Chapter 146 71. Soar, Umak (5.5K)
In fact, the content of the story is unremarkable. When Lord Mazdamudi was meditating, the two Slan debated the big plan.
Shi Lan, who was watching, asked why?
Lord Slanquix believes that it is too late to make drastic adjustments now and should be carried out immediately!
The Lord of Slan Aik of Itaza objected and believed that adjustments could not be made in this way!
The Slann sat on their benches, Skink attendants wiping saliva from their lips, and Skink record-keepers transcribing quickly, yet this noble exchange resonated with their arguments.
Finally, the debate escalates into a mysterious duel!
Energy fluctuations arced straight into the sky from the top of the pyramid. As the pressure of magic increased to alarming proportions, the air began to fill with energy, and the giant beasts in the jungle roared with anger and confusion. In an instant, the outcome of the debate was settled. Lord Quex's will prevailed, and Slann used the staggering reserves of power within the spiritual network to move the continent's tectonic plates.
With the movement of continental plates, various earthquakes occurred in the mortal world, and even the continent of Lustria was not immune. The pyramid where the Lord Slann Ek of Itaza was tilted. Lord Ek rolled off the platform due to the shaking and was buried in the ruins by the ensuing collapse. A Slann died like this. . .
Slann's death caused a huge shock, and Slann who were meditating throughout the Lustria continent were awakened one after another. Soon after, the long-lost Tablets of Ancient Saint Potek were discovered in the ruins of the ancient Saint Potek Pyramid of Itazha, the one where Lord Ike lived. The awakened Slann ordered the Skink Priests to bring the tablets to them, and after reading them, they declared that Lord Quex was correct in his understanding of the Old Ones' grand plan. Then the Slann lords headed by Mazdamudi ordered that no matter what the cost, they must continue to readjust, lest the lizard race deviate from the right path again, or deviate from the ancient saint's grand plan!
"The more we delve into the light within, the deeper the darkness outside will become!" Lord Slankositep of Itaza made a concluding speech on this matter.
"What? It's outrageous, it's outrageous!" This was how Darkus felt after hearing this story.
The old Skink Priest told only what he knew, but Darkos thought for a moment and remembered what the Skink Priest did not know.
In the year 1600 of the Imperial Calendar, the Longbeard War between Tal Ales, now Le Angulan, Assur and the dwarves reached its climax. The then Phoenix King Caledor II was defeated by High King Gautry. Ke·Star Breaker was killed in formation, and the Phoenix King's crown was taken away. Later, due to lack of troops, the dwarves retreated to Karazha-a-Karak under the leadership of High King Gotrek Starbreaker. The following year, in the Imperial Calendar - 1599, when Assur besieged Karazha-a-Karak, Druchi, led by the Witch King Malekith, landed in the northwest of Ulthuan and reoccupied the tower. Er Anlek, Asul, whose home was stolen, had to retreat, and the Battle of Long Beard came to an end from its climax.
In the following hundred years, under the renewed attack of the dwarves, the Asur in the old world gradually moved back to Ulthuan to support them. Until 1501 in the Imperial Calendar, all the Asur in the old world were evacuated, leaving only empty cities. With the elven war horses running around, one group of Asur who were unwilling to withdraw to Ulthuan hid in Athel Loren and became the later wood elves, that is, Asrai.
But instead of ushering in good times, the dwarves ushered in the "Age of Sadness". In the following year -1500 of the Imperial Calendar, the World's Edge Mountains suffered a series of crustal movements, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
In the following three years, wars broke out one after another. Karak Red Eye Mountain was occupied by the night goblins and became the first dwarf fortress to fall.
Karak Mountain Lake Fortress is located on the Blackwater Lake at the junction of the Black Mountains and the World's Edge Mountains. Earthquakes and floods caused irreversible damage to the dwarf fortress, followed closely by the Skaven and Night Goblins. Loot.
The dwarf watchtower and fortress at Mad Dog Pass were captured by the green-skinned dwarves. The green-skinned orcs also took the opportunity to occupy the dwarves' bottomless stone mines. The richest place in the World's Edge Mountains, Mount Gombard, also fell into the hands of the night goblins. Gunbad Peak is the dwarves' gold mining area and the only a clear stone mining area. Akashi is a blue crystal, and the dwarves regard it as precious as the oath gold.
During this period, much of Dwarf Fortress's historical data was lost or destroyed. Even the Book of Hatred of Karazha-a-Kharak has no record of this period. From the scattered records that have been preserved, it is clear that a large number of dwarves were killed during this period. All their fortresses were destroyed, countless mines collapsed, and underground passages were either partially destroyed or destroyed. Blocked by debris, or submerged by floods and lava. All communication between the fortresses was lost.
Of course, there is another theory that the violent geological movement in the World's Edge Mountains was caused by the superposition of huge explosions from Slann magic and a Skaven machine used to expand the underground world.
Likewise, the Slann's magic caused the Skaven metropolis to be razed to the ground, its crumbling masonry buildings littering the streets with rocks and debris. A handful of survivors began to crawl out of the rubble. All they saw was destruction, no buildings were intact, and except for the large bell tower of the temple that hung over the Demon City, everything was in ruins.
"The time has come for the sons of the Great Horned Rat to spread across the world, multiply and gather strength in the dark land!" Twelve gray lords appeared from the temple at this time, and they spoke with the same voice to the gathered rats.
Yes Yes!
Perhaps because the explosion of that machine opened up rifts leading to all parts of the world, the Skaven's underground passages were connected like highways! The surviving Skaven obeyed the Horned Rat's will and began to form twelve armies, spreading through the passages and caves like a world-devouring cancer.
The great migration of the Skaven began. The Plague Clan came to the Lustria continent in Imperial Calendar -1399 and occupied Queza, and then the war between snakes and rats broke out. During this period, the Skaven who traveled south discovered large amounts of warpstone deposits, and the subsequent Battle of Cripple Peak with Nagash also broke out.
"It's really dark humor." Darkus suddenly laughed after thinking about this.
"What's wrong?" Genevieve asked sleepily.
"Nothing, I remembered something happy. Let's go to the Floating Garden?"
When Darkus took Genevieve there, Chupa Coco, Akadan and several Druch dignitaries were squatting. Studying plants on the ground.
Chupacoco was so familiar with Darkus that he couldn't stand Darkus' behavior. In his underlying logical structure, he only believed that the respected Lord Mazdamudi was worthy of serving him. He did not choose to stay in the Great Pyramid of Iqi, but stayed with Yakadan and Druchi dignitaries. Together, and cast a spell to protect them from the rain. This spell was taught to him by Teto Ikao when he was in Talaxlan. He didn't know how to do it when Darkus first came to Lustria. As a skink, he didn't need this spell. . And there are only a few among the Skink Priests who know how to do it, and Teto Ikao happens to be one.
Several Druchi dignitaries discussed more than once why Darkus asked them to do these jobs.
Akadan gave them an interpretation direction. He said that if they go south, they will reach the eternal city, Okoos, and if they go further south, they will come out of the jungle.
"Is he going to farm?" Baine's right forearm was wrapped in a bandage on his chest, and he squatted on the ground and looked at the plants and asked curiously.
Bainie had a very fulfilling time during the rainy season. At three o'clock and one line, he took the druchis for morning exercises in the morning, gave them instructions on martial arts, and then took Franais to practice sparring when Gorok was not patrolling. The sparring program is also very simple. Holding a practice stick and throwing each other, he practices the footwork of martial arts and looks for ways to deal with this monster.
From Baine's point of view, this was no different from the life-and-death contest in Nagarund. Grok was holding a solid stick as if he didn't have it, waving it around unscrupulously. If he bumped into him and lay on the ground, it was still good, but it was not good. At that time, he was flying in the air and fell to the ground freely. This time he flew up again, and his right hand was broken, so he could only trouble Akadan to use the blood of the earth on him again to recover. While he was disabled, he and other Druchi dignitaries squatted on the ground to study plants and pass the time.
Baine doesn't miss the first half of his life at all now, that is, the days in the tower of Naggarond. Judging from the various performances of Darkus, this is not an ordinary Druchi, this is a Druchi with ideals and ambitions. The most important thing is that Darkus has specific plans and magical abilities. Gradually, He also understood why Edreze, the Lord of Blades, would let him come to Darkus. He had never heard of a druki that could communicate with the lizard people in a friendly city and bring a group of giant beasts with him. It would be nice if the two sides didn't get mad at each other. If he went back to Nagarund and told his old colleagues, they would definitely not believe him. Coran Blackhand! One day, he will definitely take revenge! As for the great Witch-King Malekith?
What about Franais? He was beaten hard by Gorok's stick, and now he was lying on the bed again.
"I don't know about plants, but I know that adults will definitely raise cattle." Walter shrugged and said indifferently, then stuffed a leaf into his mouth and chewed it.
Several Drukhi dignitaries did not ask him why the Lord must raise cattle? They were smart and made a lot of associations from this sentence, and they could roughly guess why.
"Cow? What is it?" Akadan asked curiously.
Ren was carving hard on the stone slab and began to tell the skinks around him what a cow was. He never slacks off in the work assigned by Lord Darkus, even if he doesn't understand why he does it? He could guess what the purpose of studying plants was, but he never understood what it was to study floating gardens? Planting in the Red Poison River in Krakarond?
Walter kept chewing, not spitting or swallowing, just kept chewing. After chewing for a while, I sat down on the ground, but I kept chewing and stuffing the remaining leaves into my mouth. "Enough is enough!" Renne looked at Walter chewing with his peripheral vision and said speechlessly. During this period of time, these Drukhi still didn't understand the function of this plant, they just chewed some of it. I asked the skinks several times, but they didn’t know about these planted skinks. They only said that the big green leaves were beautiful! Also has a little bit of analgesic effect.
"Try squeezing out the sugar cane juice and applying it to the leaves? Or dry it with fire and then apply it to the leaves?"
But Darkus, who was standing behind, knew what it was doing, but he didn't understand the specific steps. , we can only let the Druchs try more. He has found most of the plants he expected, peppers, tobacco leaves, sugar cane, corn and baba. As for cotton? Do you give Druchi a big cotton-padded jacket at the end of the year? Mianjia? I have a chance to test a few pieces together.
"Sir!" After seeing Darkus coming, Walter swallowed the leaves directly. He quickly stood up, picked up the remaining leaves in his hands and said.
Darkus waved his hand to express his refusal. He didn't like chewing things.
After staying for a while, it was time for dinner. Darkus ate at the place where the Druchs lived, and the food they ate was the same as before. As for making corn into tortillas, he tried to make them several times, but he couldn't make them clean every time, and the food made his throat ache.
However, the skinks said they were very impressed. They liked eating it very much. They usually only eat dried insects and meat, but they rolled these things and chili peppers into corn tortillas and ate them. Darkus looked at it and called it an expert, giving this way of eating a very nostalgic name, Lustrian-style tacos.
At that time, we will have to go to the old world to find some fellow villagers who like to come to the new world to explore, such as halflings who are knowledgeable about eating.
Time passed like this day by day, and Darkus felt that he was getting stronger and stronger. Although his height had not increased, his body functions were obviously stronger than before. He believed that this enhancement was more at the soul level. superior. Now, due to the enhancement of his mysterious power and the changes in his temperament brought about by his thinking in the stargazing room, he has become more and more reserved, more relaxed and uncertain.
Darkus will also go to participate in various ritual activities. As the capital of the lizard people, there are also many kinds of ritual activities here.
There are many rituals of the Ancient Saint Iqi alone, because the giant beasts play an extremely important role in the lizard people's society. The Skink breeders believe in the Ancient Saint Iqi very much, and they hope that the giant beasts can obtain the Ancient Saint Iqi. Wonderfully blessed and healthy growth. There is a grand general ceremony before the breeding season and before the hatching season, which takes place once a year. There are also corresponding rituals for the birth, growth, maturity, reproduction, aging, and death of giant beasts. Giant beasts are diverse, and there are separate rituals for the reproduction and incubation cycles of different giant beasts.
The ancient salamander in the team ushered in its resurrection during the rainy season, and its arrival dominated all the salamander breeding rights in Itaza. The old Skink Priest had been guarding the domesticated animal pen during that time. The Ancient Salamander was busy. The Skink Priest led his envoys to a place where the flames could not reach. Darkus went to see how many of them were there. This time, I couldn't bear to look directly at it, it was so irritating to my eyes.
When you are free, you are really free, and when you are busy, you are really busy. After the Skink Priest finished working on the ancient Salamanders, he was busy performing rituals for a group of newly hatched Cold Lizard Knights and their Cold Lizards. During that time, He was so busy that even the skink waiter who fanned Darkus was sent out.
There is also the birth festival of the giant lizard. The birth time of each temple city's incubation pool is not the same, and the date of the birth is also different. After experiencing the Great Invasion and Snakes and Rats, each functioning temple city will still hold this festival, but it will be adjusted according to the situation of the temple city that year. Sometimes it will last for eight days, and sometimes it will only be one day.
It is celebrated by the monitor lizards and the skinks that own them. During the festival, the monitor lizards will rest and feast on the food prepared by the monitor lizards. Skinks entertained their larger relatives by dancing, chanting, and telling stories, but Darkus discovered that the group loved watching burlesques, especially watching the Skinks act grandiosely as they tried to lift heavy objects.
"Easy!" said a monitor lizard.
"Further!" and another monitor lizard said.
Then the monitor lizards will begin a contest of strength, speed and endurance. With the addition of monitor lizards Kami and Hesiota's monitor lizards, this year's monitor lizard birth festival has become even more popular than in previous years, with groups gathering in groups. A group of watching skinks cheered for the monitor lizards.
Darkus also participated in the festival of ancient Saint Razkoto. The ceremony was extremely simple and brief, lasting only one hour. There were no contests, banquets or songs. After the brief ceremony, the skinks dispersed, leaving the confused Darkos and Druch. The well-informed Akadan said that the ancient saint Ra Such is the festival of Zikoto, the ruthless Razkoto asked his descendants to concentrate on work instead of wasting time on it.
In addition, there are many rituals and festivals, such as the Revenge Day of the ancient saint Shapati. This festival appeared after the great invasion. It was as popular as Sotigo during the time of snakes and rats. But it’s not very popular now, and it hasn’t been held for a long time. Lizardmen are very good at astrology and calendaring. There are also festivals corresponding to the spring equinox, summer solstice, autumnal equinox and winter solstice. Although there is no winter in Lustria, ordinary skink lizards will be gathered together at the winter solstice. They will not eat dumplings. Instead of eating glutinous rice balls, they engaged in quizzes and stargazing, which the ordinary Skinks would never tire of.
The rainy season was about to end, and the old Skink Priest took his Skink Attendants out to hold a ceremony again, saying that this time it was for the Giant Beast Egg Bounty Skink that was about to go on an expedition. In the entire Great Pyramid of Ichi, except for the temple guards, only Darkus and Genevieve were left staring with big eyes. He doesn't need to worry about the departure luggage and baggage now. Lane and Walter will be ready and will report to him when the time comes.
Darkus felt that this was the most relaxing and enjoyable day since he came to the medieval mortal world.
The rainy season is over and the team sets off again.
On the day he left, Darkos did not hear the hissing resonance that asked him to get up. When he arrived at the Great Pyramid Square of Ichi, the old Skink Priest was there with the waiters.
"Thank you for taking care of me during this time. You allowed me to spend an unforgettable and enjoyable holiday." Darkus walked up to the old priest and hugged him. He knew that there was nothing unexpected and this was the last time they met.
In the distance, a large number of skinks and giant beasts gathered beside the central avenue, and the pterosaurs in the sky were also constantly circling. After seeing Darkus coming out, the Skinks near the square, led by the Skink Priest, began to sing a strange song. The song had no bytes, only a tune, just a simple chant.
Darkus felt that the entire temple city was moving. His team slowly walked out along the central avenue. Every step along the way, there was a responsible Skink Priest who guided the Skinks in chanting, accompanied by the high-pitched neighing of the giant beasts. , the chanting continued for a long time, and the monitor lizards also began to chant along with it.
Darkus was riding on the back of the big guy, waving to the skinks and giant beasts on both sides of the central avenue, and started chanting and neighing to the skinks and giant beasts in the team.
The Druzis couldn't hide their shock, and looked at each other in amazement to exchange opinions. Then their expressions turned into ecstasy, and they began to sing along with this tone.
Gorok, who was guarding the city gate, nodded slightly to Darkus, and the city gate began to open slowly.
After leaving the city, the singing in the city did not stop, but became more and more intense.
"Soar! Noble Umak! The farther you fly, the better!" Akadan stood on the back of Jukami and saluted Darkus.
"When you come back, this song will guide you!"
Page 11 of the 7th Edition of the Lizardman Military Book
(End of Chapter) during the battle of tactics.