Khione POV

we circled each other slowly I did this because I was extremely low on Hp and he did it because I was

as we moved slowly around I used the time to survey the surrounding area. It was brutally trashed

brittle with steel cross bow bolts and the bodies of the fallen everywhere the icy plain had a new lay several inches think as far as the eye could see. It was a blood red battlefield the smell of death the cold

dry wind the screams of the dying filling the air with their cries for mercy and aid. I could spot my soldiers slowly gaining the upper hand in the fighting. The prongs and knights had swept In behind the enemy and caught them unaware. If I survived it would be an overwhelming victory for me. These thoughts brought me back to my present condition. It was well past time to end this; turning the blood blade back into a band (rather indecisive) I began an unrelenting assault with ice shards from my hands as fast as I could cast them. When he became rather distracted trying to keep the onslaught from hitting his vitals. I kicked out in a crescent swipe which resulted with a larger blade of ice hurtling towards him. I was unable to continue the barrage of ice when I was kicking. I watched the blade flash across accelerating quickly towards him. He swung the maces in a reversed motion hitting the ice on both sides; this time however the broken shards speed forward slashing and cutting deeply into him. Blood gushed freely from a hundred wounds. Thinking that this wouldn't be enough to finish him I reformed my blade and sprinted forward pivoting as I got into range for maximum power I swept the blade diagonally through his body my blade glided through his body easily, however the blade shattered after hitting the bones in his hip. Although I had no worries their was no way he had survived that steeping away from his already freezing pool of blood.

Looking over the desolation I had caused with my troops my hopes soared. With my army like this I could subjugate all of the northern tribes. After I had them I could build more cities start a cycle of trade through them and I would be able to organize a larger military. So far as I knew I was the only player who had started in the north. I had to use this opportunity to seize it then maintain and improve upon it.

“my lady”

“my lady”

shaking my head I cleared away the thoughts and focused in on the commanders of the different units.

They reported complete success and that they had taken six hundred captives of which three hundred of these where the mothers of the camp as they where not allowed to fight. The rest where the small children and old ones. The young adult males had all died fighting; I decided they would be gathered and buried in the traditional fashion. They had fought and died with honor they deserved the burial that came with it. The other reports where that we had lost a fifth of my troops and one of the ballista from a more intelligent

unit of the enemy they had rejoined the fight afterward however. The enemy numbered two thousand and eight dead. Pyres where erected separately for each of the families and the prisoners where allowed to take care of their dead. They where innocents and would not suffer for the actions of the others. I had them promise to spread the word of what happened here. This was an example to those who might oppose me. This had been the largest tribe of frost trolls in the north most only numbered in around a thousand. They the squabbled constantly with one another their was a very small chance of alliances against me that could matter. I would send envoys to them requiring them to send half of their fighting force to join mine and to pay a yearly tribute so that they can remain sovereign. After the orders where sent out the families departed and some of the Vanguard sent back to the city for reinforcements. The rest that remained were to build a fort made of ice it was to be a practical thing to hold the entrance to the city.

From which walls would be made so that you had to enter from the fort or climb the six hundred or more feet canyon walls. I also had plans for towers on top of the canyon to prevent that... with the construction of the fort under way I left for the city leaving Terror in charge. I would need the organize the envoys necessary. They would have to be a show of force as well as reasonable. Also like all creatures the trolls are greedy so a few presents to the chiefs and it would be done. The amount of money lost would be meaning less to me anyway and the would gain most of it back in a few months of taxes. Also I would have to address the incoming players. This would be rather simple as long as I acted like an NPC. Give them a few simple missions and draft them into the military. The pay would be about that of a trainee which they would leap at if they read up on the game at all. Mounting Frost I had my Knights accompany me back to the city. With out having to keep a slow pace for soldiers we made good time and arrives a hour and a half later. Upon riding through the gates we where greeted with a shower of flowers with crowds lining the road.

Shouts of long live the queen rang out everywhere; Apparently the news was well received.

Smiling brightly I waved to the throng of people crowing the edge of the road. Sometime later we arrived at the keep and I received the updates on the training of troops. As well as the information a few new players that where spawning into the town square of these about eighty percent where trolls and the other twenty percent where the original races. These drew my attention as I had thought that only trolls would be starting here. However they system message had only said that trolls had to start here it didn't say that others could not. I was quite pleased when I heard the news it would bring in many different types of players and classes to get this rising city state even more power and wealth.

At home in my keep I walked the gardens with a few of my scribes as I took their reports. Then I had them commission a few large scale sculptures and works of art to begin in the city and spread through out. Flower gardening to follow the roads. I also had a many guild buildings constructed. The buildings

are: a Mages Guild, Assassins Guild, Warriors Guild, Painters Guild, Sculptors Guild, Archers Guild, Merchants Guild, Architecture, Engineering, Blacksmiths Guild, Carpenters, and Alchemists. This would all be well funded and strive for better training and technology. As they where ran by me I appointed the best this city had to offer to each post. Sadly the Alchemists guild and Mages Guild could not be staffed from the city. The alchemists guild however I offered increase funding and resources to the players who opted to work there as well as copies of all of the books that dealt with it from the palace( Keeps) library. The Mages guild was staffed by shaman who could teach abilities in a wide variety even if they could not teach specific classes. Again I offered them increased funding as the Frost Trolls lacked magical power and it would be necessary to defend the north.

After I had this ordered I had notices sent trough out the city with the news. I also added in that any new shops would receive loans for the first month that it was open with a low interest rate to get them started. The merchants guild was to set up trading posts in the locations of the troll tribes. These would generate settlements and income for the city and after the routes become official they could be paved and made with stone. This would allow for better trading speed and safety. It would also allow for quick troop deployment.

With my Envoys sent out I expected good results and at least half of the tribes to submit quickly. The others would be quickly crushed and the survivors be integrated into other tribes the locations of which would be built into villages and later cities.