“The last of our surveyor Corp has returned from Soulmine my king, the head Surveyor wishes to speak with you.” Lord Brackelm said as he continued to read over the various surveyors reports regarding the islands
“Very well bring him in” Mallick say atop his throne in the main hall, his newly refitted crown sat perched neatly upon his head. The lone surveyor entered the throne room, bowing deeply before lowering himself to his knees before the king, as mandated by Hallowian tradition given the surveyors low social class.
“My King, I come to seek your blessing to vacate my duties to the kingdom...” the man spoke quietly and carefully
“Upon what grounds would I allow myself to lose my greatest surveyor?” Mallick questioned as his interest was suddenly peaked by the unusual request
“It is for selfish reasons my king, while I was in Soulmine my wife...*sniffle* she passed... I need to vacate my duties in order to care for my children. They need me, my father has a plot of farmland on the western coast. He grows increasing weakened by age, I will tend to the fields and care for them all. Please your majesty I cannot let my family starve” The man broke into tears and begun sobbing uncontrollably
“The western coast? To which lordling does your father swear?” Unaffected by the mans crying Mallick continued to speak as normal
“He resides in the holdlands of Elatorn Brother of Elkor, Lord of Soulmine”
“Brackelm, is it not so that Elatorn has now taken lordship of his brothers former lands as well” he turned and asked his advisor who had been listening to the exchange from a small chair to the kings right
“Indeed my king, Elatorn’s holdings stretch a sprawling expanse now”
“Brackelm inform Elatorn that lands surrounding this man’s farms for 3 miles are no longer his holdings, and that he is to send 100 men to erect a keep in the vicinity of the farm. You, surveyor speak your name”
“It is Jorah my king” the man had managed to cease his sobbing and now stared at the king with a confused look upon his face
“Very well, Jorah for your services to the Kingdom I hereby name you Lordling Jorah and grant you lands surrounding your fathers farm to do with as you wish. Your children and father will be cared for by servants in your keep upon your return...”
“Return?... my king?” The wide smile of the new lordling became marked with confusion at the final word of the address.
“Yes return, I do no grant you my blessing to vacate your duties. You’re skills are much too valuable to the Nation for me to allow us to part with them this way”
“Yes my king, where is my next assignment?”
“You are to sail from Soulport immediately to Soulmine, from there take 150 colonists, the same of builders and a mixed guard of 200. I want you to settle lands on the northern island of the archipelago, I believe you will find that the Kytiromean have already established a colony.”
Lord Jorah rose from his knees, bowed once more and exited the hall his eyes still wet from crying.
“Squire! Summon Scorpius, I wish to speak with him before his departure for Luciferi Obumbratio“
“Yes my king” the squire stepped forward, gave a small bow then raced off in search of Lord Scorpius
When Scorpius finally arrived in the great hall a large oak table had been brought in with a large map stretched over it, depicting the entirety of the archipelago, small lines having been drawn upon it from Soulport to the Northern island via Soulmine and from the soul hollow strait directly to the coast of Luciferi Obumbratio.
“You summoned me my king”
“Ah yes Scorpius, we need to finalize the plans for the invasion. Our scouts have said that this area here on the western coast of Luciferi Obumbratio should prove favorable as our base of operations for the assault towards Daemonium, it is still unclear if the Holm will be assisting to keep an eye out for their longships. After landing here you should be able to set up a basic boundary using this river to bottle neck their forces to this relatively defensible land-bridge.”
“Very well my king I shall depart at once”
“May greatness guide your way” Mallick has grown better at the king’s blessing but the words still felt empty as he spoke them
“Unbeaten, Unbroken, Unaided” Scorpius replied a traditional Hallowian military cry and motto gained by the fact that their islands had never been overtaken by a foreign power.
(The two random blobs off the east coast are the naval forts I mentioned in an earlier post)