tallest structure in the south of the city, the capital of the city-state of Kuradum.
The councilman's assistant shrugs his shoulders, then makes his way forward to where the others are standing, observing the battle along the south wall of the city.
As the rebel army of councilman Hirrye continues to attack the city's walls, on this cold but sunny winter's morning in this part of the city-state.
"What's that Kiopar?" asks councilman Porpallion as his assistant stands between him and councilman Kolmar.
Who by the lost look upon his face, is no where near being over the death of his assistant Nahor.
Who was killed earlier this morning. For being a traitor, who knowingly shared information with the enemy.
"You're mumbling to yourself" adds councilman Porpallion with a shake of his head.
"Oh just thought i heard something back there" says Kiopar to the councilman he's the assistant to.
After gesturing towards the back of the roof, or the northern side, the councilman's assistant continues with "Its nothing".
Kiopar then waves away to the south, as the battle there continues to rage on between the forces loyal to the ruling council of Kuradum.
And those who are fighting on the side of councilman Hirrye, who has rebelled against his former counterparts on the ruling council.
And wants to rule the city-state by himself, as the duke of Kuradum. A title he has given to himself.
"Another one on fire by the looks of it" says Kiopar the assistant referring to an enemy siege tower.
"Good" says councilman Porpallion, who looks to the left beyond his assistant, at his fellow councilman, Kolmar.
Porpallion, one of the younger members of the ruling council of Kuradum slightly frowns.
As his fellow councilman looks to be at a total loss. And not paying attention to what's going on. Including around him.
"Stay here with Kolmar" quietly says councilman Porpallion to his assistant.
Kiopar nods that he will, while the councilman makes his way over to where councilman Sammis, the unofficial leader of the ruling council, is standing.
Councilman Porpallion nods his head to the side, indicating he wants to have a private word with Sammis who notices him.
The two of them step away to one side, away from their fellow councilmen, their assistants, guards, and members of the city watch who are on top of the tower.
On this cold, but fine winter's morning, watchting the rebel army of the former councilman Hirrye, attack the south wall of the capital city.
At the back, or the north side of the tower roof. Lord Farque and Mira Reinholt the mage share a look, as they watch and listen to the quiet conversation between the two councilmen, Porpallion and Sammis.
As they do, Mira Reinholt the mage slightly frowns, and quietly says to the undead warlord, who like him is invisible, quietly say "You know what, I've just realised something".
The large, heavily armoured deathlord glances down at the once powerful mage standing next to him.
"There's no women on their ruling council" quietly says the mage from the city-state of Vexil, his homeland that he's in exile from.
"You're just noticing that now" dryly and quietly says lord Farque with a shake of his full helmed head.
The spellcaster, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, quietly says "I never thought about it".
The practitioner of magic, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he went offworld, through a rift/void spell that he accidentally cast a number of years ago.
Then quietly says to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque "Never thought about it in the past in the previous times I've been here".
The lord of the death realm doesn't mention that one of the last times they were in Kuradum, well the group at the time.
The mage Reinholt nearly killed Dorc da Orc just to the south of the city. When the Vexilian mage in exile shot the large ork with a powerful ulightning bolt.
The only thing that saved the ork warleader at the time, was the magical sword of knockdown.
Which at the time, was an actual longsword. While now it's basically a long dagger after the powerful bolt of lightning over fifteen years ago nearly destroyed it.
"And i didn't notice it this time, until just now" quietly continues the highly talented swordmaster.
Nodding his full helmed head, lord Farque quietly says "It's a hangover from their past".
The undead being, who has the name of Draugadrottin that the people of his lands also know him by, quietly and sourly adds "The founder of the city was a bit of a fucking pig".
The deathlord of Farque quietly continues with "He thought women were beneath him".
The undead warlord briefly pauses before adding "Literally".
The mage Reinholt winces when he hears that, then nods his hooded head when the lord of the death realm quietly tells him "No way in fucking hell that cunt was going to let women rule".
"I guess a lot of nations back then were like that" quietly says the once powerful mage.
"Please" dryly says Draugadrottin with a sideways glance down at the spellcaster who is from the city-state of Vexil.
Mira Reinholt slightly pauses, then he nods as he recalls that the lands Farque, have had a large number of lady Farque's.
And if he remembers rightly, lord Farque's daughter, the oldest of his twins. Was his heir, and the next inline to rule the lands Farque.
Until the young child died during the war against the Holy Norstran Empire nearly four hundred and fifty years ago.
The same time that lord Farque, who at the time was the battlelord of the lands Farque, and heir to his own father.
Died in battle, killing the emperor of Norstran, bringing about the defeat of the Empire's forces that had crossed the Great Western Ocean, and invaded the Southlands.
"The city and the state have had plenty of women leaders over the years" quietly says the undead being, who has the elven name of Des'tier, which means, The Destroyer.
"Just none on the ruling council" continues the large, heavily armoured deathlord.
The mage in the black hooded cloak, nods his head at that, then he quietly says "Seems something's got their attention".
As the councilmen, and their assistants are excited about something after one of the city watch hands an eyepiece to one of the members of the ruling council of Kuradum.
The councilmen Porpallion and Sammis finish their conversation, and rejoins the others.
"Where?" asks councilman Sammis after one of his compatriots, hands him the eyepiece. "To the east" is the reply of one of the other councilmen.
Sammis, who is the unofficial leader of the members of the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum.
Looks through the eyepiece, and looks to the southeast of the city.
As he does, lord Farque and Mira Reinholt look in the same direction. The Vexilian mage in exile casts a farsight spell as he does so.
"Mercenaries" quietly says the large, heavily armoured deathlord.
The once powerful mage nods his hooded head in agreement when he sees the same thing.
"One of the larger companies they've hired have moved down to that bridge, and are crossing" quietly adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Good?" quietly asks the mage who is a member of lord Farque's personal council.
"Definitely good" says Draugadrottin as he continues in a quiet voice with "Hopefully it'll give more of them attacking the south wall impetuous to head over to the east side of the city".
The mage Reinholt nods once again, as he knows the deathlord of Farque wants as many of the enemy to abandon the attack on the south wall, and attack the east side of the city as possible.
As the east wall is far more easily defended, and only has the one set of gates.
The undead warlord has made the east side of the city way more attractive to attack too.
With hardly any defenders on top of the wall on that side of the capital city of Kuradum.
The fact that it's a much longer wall than the south wall, is another advantage for the attackers, or so it seems.
"Once word gets around to those still attacking the south wall, what it's like on the east side of the city, the fucking better" quietly says the lord of the death realm.
The swordmaster Reinholt nods his hooded head in agreement, as he knows what's lying in wait for the enemy, once the majority of them have shifted their attack to the east side of the city.
"Dumb bastards won't even know what's hit them" quietly says the spellcaster, who when he was just seventeen years old, was the youngest ever member of the mage council of Vexil.
Until he was kicked off it, and sent into exile just a few months later for betraying his homeland during the battle of Vexil.
The largest battle by far in recent memory, anywhere in the Southlands.
The two of them, the once powerful mage and the large, heavily armoured deathlord fall silent as another member of the city watch comes up onto the roof of the tower.
Lord Farque and Mira Reinholt listen to what the watchman has to say to the members of the ruling council of Kuradum.
The undead warlord in the full suit of black, blue plate armour, and the mage in the black hooded cloak share a look after hearing what the city watchman has to say.
Des'tier looks around in all directions, sensing as he does so. As does the once powerful mage, who can only sense a limited amount of distance due to his lack of power.
Unlike the lord of the death realm, who can not only sense magic, but all life. Everything living, as well as dead. For over twenty miles in all directions.
"Think they might try soon?" quietly asks Mira Reinholt the mage a short while later after the watchman, a messenger, heads back down off the roof.
"Maybe" quietly says lord Farque, who like the member of his personal council, is speaking elven as they stand on the north end of the watchtower's roof.
Invisible to the others up here on this clear and sunny, but cold winter's morning in the city of Kuradum.
Opposite them, on the south side of the roof, leaning forward on the waist high wall that circles the top of the sixty foot tall tower of the city watch, here in the south of the city.
Kiopar, the assistant to councilman Porpallion, says to the councilman "Looks like more of them are breaking off, and heading to the bridge to the east of the city".
"Looks like it" says councilman Porpallion as they look to the south of the city.
They can't see down onto the river, or for that matter, the front ranks of the rebel army at the water's edge.
But from their vantage point, they can see further back amongst the ranks of councilman Hirrye's southern army.
And they see more of the enemy breaking off, and head eastwards to the bridge that still stands about a mile to the east of the city of Kuradum.
"Must be about a hundred there" says the assistant Kiopar, councilman Porpallion adds "Mercenaries again".
The assistant looks carefully, then nods when he sees that's exactly who they are.
Then he glances sideways to their left, to where councilman Kolmar is sitting on a bench.
Councilman Kolmar, who has no interest whatsoever in the battle along the south side of the city of Kuradum.
"Councilman, about councilman Kolmar" quietly says the assistant Kiopar.
"Not to worry about it for now Kiopar" quietly says councilman Porpallion, who follows that with "He'll get over Nahor's betrayal soon enough".
The member of the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum then adds in a murmur "I hope".
As he and his assistant, and the others with them continue to watch the progress of the battle along the south side of the city.
Councilman Kolmar stands up, he steps up onto the wooden bench he's been sitting on.
As though to get a better view of the battle along the south wall of the capital city.
But he doesn't, instead he steps up onto the waist high wall. And before the invisible mage Reinholt on the otherside of roof can react.
Councilman Kolmar takes a step forward, and steps off the top of the watchtower's roof, and falls the sixty feet to the ground, to his death . . . . . .
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