Strangers: The Path of the Khan

Ms.Ezra

Innkeeper of The Enchanted Suites
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FOLKLORE MEMBER
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Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
Genres
Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Superhero, Horror, Slife-of-life.
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The Racuten Plains. A band of grasslands, savannah and shrublands which wraps around the world as a green border between the mountains where the ancient and mighty Forlers make their homes, and the rest of the world. It gets it name from the sole race which inhabits them, the Racuten who look to be half-human and half-horse, but you would call them that at your own peril; if you even got close enough to talk to them that is. The Racuten lived in a truly wild manner, more so than even the Barbin and Palerme, and shunned all contact with other races thus far.

Which made them a challenge for the curious of the world to examine. Vallis is only the latest in a long line of these curious souls. Who is Vallis? So far as anyone knows Vallis is a solitary scholar who dresses in simple leather armor over a blue tunic, and wraps her head in a light blue cloth to conceal all but her light brown eyes.

“The herd rested here, and moved on.” Vallis says looking down at the hoof prints and wallows left by the herd in the thick grass. She has been tracking this herd for a few days now. “Moving slower, I think, because one of them is nursing an injured leg.” She speaks aloud to herself very quietly and looks around cautiously. The Racuten went unharassed by the other races, but there were other dangers which prowled these plains for them. That’s why she has a short sword and bow along with her other scholarly equipment.

She stalks up to a high hill, and takes from her pack a spyglass. You can see for miles around in the right spot in these lands, and Vallis hopes she can spot the herd still moving, as those wallows had still been warm and tracks fresh.

Tracking and recording her findings on the Racuten was, Vallis felt, a productive and necessary task for the young woman. They were the least understood of all the races on this world, aside from of course the people called Strangers. Now that was a fascinating topic, but one she couldn’t readily study beyond what’s been written by the Red Shield Guild and a few tomes from the Zylrel Grand Library.

“If only the Gods were kind.” Vallis muses to herself while following the faint signs of movement through the grassland of the Racuten herd. As she looked to the next hill, those parts in the grass became fainter and she puts away the spyglass to begin walking to that vanishing point, where she’d repeat this process again until either she found the herd, or her feet tire out and force her to make camp a while. The latter was not likely. But that wasn’t all bad. She could make camp, cook up some of the fish she’d caught when crossing a river that morning, and give Edea a call on the Seer Orb. Maybe her search for adventure had been more fruitful. As of now her only ‘dangers’ had been avoiding the droppings these beings left behind. Maybe they could even meet somewhere, like Doren, and catch up in person. It’d been too long, in her opinion, since they’d talked face to face.Vallis thinks this while keeping her eyes alert and forward on the climb up the next hill. Would be embarrassing to step in Racuten dung, or a rodent burrow hole, or walk right into that door…

“Door?” Vallis stops in place on the hill and her brown eyes go wide looking up at this door that was suddenly at the top. It was large, the doors wooden and set in a stone arch. “A door...a Stranger Door!” Vallis exclaims, almost squeaks with excitement at this discovery. The lore of Strangers said that sometimes, but not always, a Stranger entered this world from theirs through some kind of door. Sometimes they just walked, others were described by onlookers as just being thrown out of them. And here was one, right before her!

Vallis trots up to this door, hoping she can get up and at least touch it before it expelled whoever was on the other side and disappeared. Touching it may not be the wisest thing to do when presented with an otherworldly door, but she wasn’t thinking cautiously right then. To her delight, it remains there when she comes up to it. She looks it up, then down, and around the other side. Yes, just as described, it was the same on both sides. There were even simple iron knockers on it. Vallis takes off her pack and digs out her hammer and chisel, and gingerly taps the chisel into the corner of the stone arch to get a sample.

One tap. Nothing. Two taps. Nothing. Feeling bold, Vallis gives the chisel five rapid taps with the hammer hoping to get at least one little chip off this wondrous thing before it vanished. But then the actual wood door flies open, and someone is expelled from it along with a gust of wind to go rolling down the hill. Said wooden door slams open and hits Vallis in the side rather hard.

“Graahhhh!” Vallis yells, dropping her tools and grabbing her arm. The door vanishes before her eyes and the woman kicks the ground in frustration. “Damn it all! It’s gone!” She screams, then realizes “Wait! It’s gone! That means…” She looks around, down the hill, and yes she sees someone at the bottom.

“Wait there! Dont you move!” Vallis tells the Stranger from the top before running down, still clutching her arm as it throbs with pain. The amulet under her clothing allows her words to be heard by the mysterious Stranger as their own native language, with perfect dialect. Vallis slows down as she gets closer, those eyes taking in his every detail while underneath the blue wrap she is grinning like a madwoman. “You...you are….” She notes the armor, the weapons “A warrior!” Vallis puts her hands together and looks to the sky “Thank you Gods! I swear I will never speak ill of you again for this gift!”

@Quake
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North


[IMGR=200]https://i.imgur.com/tTBrRZ8.jpg[/IMGR]

The last thing Jochi Khan remembered was plummeting towards a deep ravine, his body riddled with arrows and blades. He had been on the run for days on end, waging a losing battle against his father, Genghis, who he believed had turned against him in jealousy and fear of his success and possible rule. Despite his incredible combat knowledge and commanding leadership, Jochi had simply not had the manpower to battle the rest of his father’s Empire for an extended period of time, and he had lost the northern capital much sooner than he had expected. With his armies decimated and strewn across the land, he and a select few of his most trusted vassals had fled into the Altai mountains, where he had taken a final stand on the cliff’s edge. One by one his advisors had been killed, slain by those he had once called his brothers. Towards the 18th hour of the fight upon the rock, Jochi’s wounds finally robbed him of consciousness and the young warrior had been kicked off the mountainside towards the cold death below that awaited him. And yet, the forsaken prince never hit the bottom. In the last moment his body had been engulfed in darkness. And then there was nothing.

The next moment Jochi’s eyes shot open, the blood in his veins running cold. Where was he? The frigid mountain air and rolling fog had been replaced with blue skies above him and green fields all around. Was this some sort of devil work? The Khan’s hands grasped his side, shoulder, and leg. His wounds had disappeared, and there was no lingering pain either. The young warrior prince could not understand. Rolling over, Jochi reached for his sword which had been flung a couple feet from where he had landed.

A yell from nearby and the sound of rapid footsteps approaching brought him to his senses. The warrior Khan jumped up quickly and spun around, swinging his sword back and forth violently. He had expected a horde of fierce Mongol warriors to rush him, so he found himself quite surprised to see a woman come over the hill and greet him. Her face was hidden, but Jochi had heard her speak briefly when she called out to him. It was the language of his people, and yet it’s familiarity brought him no comfort. He had just fought against his brothers and former countrymen, slaying them by the hundreds while losing twice as many more. It was very possible this woman standing before him was some sort of assassin or spy sent by his father or his other enemies to finish him.

Keeping his eyes on the stranger before him, the young warrior knelt down, picking up the large steel glaive he had carried into battle. His ears listened intently for anything out of the ordinary, but it seemed that they were the only ones around for the time being. With spear in one hand and blade in the other, Jochi slowly approached the woman before him. His piercing black eyes seemed to stare through her soul, and he continued his advance until he was a breaths distance away from her face. The longer he stared at her, the greater his rage became. Finally, he spoke, his words harsh and filled with contempt.

[Spoken in Mongolian-Khamag Dialect]

“You stand in the presence of a Khan. The Dragon of the North, The Flail of God and the pillar on which the entire dynasty of Khamag was built! The people of the tongue with which we speak!” He roared, his voice shaking with fury. “And yet you do not bow! You do not kneel. Surely you have no honor! Even my greatest enemy would not disrespect me in such a way.”

Jochi circled his target like a tiger stalking his prey, studying her every movement, just waiting to see how she would respond. “Perhaps you meant to slay me while I laid on the grass with that blade of yours that you carry? Was that it? To do my father’s bidding in hopes of reward? Because if that was your purpose then draw your weapon and kill me this instant, lest I rip your head from your shoulders with my bare hands and damn your soul to never the see the afterlife!” The Khan forcefully planted his weapons into the dirt beside him, waiting for some sort of response, his knuckles white with an intense rage.

"Come!"


 
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"A Khan? A ruler?" Vallis says in response to the first words this Stranger says to her. This was very unexpected, at least his confrontational attitude. The literature on Strangers hadn't gone into great detail of how they reacted. Now she was facing someone who looks willing to behead for not giving him his due respect.

Oddly(or sadly) enough it was very familiar. Just like her father. Thus it was easy enough for Vallis to put up her hands and fall down to her knees and prostrate herself before the man without feeling humiliated at all. Hands and forehead to the ground, in a manner from a long-gone Stranger the people of her land had been compelled to adopt when facing a ruler.

"Forgive me, mighty Khan of the North, I was not aware I was in the presence of your greatness. I am only a humble scholar, and my name is Vallis. The sword and bow are only for my defense against bandits and beasts. I would never dare think I could strike you down with such meager weapons." Vallis says all this, and hopes it is enough for the man to not use that glaive to behead her anyway. Her neck was exposed after all.
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

Jochi glared silently as the woman dropped to the ground and introduced herself. Was this some sort of trick meant for him to lower his guard? He couldn’t be too sure. And yet her words were more surprising to him than her actions. For starters, the woman’s name was unlike any he had heard before. Vallis? What kind of foreign name was that? Perhaps she was from a different country or another part of the Empire he was unfamiliar with. Next were her weapons. While clearly recognizable as a bow and sword, they were fashioned in a style unfamiliar to his own. How odd, he thought. And had she said something about being a scholar? Surely that was a lie! Women were not educated beings. At least not where he came from. And yet as the Khan surveyed his surroundings, it became more and more apparent he was not in his home country anymore.

“Come.”
Jochi commanded, his voice finally breaking the silence. The large man marched over to his weapons, drawing his sword from the earth and strapping his spear to his back. “Pick yourself up. You are familiar with this area, I am sure.” he growled, his voice a deep rumble. “You will act as my guide and I will discover just how much truth you speak. Be grateful I am unfamiliar with these lands, for it is the only reason you still draw breath. Now, let us go.”
 
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Vallis breathes a sigh of relief into the grass, and rises when she is told to come along with this Khan. Her light brown eyes watch him take his weapons from the ground; wonders for a moment which he would kill her with if she oversteps her allowances in his presence. She brushes the grass and dirt from her knees while thinking about how to speak next.

"I know these lands well from animal to plant and it's lay. There are a few things you must know, if you will permit me to speak further." She says thinking this man would have allowed her to keep speaking, but errs on the side of caution first. Vallis had been practicing this explanation with her teacher, a Stranger who has been here for a long time, and her cousin. It would have been preferable to do so without fear, but seldom does life follow your comforts.

"You are not on the world of your birth. This is another, called many things by the many races who live upon it. I call it Nomae-Ralo. And you my Lord, are what we native peoples call a Stranger, a widely diverse people who come into our world it seems at random for unknown purpose. At this moment we are in wild unclaimed lands called the Racuten Plains." The translation amulet makes Jochi hear 'Racuten' as 'Horse people'. "The nearest town is to the South, and in the Kingdom of Linia. We can make it there by nightfall if we are swift and not delayed."

A rumble is heard, then felt in that moment before the two could start walking. Vallis looks around and looks to the hill where the Stranger had entered through the door. It was loudest there and getting louder.

"Run! They're stampeding this way!" Vallis yells and runs runs away from that spot.

Over that hill comes the herd she had been tracking. If Jochi were wondering what she had meant by 'Horse people' he will know when they come over the hill and stampede down. A herd of beings that are human at the torso(all bare from the males, females to children) but those torsos are attached to the body of a horse. They are frightened, and do not make any motion to go around him.

Why they are frightened makes itself known with a loud shrill call from up in the sky. It sounds like a bird of prey at first, but is followed by a big cats rumble. The predator flies overhead, and while it was hunting the herd, it's eyes focus on Jochi. Mainly his armor and weapons, the shiniest things around. It likes shiny things, so it swoops down with claws out to claim those shiny things from what it sees as a helpless creature.
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

”Nomae-Ralo,” Jochi repeated. “Interesting. Perhaps some sort of powerful magic summoned me here.” It’s given me another chance, he thought. And did this woman say horse people? More lies surely. As the Khan listened to his guides’ information about the new world he felt a slight rumble beneath his feet. At first it seemed a ways off, but it was quickly growing more powerful with the rapid approach of a large group. Something was coming. Something big.

Vallis yelled out a warning to run, and Jochi, unable to see what was coming over the hill, turned and began to run away from the large commotion that was seconds away barreling down their path. After reaching a slight incline away from the commotion, the warrior Khan stopped, turning to see what had caused such a powerful tremor. Having expected a great army on horseback or possibly a herd of deer, the young Mongol could hardly believe his eyes when a plethora of half man- half horse creatures came charging the hill.

“Incredible,” he whispered under his breath. He had seen art of creatures like them on old scrolls in the temple of his childhood, but he had never believed them to be real. And yet his eyes did not deceive him. Perhaps the one called Vallis wasn’t a complete liar after all. As Jochi watched the herd run, he was startled by a loud animal cry from the sky. Looking up, Jochi saw a powerful beast hurling towards him at incredible speeds. it’s face and wings were that of a bird, and yet it shared the body of a wild cat. Drawing his spear from his back, a terrifying smile crept across the Dragon of the North’s face as he watched in anticipation. It was one of sheer excitement, of great challenge, and of pure bloodlust.

“Uukhai! Uukhai! Uukhai!” Jochi began to scream violently as he began to pound his spear into the dirt, each hit matching the rhythm of his war cry. Throughout the Mongol Empire, it had been well known that Jochi Khan’s heart and spirit were above all others in the kingdom. This warrior’s spirit was present and on full display now as the flying creature swooped down on him, it’s claws outstretched and razor sharp. Jochi yelled once more and launched his spear at the beast as a powerful talon tore into the armor above the warriors left shoulder. Thrusting his blade forwards, Jochi managed to barely clip the edge of one of its wings once before it rose high into the sky and came around for a second pass. Jochi quickly turned to assess the damage to his shoulder but then stopped. Surely the creature had hit him. His pauldron had a large dent in it now. I felt the force of it’s blow, he thought. And yet...no pain. As the winged predator began its second attempt, Jochi took a moment to prick his finger with the edge of his blade. Blood? Yes. But pain? Jochi roared with laughter at the realization and turned once more towards his airborne opponent.

“Come and sip from the cup of destruction. Surely I am blessed by the gods!” He yelled at the beast, ridiculing it with malicious intent. “I feel no fear, no doubt, no confusion. And now,” he laughed. ”Now I feel no pain! I have become death itself! I-”

In an instant, the creature was on him once more. It’s claws, talons and beak tore and ripped at Jochi’s armor as it carried him into the sky. Fighting through the monster’s powerful grip, Jochi laughed with glee at his newfound ability as he wildly swung his sword at the creature underbelly. It was surprisingly harder than he had expected, but a ferocious thrust through its chest slowed the creatures endless onslaught as it began to glide down and fall out of the sky. Continuing to tear at the creatures underside, Jochi fought like a savage endlessly until the two crashed into a small river nearby.

Crawling off the slain beast, Jochi pulled himself up the river bank, exhausted and weighed down by the few remaining pieces of armor he had left. Tossing his ruined chest plate off himself and onto the ground, Jochi chuckled as blood trickled from his forehead into his mouth. He had no lethal wounds, although gashes across his forearms, legs, and face were evident. And yet it meant nothing to him. Just more wounds that would heal over time and turn to scars. More importantly, he had just slain a powerful creature, and his discovery of the inability to feel pain meant he could do what he had been unable to finish in his own world. He would rule this world as it’s one and only Khan.

A true Khan. And nothing would get in his way.

“Uukhai. Uukhai. Uukhai!”
 
The first thoughts to cross Vallis' mind were how amazing the Griffin looks in mid-flight in the middle of a hunt. The Griffin was one of the most well-documented around, but that did not make it any less glorious to behold, if also terrifying. Reverence aside, Vallis reaches for her sword, ready to fight back should the animal come for her as easier prey than the Racuten; forgetting for the moment their predilection towards shiny objects until seeing the creature go for Jochi.

"He is..a madman." Vallis says in a very low whisper when she witnesses Jochi defiantly facing the Griffin. He claims to not feel any pain, and that makes him even bolder than he may have been before. To Vallis he is only more of a madman than before. In the time he fights off the animal on the first pass, Vallis takes up her bow and knocks back an arrow. She fires off two when it comes in for its second pass, but both miss. Her eyes follow Jochi being carried up into the air, and she is certain there is nothing to be done to prevent this newcomer from a bloody demise even for how fiercely he fights. And she was looking forward to having her own research subject too....

Vallis follows the pair until they fall from the sky into a nearby river. The Griffin makes a death rattle as it bleeds out into the water, caught on some rocks that had broken all of its bones. To her great surprise, Jochi is able to not only get onto the riverbank, but chuckle and yell his war cry again.

"My..Lord?" Vallis asks approaching cautiously. "That was...glorious. It's not many who can say they were in the clutches of a wild Griffin and lived." and she means that as a fact, not flattery.
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

Jochi smirked at Vallis’ praise. Glorious was an understatement. He was a great warrior after all.

“Ah! A griffin! So that is what this beast is called!” Jochi exclaimed triumphantly. “Surely those who hear of my great accomplishment shall call me Griffin Slayer! Slayer of the Sky King! Warrior of the skies! Something of the sort. Truly! ...I am worthy.” For all the young Khan’s battle knowledge and combat prowess, he was vulnerable to the ideas of fame and glory that had brought him to such high esteem in his own world. The people of Nomae-Ralo might not have known him presently, but they would. His pride and arrogance would deem it so.

As the khan took his time getting to his feet, he stopped to tear a couple strips off the lower portion of his undergarment, using them as bandages to wrap over the open wounds on his arms and legs. Pulling them tight, Jochi waded back down into the water towards the downed beast, taking another look at its majesty. Even in death it’s beauty remained. Reaching down into the river, Jochi removed one of the beasts talons with his blade, slicing down and out in order to remove the sharp claw from the great creature. It was his first trophy of the new world.

“Vallis.” Jochi’s voice had returned to its natural low rumble as he had calmed down and lost his excitement. They would need to move soon, if they didn’t want to be caught out in the wild at night. Jochi loved battle, but even he recognized that spending the night in an unknown location of a new world was not wise. As he began to wade out of the water, he clutched the griffin’s talon tightly in his fist, extending it out to her upon coming ashore. “Hold onto this for me. I will retrieve it at a later time. You claimed to be a scholar. I am sure there is some form of knowledge to be gained from such a creature then. Take what you wish from the beast’s carcass. But hurry. I do not wish to remain here longer than needed.”

As Jochi waited for any inspection his new companion might need to do, he trudged along the riverbank over to his armor, kicking a couple pieces over in the sand for inspection. None were of any use to him now having been damaged beyond repair. He would surely need a new suit of armor if he was to take control of this world, he thought to himself. Taking up his spear, Jochi began to head back up away from the water. As he did he wondered where the horse hybrid people had gone. They were unlike anything he had seen before. As Jochi studied the sky, he could tell that it shared some similarities with his own world. One of the signs was that the sun had moved past the halfway point in the sky. The day was coming to a close. Reaching the hilltop, the Khan glanced back towards Vallis, hoping she had finished her duties so they could get a move on.
 
"Yes, as you wish my Lord, and thank you for the opportunity." Vallis takes the talon he wants her to keep for the time being, and puts it in a pocket of her pack. She takes up the offer to take something for herself from the beast, and after taking her sword off her belt and setting it beside the shore, she wades into the water.

Thankfully the current was very calm this time, so it was an easy enough task to pluck seven feathers from the Griffin's wing, and store them for later. There wasn't much knowledge to be gained from this specimen, as Griffins were so well-studied there was a domestic breed used for the fastest form of transport available. But there was still some personal value to he had for having some feathers from a wild one. Vallis thinks maybe she will incorporate them into her attire somehow.

Vallis walks back onto shore holding the seven feathers, and finds a way to store them in her pack with minimal risk of damage. She straps the pack back onto herself and says to Jochi Khan. "I am ready to lead the way, my Lord."

And lead the way she does southward to the nearest town. The encounter with the Racuten and Griffin had been dangerous and exciting, but also short. Vallis has many questions for this Stranger, ones she has prepared for years while pursuing her other scholarly works, but she refrains from talking until she is spoken to. The way he had said 'You claimed to be a scholar' gave her the impression he was very skeptical of her. Not an uncommon thing in her life thus far. Women like her who were unmarried, alone, and spent their time anywhere else besides her home were a rare kind outside the Zylrel.

In normal times she would have been unabashed in showing her scholarship. But this man has so far shown to be very agressive. Smart thing would be to remain servile.
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

Jochi followed Vallis into the nearby town. Night had fallen when they arrived, and Jochi took the sights and sounds of the new location in silence. As he and his vassal walked down the streets, the warrior became increasingly aware of the odd looks and mutterings of the townspeople that passed. Peasant scum! They would bow to him soon enough!

“Let us find a place to rest. Tomorrow you will lead me to whomever rules this village. I will slay him, and take this town and all its resources as my own. From here, I will start an Empire that spans twice the world over.”
The Khan explained to Vallis matter-of-factly. Jochi’s ambitions were vast, and the young warrior saw the chance to fix his mistakes and become a greater ruler than his father had ever been. As he moved through the town planning in his head he became aware of an odd fact. Try as he might, the Khan couldn’t seem to understand what the people around him were saying. What language did they speak? Turning to his guide, he grunted at her as they approached what appeared to be an inn.

“Scholar. What is this…”
he paused. “this gibberish these people speak? I have not heard it before. Surely an educated one like yourself understands them, no?”
 
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Vallis and Jochi pass under the simple wooden arch bearing the name of the riverside village: Taenara, lit by oil torches.

Coming down the main street, Vallis sees what she was expecting of the townspeople: they stop, they whisper and then try to resume the normal course of their evening regardless of the very obvious disruption walking down their street. Jochi's discontent with their reaction is evident on his face. Vallis is glad for the wrappings concealing her own look of worry as they go along and Jochi tells her what he plans for this village.

"The language they speak is an ancient tongue, spoken the world over by all races capable of speech. The only reason I am able to converse with you, is this amulet on my person." She taps the center of her chest, where an amulet hangs under her leather armor. "So long as I hold it, you hear my tongue speaking the one you know, and I hear yours in mine."

The pair enter The Riverman's Inn, and a quiet comes over the patrons who were talking and singing jovially.

"Be calm, only here for a meal and a night." Vallis tells everyone and finds them a table in a corner of the tavern portion.

"What would you like this evening? We have wild dire bird, pork chops, beef steak." A woman comes to them and warily asks Vallis, avoiding the eyes of Jochi. Vallis relays what she said to Jochi, and gives his order along with hers, the wild dire bird and a pint of mead for the two to share.

While waiting for their order, Vallis decides to tell Jochi more, in the hopes he might be dissuaded from his plan, or persuaded to adjust his plan at least. She tells him all of it quietly, so as to prevent eavesdroppers even as the people resume their banter around them.

"My Lord Jochi, I must warn you of this Kingdom called Linia. Its sovereign, King Edward, is not a man to be trifled with. He does not tolerate even dissent among his subjects, and will fight you to the last man.There is also the matter of you being a Stranger. The people of the land will not abide a true outsider to rule over them. It would be a hard, nigh impossible, task to conquer Linia from this village."





 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

Jochi listened to Vallis’ advice and information on the new world, tearing into the food with ferocious hunger and apparent lack of table manners. During the entire meal, his steely gaze focused on his partner intently. As she told him about the kingdom, its king, and the people of Nomae-Ralo, Jochi found himself growing excited. The thrill of challenge boiled the blood in his veins. An impossible task was simply one that hadn’t been accomplished yet. He would be the first.

“Listen to me, my scholar. In my world, I ruled the North for six years. I had 1000 men when I started. Poor, untrained, weak things my father tossed at me when he told me to begin my conquest. I converted that force into the most powerful army in the north; ten-thousand strong, loyal, fighting men! Men ready to give their lives for mine without a second thought. Do you know how I accomplished such a feat?” Jochi tapped his temple twice, indicating he wasn’t all strength and combat skill and actually had a brain.

”I gave them everything they desired. My loyalty. My word. My strength. People are selfish beings. Especially those who have nothing. They will always think of themselves first. It is the nature of survivors. Of men. So I showed them what they could have under my rule. Those with nothing I gave the world. Rank. Position. Status. Those that were starving ate the livestock and crops of the enemy. The poor took the spoils of war and became rich. The sick took in the medicines of the conquered and were made well. I repeated this process countless times. Every village. Every city. Every kingdom was given back to the people. And they grew to love me for it.”

Jochi smirked, picking a bone out of his teeth. “For comfort, happiness and success I bought the most powerful army in the North.” The Khan conveniently left out his inevitable defeat and the fall of his Empire. It was not part of the point he was trying to make. Standing up from the table, the Khan picked up his weapons and headed towards the back where the rooms were located. Pausing for a moment, Jochi looked back at his new vassal.

“This may be a new world, but it's ruled by humans. And human nature doesn't change. So my plan remains. By this time tomorrow, this village will be mine. I trust you will be by my side.” Without another word, the Stranger headed towards the rooms to rest and plan.

(So I guess you can just like skip to the next day, or finish out the night or whatever you want to do)​
 
Vallis looks around at the other patrons as Jochi explains to her the broad strokes of how he conquered lands on his homeworld, and how that would work in hers as well. Translation amulets were not an item regular folk could acquire, and for that she was thankful or else some of the more inebriated men might have tried to fight Jochi.

As it is the people are just suspicious as before. Looking at them out of their periphery and over their cups. They are making assumptions of what this conversation was about, she knows that. A few leave. Vallis knows at least one of them leaves the tavern to warn the powers-that-be of this Stranger in their village.

She could have warned Jochi. But then what would he have done? He might have started his massacre early. So Vallis allows Jochi to talk and retire to his room. Vallis leaves a stack of gold coins on their table for the barkeeper and innkeeper to also retire to her room next to Jochi's.

The words 'I gave them everything they desired' stick with Vallis as she unwraps her face in preparation of what sleep she might manage. There are many things she wants, has wanted before she had a name for it. The King of Linia, he would not allow many of them anymore than she felt society in general would. Things that made it necessary for her to go about with a concealed face except when in trusted company, less people other than herself be ashamed. Not just for herself, but the King's iron grip has made it stifling and suffocating.

Was this Jochi able to change it? Strangers have been known to do amazing things when given time and opportunity.

Maybe. But at what cost? Could that 'everything' she wanted include saving the people closest to her heart?

Vallis sits on the bed with her Seer Orb in her palm. Her lips part to call on Edea for guidance then snap shut. She knows Edea's heart; Edea would not bend at all to try and bend this for the better. Edea would be the hardest for her to try and spare. She puts it back in its pouch and lies back on the bed with sword at her side.

Morning
In the night one of those tavern patrons had indeed informed the authorities of Jochi's arrival, and the local garrison had moved swiftly yet quietly under the cover of darkness. Troops were called out of their barracks to take up armor and arms. They marched on the village and took position around it while the sun is starting to light the sky.

Men in cloaks go door to door to warn the residents "A Stranger imperils this village. Remain inside until we call."

The streets are bare and quiet when the sun comes up.

Vallis opens her eyes at the first kiss of light upon her face through the bedroom window. She re-wraps her face, takes up her sword, bow and full quiver, and steps out in the hallway to wait beside Jochi's room door silently. No other residents of this inn have stirred and risen when Jochi does come through his door to see Vallis waiting.

"My Lord Jochi. I hope you have slept well, for the King's army is waiting to ambush us." Her eyes shift up and down the hall. "This will be your first show of strength and skill to the people of the land. If the troops that have come fall, so too will the mayor bow to your will without your need to harm him. How will we proceed? I am not only a scholar, I am your first soldier to command." She looks aside at him "I await your command."
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

Jochi had awoken rather early that morning. He had slept rather well, despite the events of the past twenty four hours. Without hesitation, the esteemed warrior had continued his old morning practices, lighting a small candle upon the small night stand and kneeling down to recite the morning prayers to his ancestors for success and well being. These prayers had been taught to him as a boy, and he had never missed a day in all his years.

“Father Ahman, bestow upon me your strength for the trials that lie ahead,,
Father Dural, imbue in me your courage that I might not falter in hardship,
Father Bora, Bless me with your wisdom to see the truth amongst the falsehoods,
Father Ket, Grant me your guidance to take decisive action when others cannot.
Your gift is remembered.

Your blade is honored.
Let my hands bring us glory on the battlefield.”


Jochi would go on to repeat this mantra ten times over, his eyes shut and forehead pressed to the floor. When he finished, the young man stood up and got dressed, blowing out the candle and gathering his possessions as he did so. With no armor left to wear, Jochi couldn’t help but feel naked, despite being dressed in the shirt and pants that he normally wore underneath his gear. Looking around the room, Jochi stripped the bed he had slept on of its brown blanket, tying it around his neck and tossing it on as a cloak. Better, he thought to himself. Sheathing his sword around his waist and fashioning the glaive to his back, the Mongol warrior stepped out into the hall, where he was meant by Vallis. The woman welcomed him and gave him a quick explanation of their situation. Jochi nodded silently, the fire and excitement for combat welling up within him.

“Uukhai!” Jochi cheered. “The gods have blessed us today, Vallis. Battle has come to our doorstep in the form of fools unaware they are already dead.” Jochi grinned and headed towards the main door. As he did, the warrior stopped to grab a small table and flip it upside down. Kicking the legs off with tremendous force, Jochi took the face of the table and wrapped a bit of it in cloth, strapping it around his left hand in a tight knot. It was a makeshift shield that wouldn’t last long he knew, but it would work long enough to close the gap on any archers or ranged combatants the enemy might have. As Jochi turned to head out, he gave his orders to the singular ally he had.

“I will draw the main force head on. They may have us surrounded, but if this army hopes to defeat me, they will have to bring their forces together, one way or another. When this happens, take the backdoor approach. Kill any who would oppose you, but most importantly seize the king, prince, or whomever it is leading these forces. Royalty would not think to join a fight against one man. They will sit in the back and watch as most cowards do.” Jochi’s face scowled in disgust.

“Lastly! Vallis!“ Jochi yelled, trying to steel her spirit with the same fire that burned inside him. “Purge yourself of any fear or doubt in your spirit! It will only hinder you! Fight for your life, and know that to lose it here in service to a Khan is the greatest honor one can receive! But should you live through this....we will be like family. Uukhai!” Jochi screeched once more, slamming the butt of his spear into the tavern floor before bursting through its doors a moment later. Sprinting at full speed, Jochi laughed maniacally as he quickly began closing the gap between himself and the King’s army. Fifty yards out, the Khan hurled his spear as hard as he could, piercing a frontline foot soldier through the chest and pinning his corpse to the muddy earth below his feet.

Moments later, Jochi crashed through the frontline, a whirling dervish of death and destruction.
 
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Jochi's spirited chant almost makes Vallis jump. For a moment she fears he would question how she knows but he does not. He seems to think only of the obstacles that have come before him and are waiting. Vallis follows Jochi, watches him make a table into a shield and stands still looking at him as he gives her orders first, then words meant to instill a fighting morale into her. He doesn't wait for any kind of response from Vallis; he just bursts out the front doors like a might loud whirlwind. Vallis runs the other way towards the backdoor. She hears doors open and passes one woman who peers out to watch her pass.

Did Jochi really mean that promise? That by winning this battle and living through it they would be family? She has heard of warrior societies of her own world that make the same promise of initiates. Could he be deceiving her? Was Jochi even capable of deception? So far she thinks not, as his first plan was to rest so as to take this town by force. Diplomacy and deception so far do not seem to be in his skill set.

Vallis comes through the backdoor out into an alley.

"Stop citizen! Go back-" A soldier yells at her from one end of the alley with bow ready. He stops, having seen her sword.

"Enemy sighted!" The soldier yells and lets loose an arrow at Vallis. Her sword cuts it out of the air as she charges him. He gets off one more arrow before she is upon him and draws his own sword. Vallis parries his upward and with her free hand punches him in the stomach then sweeps out his legs from under him with hers. He falls onto his back. She plants her boot on his chest and holds her sword to his neck.

"Who is your commander?" She demands of the soldier.

"You can kill me I will -huck!" The soldier resists and for that resistance gets the sword plunged right down into his neck.

"Will never die a traitor." Vallis finishes what she knows he was about to say and runs off with sword drawn. She will search the outskirts of the village until she spots the commander's post.

Meanwhile.

The soldiers facing Jochi fall like leaves before his onslaught.

"Fall back! Get the nets!" A captain barks from the back of the formations. Three groups of two soldiers each carrying a heavy net between them spread out and stand ready.

"Throwers forward!" The captain barks again. Several men come from the buildings swinging bolos overhead and slowly converging on Jochi. Archers from atop buildings fire down at Jochi not aiming for fatal shots, but at his feet hoping to herd him into the throwers and nets.

Vallis sees one of these archer posts up on a nearby roof, and with her bow downs him. Using a wagon near the building she climbs up onto that same roof and first identifies where the other archers are posted, then hops from roof to roof to get in range of them. The other soldiers and maybe Jochi would see her going about above, shooting down archers or coming upon them and cutting them down. The archers change tactics and target her instead of Jochi, but she is a far nimbler target.

The throwers launch their bolos at Jochi, hoping to get a lucky throw to bind his legs for the nets to come in and subdue him.
 
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Jochi Khan: The Dragon of the North

Jochi laughed in glee as he fought forwards through the enemy’s forces. They were great in number, but their combat skills were lacking, and the Dragon of the North found his blade cleaving through them like a hot knife through butter. As arrows rained down around him, Jochi remained close to the enemy foot soldiers, using their bodies as well as the broken table to shield himself from the dangerous projectiles. Through the roars and the screams, Jochi heard someone bark a loud order. He wasn’t sure what they were saying, but as he looked around, he noticed that the soldiers nearest him had backed off, while those with bolas and nets had begun to quickly surround him.

“I’ll die before I get captured,” the Khan snarled, planting in the table in the mud vertically so as to shield one side of himself. Wielding his spear in one hand and blade in the other, his eyes darted back and forth rapidly as the enemy forces tried to see who would attack first.

“Well? Come at me!” He screamed, growing tired of the anticipation. The enemy forces wouldn't understand his words, but his actions and demonic rage spoke volumes for what he was prepared to do. Blood had begun seeping from his forehead and chin, but Jochi felt nothing. He was, after all, a god in his own mind.

And then it began. The first bolo was thrown, and Jochi ducked around the table to avoid it, however the rest of the bolos followed up almost immediately, and Jochi found himself slipping in the mud onto his knees as one bolo hit him in the arm and a second in knee. However the projectiles had found their target at weird positions, and as such had not wrapped him up properly. Instead, they would only leave a bruise.

Jochi knew he couldn’t do this forever. Eventually he would be wrapped up, and then fighting out of it would be that much harder. It was now or never.

“Uukhai!” He bellowed, pulling his table out of the mud and launching it towards the enemy bolo throwers. “You wish to throw childrens toys at me? Allow me to show you how it's done!!” Picking up the bolo weapons at his feet, Jochi flung them towards his enemy, followed quickly by his spear and sword. Each found a target, and those that were hit with sword and spear had quicker deaths.

“I need no weapon to defeat dogs as weak as you!” he roared as he charged the enemy once more. The weapons he had thrown had knocked down a few and stunned others, allowing him to close the gap between them quite quickly. The warriors with nets tried to get him down, but without the bolas to wrap him up and slow him, they stood no chance in securing him to the ground. With raging fists and kicks, Jochi continued to fight his way through the opposing enemy force, taking their weapons and throwing them at the next man as he did. A loose blade slashed down onto his back, opening up a gaping cut that immediately began to pour blood. It’s wielder was immediately met with a vicious death; for Jochi had spun around, put his hands on the man, and ripped out his throat with his bare teeth. It was a brutal sight to behold, but there were no rules in combat, and an enraged Khan wouldn’t have the sense to follow them even if there was..

“Come on!” a battle drunk Jochi shrieked, hitting himself in the head viciously with his bare hands, as his foot remained positioned on the throat of the dead man he had just butchered. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his aid, Vallis, mowing her way throw her own set of troops, dodging the arrows and blades of those set on bringing her down. It was an impressive feat, but there was no time to admire her. The next division of enemy troops were barreling their way towards him. Spitting out a piece of his victims throat, Jochi continued his fight against the enemy. He hoped they would surrender, as he couldnt command an army if they were all dead, but that was a secondary goal. He would murder every single one of them if he had to.