A Proposition

[Christopher Cibola]

YOUR NIFTINESS, the Kaiser Ayreon not First of the Name, Prince of the Hvalafell Realm, Lord of the Golden Mango Throne and Wielder of the Sword of Vengeance, greeting.

I have a proposition that may bring us both fame and wealth beyond the wildest imaginings of even the most indulgent Babkhan Emir. The journey I intend to take will be both long and dangerous; but even if every evil this land has to offer befalls me, if some vile pox or illness lays waste my crew and all that remains is myself and my faithful canine friend Fido II, if all the gods and angels and devils of the sky rain hell down upon me and all around me is fire and storm, I shall persevere, for such is my determination in this matter. But before I describe my proposition in full to you, I shall introduce myself.

I was born 32 summers and winters ago in the glorious city of Beth Sanaar in Matbaa. I was named first for my father (and his father before him, and his father before him), and last for the continent I was born on. My early years were spent in that great city of old stone and ancient religion, the laws which governed my life being those that were laid down by the Zatriarch, for those were the days of a truly theocratic Matbaa. However, when I was only 14, my parents were forced to migrate from that city; the decline of morals and laws, the rise of corruption and the appearance of loansharks and roaming bands of thieves made life unbearable for an out of work shipbuilder such as my father. We chose Suryo as our new home, which formed at the time the North part of the isle of Mar Sara. It was a good life; the trees were good, the wood was good and many ships needed building. However, it did not last long, for with the dissolution of the Zatriarchate several years later, the lack of central authority meant we were forced to move once more; and, my father, being too ill to travel across sea, suggested we took ourselves and our belongings to South Mar Sara, which was and still is part of your glorious Imperial Republic.

Soon after we arrived at Augustgrad, my father passed away, and my mother not soon after, and I was left alone with nothing but the tools and skills my father had left me. For many years, I dreamt of building a great ship and sailing back to glorious Beth Sanaar, but I knew it was impossible, for the Empire of the Alexandrians had taken the city and it had been left to rot. So I continued to live and to dream and to carry on despite a lack of direction in my life. That is, until I discovered in my house a note inside an hourglass underneath the bed my father died in. The handwriting was messy and rushed, like a spider had crawled all over it with ink on its feet, but despite the occasional illegible word the message was clear, and I knew what my father wanted me to do, and this I shall relate to you know as my proposition. I ask you forgive my digression, but I feel you would be more inclined to accept my plan if you knew what the source of it had been.

If you recall, there was once a Duchy of your Empire named Lothlaria; however, it has long been lost and forgotten, because communication has been rendered impossible due to the fierce currents and storms that now plague the Great Eastern Ocean and the Sunset Sea. However, my father in the note he left for me states that it is possible to get through, with a ship of certain proportions, if certain conditions are waited upon and, of course, if the correct course is taken. The course has already been plotted; the exact dimensions of such a ship have been decided upon; I even have a crew who are reliable and whom I trust ready. If we are able to get across the Sunset Sea and through the Eastern Ocean, not only will we be able to find out what happened to Lothlaria and its Kiwis, but if what my father writes is true, great wealth lies there across those tumultuous and treacherous waters. What I ask of you, Your Niftiness, is your blessing, and enough resources to construct the ship - the Santa Alejia. I promise you you will not regret accepting my proposal.

Yours in faith,
Christopher Cibola
Captain, Navigator, Cartographer and Ship-builder Extroadinaire

[Kaiser Ayreon]

Captain,

Thank you for your offer and for telling me about yourself. Indeed, strange things come to pass. I too wonder about the Lothlarians. What happened to them? And why have we, as an empire, clearly eradicated them from our memory? Such a disgrace!

My dear Captain. You seem to be a traditional man. I'll give you enough of the finest oak trees from the Shirekeep region. Perhaps you could construct your ship here. You are welcome to. If you would like, dear Captain, I would love to hear about your plans for the Alejia in the meantime. Please visit me at the Palace.

Keep me updated, Captain.

A. K.

[Erik Mortis]

They are not forgotten. We of Monty Crisco remember them still, and sing song to mourn their loss.

[Jacobus Loki]

Why mourn when the possibility exists of blowing things up?

http://www.shireroth.org/shirewiki/Image:New_new.png
(hint, hint)

[Christopher Cibola]

Thank you for hearing what I have to say, Your Niftiness. I shall expand on my proposal after I have dealt with the comments of some of our fellow countrymen, and after I've prepared the necessary documents so you can really understand that which I aim to do.

Your Countiness Mortis, one day I would love to visit your lands and hear some of the songs of Lothlaria, but for now I have a job to do. One day, yes.

I don't know what odd and fantastic archives you, Jacobus of Loki, have been delving into, but as far as my charts indicate, Lothlaria and the surrounding lands don't look much like that. I would invite you to tag along on our voyage so you can see for yourself but alas I can only afford to take with me those that I absolutely trust, and you might well be some nut who'll strip our ship for all its worth and sell it all for charitable benefit before claiming the Kaiser's throne. I know, it's not likely, but you never do know.

[hypatias mom]

You can never tell...

[Christopher Cibola]

It has been a long time since my last address to the Kaiser's court. So long, in fact, that the Kaiser to whom that court belongs has now changed; farewell to thee, gracious Kaiser Ayreon, you who with such resolute determination sponsored me in my quest. And to you, Your Niftiness, the Kaiser Loki Third of the Name, Prince of the Hvalafell Realm, Lord of the Golden Mango Throne and Wielder of the Sword of Vengeance, greeting. It seems such a long time since I stood in this very hall with your predecessor and discussed the matter I again bring to the attention of the Mango Throne; it must seem so to you also, as then you were but a lowly scholar, if I do recall you addressed me and provided me with strange and wondrous maps of the region I hope one day to set foot 'pon none like which I am able to find copies of. Regardless, I have continued on with the resources good Ayreon provided me. Here is my progress thus far.

The Alejia is under construction. Here is a pictoral representation of what it looks like this very day in the dry docks of Shirekeep:

As you can see, much progress has been made. Finest oak was provided and it was put to the worthiest possible use.

I also have been working on another project using my own personal funds. It is said that the seas my crew and I are to traverse are now agleam with the sabres of pirates, men of Shireroth corrupted by greed and violence as well as men from distant lands. Of course, I do not request any further assistance from Your Niftiness; do not think it necessary to provide the Alejia with an armed escort of ships, their broad masts and heavy guns bringing us safe to port in those now-foreign homelands of Lothlaria. I have instead commissioned out of my own pocket an ironsmith to produce the following weapon to keep those dastardly dogs at bay while we are at sea. I call it the "Mors Mog":



It should be more than enough to see us safe 'cross the harsh seas and West to Lothlaria!

Thus ends my report. All I ask of you, dear Kaiser, is your continued moral support and patronage.

Yours in faith,
Christopher Cibola
Captain, Navigator, Cartographer and Ship-builder Extroadinaire

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

I'll have you know I'm the Matbaic Zatriarch-in-exile, Maximillideus II.
Why did you emigrate from the motherland, O Heathen!
*smites Cibola with sceptre*

[Christopher Cibola]

Your All Holiness! I had no idea the Court of the Shirerithian Kaisers had in residence such a magnanimous and spiritually-guided advisor! Barekhmor! Barekhmor Marth Bait Nahrain!

As for your question, as I made clear in my original speech before this court, my family were forced to leave our good home on account of the degradation of society and the decay of morals that occurred during the last years of your reign and the reigns of subsequent Zatriarchs. We were driven out by immorality and crime. And let us not speak of the ineptitude of the Synodical government after the fall of the Zatriarchate. And of course, now, alas, Beth Sanaar and indeed all the cities of our great nation have been taken over by the Alexandrian hordes. Such is the course of life. Nothing gold can stay.

[Jonas]

I like the smiley...

[Kaiser Loki III]

Good Christopher,

Yes, of course you should be wary of the likes of me, but with this

http://www.shireroth.org/shirewiki/Imag ... atable.jpg

at my beck and call, you should not concern yourself o'er much on that score.

You don't have a bank account, so this bag of Doubloons (clank) will have to see for your needs.

Take small box. It contains a device that may very well seem as magik-, however you will be able to communicate with us by it and send for aid if need be. It is preset - just push "send" and speak.

Good Fortune to you and your brave crew.

[Christopher Cibola]

Thankee, good lord of the realm. Testing? Testing? 1-2-3? Does this fantastic tool really work? If it does and you can by some unseen trickery in fact hear me, know that my next communication shall be issued when my ship is complete and my crew and I are about to set off from Shirekeep. I wish you all the blessings I know, and I hope that your reign shall be as prosperous as my voyage shall be for the both of us.

[Kaiser Loki III]

Be certain to bring back as many scrolls and books as you are able!

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

As for your question, as I made clear in my original speech before this court, my family were forced to leave our good home on account of the degradation of society and the decay of morals that occurred during the last years of your reign and the reigns of subsequent Zatriarchs. We were driven out by immorality and crime. And let us not speak of the ineptitude of the Synodical government after the fall of the Zatriarchate. And of course, now, alas, Beth Sanaar and indeed all the cities of our great nation have been taken over by the Alexandrian hordes. Such is the course of life. Nothing gold can stay.

Ah yes. The reign of Sfeir V was a good one, but Mikaelos-Sfeir I's left something to be desired. Herecy and rampant papacy, and the legions of Satan in their unorthodoxy stalked the land. I sympathise, my child.
Oh, if only the Zatriarchate could have lived. 'Tis a sad tale. One half annexed illegally by Babkha, the other swamped by the Alexandrians. I may just nominate another Zatriarch-in-Exile one of these days...

[Kaiser Loki III]

I may just nominate another Zatriarch-in-Exile one of these days...

Just add it to your titles. Should we try for an island?

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

I don't follow, Your Niftiness... but if you want to take an island and name it 'Matbaic Orthodox Zatriarchate in Exile' as a county, then be my guest

[Kaiser Loki III]

(Mulls idea)

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

Fishy agrees with me! You shall not challenge the power of the fishy!

[Kaiser Loki III]

Fishy is powerful, but fishy is merely mulch before Malarbor!

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

Well Senor Mysterioso is so mysterious he doesn't even have a smiley. So_there.

[Kaiser Loki III]

(Looks around nervously) you're right!
Kind of like Yurrgghhh. Maybe Yurgghhh is a local manifestation?

[Maksym Hadjimehmetov]

I know! Yuuurgh (three u's and one g, your niftiness ) and Senor Mysterioso can be brothers... except Senor Mysterioso is a picture of a Mexican army guy with his face blacked out instead.

[Kaiser Loki III]

Wonderful. Mysterious Mexicans, Just plain Mysterious, and of course, !!

[Erik Mortis]

Umm... he's a mexican cat.. not a mexican man...

[Kaiser Loki III]

Even more mysterious.........