High Lord Sithe is not a happy orc. First the dwarves who had allied
themselves with him had mysteriously transformed into orcs. [7169] Then
Balok, or at least someone claiming to be Balok, had returned from his
meeting with the other clan leaders similarly transformed and telling a
crazy story that Sithe could make no sense of. Ordinarily, Sithe might
have welcomed having extra orcs, but he sensed that the bitterness of
the ex-dwarves at what had happened to them was a potential cause
of trouble. All the more reason then to keep his military venture going,
to give them something to think about rather than perhaps plot a
rebellion against his own authority.
But that military venture had not been going well. The latest setback had been that his kidnapping party had been tracked down before they could complete their return journey. [7471] Just one orc (previously dwarf) had managed to elude death or capture and to return, and according to him their prisoner had somehow escaped well before they were tracked down. [7283] To make matters worse, Sithe's shaman was dead, though his informant was very reticent as to just how that had occurred. Sithe turns to his replacement shaman. "Do you not have any ideas as to what we can do now?" he asks with a hint of menace in his voice. The new shaman, young and inexperienced but with a genuine gift for magic, twitches nervously as Sithe glares at him. "Well," he says, "I did have one idea..."
Meanwhile delegates are beginning to gather in Aethiopia for the conference that it is hoped will pave the way for an alliance that some are suggesting could be called the United Nations. Leaders and diplomats from Aethiopia, Aqualaria, the Manimal Nation, Walants and a number of other nations and protectorates will be taking part, as well as representatives from the elves, dwarves and griffins. The Military have been invited to send observers (as have the major religions), though they will not have a vote.
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3/5/2000 6:55:22 AM
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