Writing in the margins, and explaining what you just read, is how to strengthen reading compression (and in this case, polishing via a Socratic Dialectic) **THREE** `,` commas max — or **ONE** `,` comma at minimum for a scene. No limit to scenes yet. - Text, - text, - text, - text. # newest 1. The main character is Echalera of Garontor, after her mother became bedridden Echalera became the farm’s horse veterinarian, which is traditionally a man’s job. 2. Her father Phelenos is a retired legionary whose sleeps during the day but goes poaching at night, mainly hunting at dawn, Echalera’s older brother Mattis left the village to work as a soldier for the Western Empire in Zeonica. 3. Other than watching over her two bratty younger siblings Echalera’s life is peaceful, if a bit dull, but sometimes however she gets mistaken for this missing woman named Haldaea. 4. While Echalera would never impersonate a noble, as that’s punishable by branding or mutilation, she sometimes wishes she was one so she could take herself and her family away from village life and into a nice city or town. 5. Haldaea went missing years ago, BUT after the death of her father Haldaea was the only living heir to Garontor castle, but being a women and legally too young to inherit — guardianship was placed on her by the senate and the sadistic Apys Varros was chosen as her lord regent. 6. Some say Varros acquired the role through fear, some say it was merely a hefty purse of silver — in any case — Haldaea vanished mysteriously soon after and her castle as well as it’s two villages were claimed by Varros. 7. One day two caravanners arrive in the village to follow-up on a rumor and ask the headman for an examination of the horses they supposedly want to buy, but they end up instead mistaking Echalera for Haldaea in hiding and the two caravanners return to the main villain, Monyr, a man with a noticeable scar in the center of his face which he won’t explain, and a backstory he’s even more unwilling to explain, whose been searching for Haldaea. 8. The two caravanners find Monyr at Lageta listening to some big-fellow named Bloodbark explain how he’s remained sober, as agreed, and Monyr ought to pay up what he promised. 9. Just then Monyr notices the two caravanners, they tell him the rumor turned out to be true. This Haldaea is hiding in Garontor village. 10. In the middle of Monyr commanding Bloodbark, to gather Galter and Radagos a soldier interrupts him, apparently Apys Varros wants to speak with Monyr in his chambers that instant. 11. Entering the chamber, Varros grills Monyr, citing how Garios is going to make a truce with Battania just like Monyr’s been wanting. Disappointing as it is Varros has to agree with the logic, Rhagaea is going to attack soon, seeing as how Garios and Rhagaea’s truce pact has just ended. Oh well, Varros sighs, now he can focus on something else — like the mass of looters and highwaymen that’s been plaguing the Western Empire the last two months. 12. Further, Varros accuses Monyr and his warband of having once been part of that larger group who’ve been looting, killing, and slaving — and just recently — poaching… 13. Monyr says nothing, only holding Varros’ gaze. Breaking the tension though Varros admits he didn’t call Monyr to his chambers to have him or his men punished for these things, Varros couldn’t care less about some “law-bending” as he calls it. 14. He only wants one criminal punished — some poacher whose been hunting illegally in HIS domain. 15. Varros says Monyr is to find this poacher, and interrogate him to see if he’s part of that larger group and importantly if he knows where they’re hideout is. Varros confesses he tried getting Bloodbark to spill the details but the big-guy had no clue. So after Monyr discovers where the vagrants are held out at, the Hidden Hand will quote, “turn the poacher — and anyone helping him — into a message.” 16. Monyr is forced to agree to let the Hidden Hand tag along on his mission. 17. That same night, Echalera tells her father that she’s decided to move to a town. She wants to find something in Calradia more meaningful to her life than living in the village, so the father tells Echalera a story. 18. It’s a story about a king, a priest, a thief and a beggar walking through a desert and dying of thirst when SUDDENLY they stumble upon a cup of water in the shadow of a giant sand dune. > Play this song ↓ ![[8-31-25 Kais and Layali_3.wav]] 9. They each hold the water only to pass it off to the next — maybe it was the heat or maybe they were just greedy as each one started hallucinating an ocean beyond the sand dune, only the beggar drank from the cup — ultimately the moral from the father is for Echalera to appreciate what she has and to not carelessly toss it away. 10. Echalera claims to understand, at dawn the next morning her father is caught poaching that night and kills a man to escape, covered in blood and returning to Garontor village on a horse he stole from village’s stables — the headman exiles him, Varros would see the whole village punished if they discovered him here. 11. So the family decides to leave the Western Empire, but where? After some debate, only the Southern Empire is an option — this works out as they can grab Mattis in Zeonica along the way. 12. After taking Mattis and heading for the Southern Empire’s border they stop at Onica village, which is eerily abandoned — except for one stubborn inn keeper who tells Echalera that the Southern Empire, led by Rhagaea, is going to launch an invasion any moment as her and Garios’ truce pact is ended. 13. But right as this news sinks in, Monyr finally catches up to the her, he instantly recognizes her to NOT be Haldaea and goes to leave, but the Hidden Hand have their poacher, Monyr takes one last look at the family — but then nods for the Hidden Hand to “turn the poacher — and anyone helping him — into a message.” Monyr leaves, Bloodbark follows 14. A with a scar on his left-cheek tells the mob that they should capture and ransom the entire family, but a bald man rolls his eyes, he says they shouldn’t risk trying to take the whole pack, only the pups should be ransomed. The hidden hand like the bald man’s idea better, kill the adults, then sell the kids. 15. The one with a scar on his left-cheek tells the bald one he’s costing them money, but the bald man simply ignores him saying “Oh, not this sheering sheep thing again, Radagos!” Radagos… Echalera etches that name into her head. 16. As the Hidden Hand inch forward testing Mattis and Phelenos. Quickly Echalera grabs a wooden spoon off one of the tables and ignites it in the inn’s fireplace. 17. She then sets the curtains on fire. The building is beginning to fill with smoke. While this won’t help her or her family, it certainly won’t help the 13 bandits ganging up on them either. 18. At that same moment, Rhagaea is looking out over the Western Empire’s lands when she askes one of her advisors where her daughter ran off to, the man says he doesn’t know — but the daughter mentioned something about her horse and sword. Just then Rhagaea spots a fire exploding out of the inn at Onica village, Rhagaea lunges down the stairs and calls for her men to mount up. 19. The family is only still alive thanks to the inn’s tables and chairs, the smoke which is forcing most everyone to crouch slightly, and the father having picked a corner of the inn to make their stand — still — it’s only a matter of time before they all die, Mattis and Phelenos can’t fight forever. If a sword through the stomach doesn’t kill them, the smoke and fire will. 20. Without thinking Echalera picks a knife off the table but has no clue what to do with it against men with spiked-maces and falchions. So she just lobs the knife at one, then a bowl, then a fork. She continues whipping objects at the man until her father makes use of the distraction and slices the man dead. 21. Two men curse Phelenos, but rush in from the right-side, the one in the middle is cutdown by Mattis, but the other slips by him — Echalera goes to stab the outlaw, but freezes… 22. The outlaw has driven his sword through Carinila, killing Echalera’s mother. Just then Phelenos loses his focus and gets clubbed on the head by a looter, Phelenos dies instantly. 23. The looter then goes to bash Mattis whose shocked stiff, but Echalera rushes over and stabs the looter with a fork. The looter backs away into the crowd, now 11 deep. Way too many for Echalera and Mattis to fight alone. They unconsciously shift towards the left-side of the room, incidentally leaving Mylos and Alea alone over Carinila’s body. Galter simply grabs the two youths and hauls them over to the rest of his crew as they begin exiting the now entirely smoke filled inn. 24. Just then — the sound of hoofs — hundreds of them shake out across the valley as Rhagaea’s forces swoop down on the rabble, killing many, but Radagos and Galter manage to escape. Galter takes Mylos and Alea with him, the kids screaming as they get further and further away. 25. Now silent — well mostly — there’s still the roaring fire at the inn. Rhagaea calls out into the burning building, for anyone still inside to exit. The inn keeper steps out with Mattis and Echalera behind, dragging their parents outside with them. 26. Seeing Mattis’ Western Empire colors, the soldiers immediately detain him. Rhagaea asks what the Hidden Hand were doing in Onica village? The inn keeper points to both Mattis and Echalera and says to ask them. Upon seeing Echalera, Rhagaea nods, saying she expected to find her daughter here. Heavens know Ira likes get ahead of herself and tends to fly into the fray, but she didn’t expect Ira to actually heed her orders. More unexpected yet — Rhagaea didn’t anticipate finding the long missing Haldaea — Echalera is tempted to correct her but Mylos and Alea are in danger. Unless Echalera does something, they might die. 27. Rhagaea points out how exhausted Haldaea looks, maybe she’d like to rest up at Poros, they can give her two dead servants a proper burial there, that is, if Haldaea will accompany her. One of Rhagaea soldiers tosses Mattis on his horse like a sack of flour and another gives Echalera theirs. 28. As Echalera trots alongside Rhagaea to Poros, she tries recalling any details that might help her track down her parent’s killers, and siblings kidnapper’s. With their faces carved into her brain it’s not hard, but one man sticks out, she even knows his name: Radagos… Que title card: **Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord** > Play this final song ↓ ![[5-26-2024 TEST.wav]] --- # new - The year is `1084`, - during the Age of Trials or `AT.`, - it’s also `Late Spring` around `May`, - and our story follows **Echalera**. - She’s a 22-year-old women living on a stud farm called Garontor village, - working as a equine veterinarian — Echalera’s life as a villager is quaint *if a bit dull...* - - - She can’t help but dream of moving herself, - her mother, - father, - and two younger siblings — into a big city someday. - Ever since her older brother **Mattis** up and left the village, - she’s wanted to travel to the town of Ortysia to see if she’d find some work, - *and potentially a new life…* - - Then one day two caravanners arrive in Garontor village asking headman **Gavalon** for a tour of the stables, - as **Echalera** crosses the village to greet the new visitors she overhears their conversation, - apparently their starting up a new caravan business out of Ortysia and they’re in the market for some horses, - BUT they’d really an examination done on the beasts beforehand — checking their health and all. - “Naturally,” **Gavalon** says — although he notes neither of the two men look much like physicians, - *or even much like caravanners for that matter…* **Gavalon** continues, - "I’m assuming neither of you are a veterinarian — are we waiting for him to arrive?” - “Actually we were hoping you might provide us one,” one caravanner says. - “Well unfortunately our primary veterinarian is ill — and also a women.” **Gavalon** adds. - “I don’t how you feel about women doing what’s traditionally a man’s job.” - “The only other veterinarian here is her daughter **Echalera** but she’s not as experienced.” - The two caravanners look at Echalera right as she reaches the three men “she’ll do fine,” one of the caravanners says. - **Echalera** perform the health examinations. - the headman has Echalera showing them around when one of the two men comments on Echalera’s likeness to Haldaea, - she says while she isn’t Haldaea at times Echalera wishes she was – she’d do so many things including shirking off Apys Varros’ control and tyranny over these lands. 3. This confession piques the caravanners interests, 1. they ask if Echalera would be willing to join their caravan — they could really use a noble-looking veterinarian, 2. and Echalera is thrilled at the prospect until she learns one of the traders is a foreigner like herself — to which she abruptly ends the tour. 4. The caravanners return to Lageta utterly convinced she’s Haldaea in hiding, 1. the two men meet with the main villain Monyr telling him the rumor about Haldaea turned out to be true, 2. but before Monyr can round up: Bloodbark, Galter, and Radagos he’s requested to meet Apys Varros in his chambers. 5. There Apys orders Monyr to find the poacher whose plagued his lands for the last few weeks and to take the Hidden Hand along with him, 1. once the poacher is found and fully interrogated, 2. Monyr is to let the Hidden Hand “turn him — *and any of his accomplices…* — into a message” to which Monyr begrudgingly agrees. 6. Echalera is speaking with her father whose just asked how her day went, 1. well Mattis finally wrote back to the family — apparently he’s been stationed at Zeonica to fill out the garrison, 2. then Echalera mentions the caravanners from earlier and how she wanted to travel with them and finally leave the village until she learned one was a Nord barbarian and so jumped ship. 7. Her father Phelenos asks why she wants to leave so badly, 1. Echalera says she wants a better life than living in a village, 2. in response Phelenos tells her what her mother’s father told him. > Play this song ↓ ![[8-31-25 Kais and Layali_3.wav]] 9. This parable Phelenos recalls follows a king, a priest, a thief, and a beggar walking through a desert dying of thirst when suddenly they they find a lone cup of water in the shadow of big sand dune, 1. each one picks up the cup of water only to pass it off to the next, 2. it’s revealed that the king, priest, and thief gave away the cup because they began hallucinating an ocean just behind the sand dune — *maybe it was the heat…* or maybe they were grasping for more without appreciating what they already had — only the beggar drank from the cup. 10. Echalera claims to understand and goes off to bed — that night Phelenos is caught poaching, 1. and as he returns to Garontor village at dawn covered in blood, 2. the headman exiles him and the entire family. 11. Right as Monyr finally arrives in Garontor, 1. Echalera and her family had decided hours ago to flee to the Southern Empire — only stopping at Zeonica to grab her older brother, 2. meanwhile Monyr asks the headman where the family went. 12. Upon arriving at Zeonica Echalera notices how crowded the capital of the Western Empire is, 1. many refugees flood the streets, 2. and Echalera is mistaken for Haldaea again. 13. After finding Mattis and catching him up the family then heads for the Western / Southern Empire’s border but they stop at Onica village, 1. which is eerily deserted — everyone is gone except one lone inn keeper, 2. who tells Echalera that the Southern Empire has been preparing for war for the last few weeks and now is seemingly ready to begin attacking Western Empire that day! 14. With Onica village and its inn being a horrible place to stay and crossing the border seeming to be a distant dream — Mattis suggests they return to Zeonica and decide what to do next there, 1. but right then Monyr enters the inn and instantly recognizes Echalera to not be Haldaea, 2. Monyr might not have found who he was looking for but the Hidden Hand have found their mark and are eager to tear into Phelenos. 15. Before leaving Monyr takes one hard look at the two kids: Alea and Mylos before giving the Hidden Hand the go-ahead to “turn them into a message”, 1. as Echalera and Mattis fight to survive their mother and father are killed, 2. she grimaces as Mylos and Alea are snatched up by a bald thug. 16. The man Echalera is squaring off with has blue-eyes and a scar on his left cheek and says to the bald one “Oh what’d you kill the parents for? Those two could’ve made for perfectly good silver!” 1. The bald man shrugs off the question, “Oh don’t you start with the sheering sheep thing, Radagos!” 2. Hearing hoofs — the blue-eyed man runs away. 17. Seeing the fire Rhagaea’s forces swoop in believing her daughter Ira to have set them, 1. engulfing the bandits the fighting quickly ends, 2. and Rhagaea admits to Echalera she thought maybe her daughter Ira might’ve gotten ahead of herself and rushed in — it’s honestly shocking she hadn’t. 18. More shocking yet — instead of finding her daughter, she’s found the long lost Haldaea… 1. Echalera’s tempted to correct her but she bites her tongue, 2. impersonating nobility will result in death — *but…* Alea and Mylos are going to be enslaved in Geroia unless she does something. 19. Seeing Mattis’ Western Empire colors Rhagaea’s advisors detain him, 1. Rhagaea turns to Echalera and promises to give her two dead servants a proper burial at Poros, 2. *that is…* if she’ll join her there? 20. A soldier loads Mattis onto a horse — and Echalera is given her own, 1. as she trots to Poros she carves her parent’s murderers and sibling’s kidnappers into her mind, 2. at least one of them she knows by name: *Radagos…* 21. As Echalera rides the title card is revealed — **Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord**. > Play this final song ↓ ![[5-26-2024 TEST.wav]] --- # old Here’s a very, very brief summary: - The main character is Echalera, she lives in Garontor village in the Western Empire. It’s a stud farm; they breed horses - There she lives with her mother (Carinila), father (Phelenos), and two younger siblings (Mylos) and (Alea). - Her older brother (Mattis) is a soldier for Garios, leader of the Western Empire, and in Mattis’ latest letter sent back home, Mattis says he’s been stationed at Zeonica to bolster the cities garrison while the city becomes flooded with refugees. - The father, Phelenos, is a retired legionary who served with the headman. - But after Phelenos dishonorably abandoned his post to marry the mother, Carinila, the headman has told every other villager to distrust him. - Phelenos can’t find any work, and so he resorts to poaching. - The mother, Carinila, is the village hippiatrist — a veterinarian basically. - But after Carinila went out into a storm to find Alea, who left the house in the middle of the night to perform Palaic rituals in the woods with the other teenagers from the village, Carinila fell ill and has become bedridden. - And so Carinila’s obligations fall to Echalera, who’s a veterinarian too, like her mother, - Village life for Echalera is quant — *if a bit dull…* although, she’s told she looks an awful lot like a missing noble named Haldaea. - Echalera dreams of what that might be like, to belong to nobility, to lead a better life for herself and with her family in the cities. - She hopes of going to Ortysia and gaining herself and her family citizenship. Maybe through some marriage arrangement or finding maid work within a merchant’s home or even a noble’s. - But one day Echalera gets mistaken for Haldaea by some “caravanners” who quietly leave to tell their leader. - These “caravanners” were actually informants sent to investigate a rumor for the main villain: Monyr. - After the “caravanners” leave, night arrives and Echalera and her father, Phelenos, share a few words. - She tells him about Mattis’ new assigned position at Zeonica, and about the “caravanners” offer for Echalera to join them — she states she declined, but was thrilled initially. - Phelenos asks what’s wrong with living in the village, and Echalera says it’s dull. - At this point the theme of the story is laid out bare in Phelenos’ story to Echalera. - The story goes: A king, a priest, a thief, and a beggar are wandering through a desert, dying of thirst, when they spot a cup of water in the shadow of a big sand dune. As each holds the cup, they all pass it off one-by-one. It’s revealed they’re hallucinating an ocean behind the sand dune. It may be because of the heat, or it could be that kings, priests, and thieves are often greedy — and so each carelessly throws away what they do have, for something they don’t. In the end, only the beggar drank from the cup. - Echalera dismisses the story and goes off to bed. Phelenos goes poaching. - The “caravanners” ride into Lageta and dismount before Monyr and Bloodbark. As the two men walk up, Bloodbark is telling Monyr about his sobriety. Been sometime since my last sip, Monyr. *Been sober since…* Probably, a month! How about that sword you promised, aye? Monyr turns to the two men, saying, so — any update on that rumor Salion and Skioren, was it her? Undoubtedly, Salion says. Alright, you two rest up, Bloodbark, you’re wit— Right then a soldier from Apys Varros’ camp arrives asking for Monyr. Monyr shows a slight spike of irritation but asks what it’s about. The soldier says Apys Varros would speak with him, privately. Monyr drops the harness and joins the soldier to Varros’ chamber. - Upon meeting Apys Varros in Lageta’s keep, Apys gives a smug glance at Monyr then starts, Garios is going to be making a truce with Battania soon, as our pact with Rhagaea ends in a few days. Really? Monyr responds. Really?! Apys copies mockingly, is this so shocking to the one whose been fighting for it at every turn. *R-e-A-l-L-y...?* Apys drags out the syllables, hissing through his teeth. Honestly Monyr, I expected to see at least a glimmer of happiness in that scared face of yours! No matter. Apys turns his back to pour himself some wine. While I deplore a wasted advantage — seeing as how we were driving those Battanians animals into the DIRT (Monyr twitches) — I can understand the logic of a truce pact. ONLY a fool fights a two-front war, and expects to come out on top. One cannot work with all their strength when their focus is divided. Apys sharply turns to Monyr, WHICH is why I’ve mainly focused on this war, but seeing as how it’s reached its climax. I have something I’ve wanted to ask you since hiring you, *I see no point in ignoring the obvious anymore...* (Monyr sharpens his gaze on Apys). Someone’s been poaching in my lands, you are to find them, and punish them — severely. (Monyr relaxes.) - Apys tilts his head, noticing Monyr’s shifted demeanor. Monyr says he’ll get on it right now, but as Monyr make towards the door, Apys Varros stops him. Hold on, Monyr! The Hidden Hand will be going with you. Monyr turns from the door, the Hand? I’ll be fine without them — besides, I don’t think their services will be of much use at some backwater villages. Apys takes a sip of wine and shakes his head, swallowing Apys says, firstly I doubt our poacher will be a one-off. Never mind alone! They’re testing our responses. *I mean…* Apys says, pretending to balance on a rope. It’s no coincidence that a mass of bandits and outlaws go roaming through our lands just as a hunter starts poaching nearby. Apys pauses a moment, tapping his glass with his index finger, then continues, it is ALSO no coincidence that a mob of looters, *say…* of a 140 men. Give or take, Apys weighs with his hands. One day shrinks down to 100 men, reportedly. THEN, out of nowhere comes some unknown mercenary from Sturgia named Monyr, whose leading an even lesser known mercenary band made up of WHAT? *40 men exactly…* dressed in rags and dirty furs. And while it isn’t all that unusual seeing filthy Sturgians dressed in garbage, this lot was unusually, Apys lowers his voice down to a growly pitch to say, *ragged…* - They glare at each other for a moment, but Apys breaks the tension. Come now, Monyr! What do I care about some law bending here-and-there. The Hidden Hand are in my pay after all! Surely you know I, of all Archons, care the least bit about dabbling in the darker sides of Calradia. Besides, Apys says rounding back to his wine table, the big fellow with the red-hair and beard basically vomited the truth on me. Bloodbark, think his name was. Told me about some hideouts of theirs, all abandoned of course. In any case, I want you to track down that poacher with the Hidden Hand. Then you do some interrogating, learn what you can about the bandit’s new base, and then let the Hidden Hand do what they do best. Which is? Monyr asks. Hanging a message in a place EVERYONE will see! After that, return to me, and we’ll dispose of your old gangs. Understand? Monyr, blows out but nods. *R-e-A-l-L-y...?* Apys says again, cheerfully. Good, Apys points his head at the door, now get out of my chamber. - Monyr gets back to his horse, and Bloodbark throws up his hands, *so…* what’d he say? Monyr only glares at Bloodbark, shaking his head. So you’ve been sober, huh?! Tch! Was only one, Bloodbark says defensively. Monyr stares a hole through him, *was big-ass cup…* he adds, admittingly. The Hidden Hand are tagging along, Monyr states irritated. - gather the band and the Hidden Hand and mount-up. Right now? Bloodbark demands. Unless you want to lose the most illusive noble in Calradia, *yeah…* right now. Monyr and Bloodbark travel to Garontor. - ater that night; at dawn, Phelenos is spotted poaching and kills one of Apys Varros’ soldiers as he flees. - Returning to Garontor, splattered in blood, the headman watches Phelenos trot inside with horror written on his face. - Knowing Apys will rain hell down on the village, he tells Phelenos that he’s to be handed over to Archon Varros in chains — but Carinila persuades the headman to only exile Phelenos, begrudgingly he agrees. - With Phelenos’ exile, the family wonders on where to go into hiding, so Echalera suggests they hideout with Mattis in Zeonica for the time being — there they can decide. They agree. - The family reaches Zeonica, and they start asking around about Mattis, Echalera asks one women who says she doesn’t know any “Mattis” but is almost certain she knows Echalera… Haldaea..? Thought you disappeared, where have you been all this time? The women asks. Echalera spots Mattis standing guard near a door, she rushes off to him. - Mattis is shocked at seeing his sister. Echalera says she’ll explain later. She asks why the city is so full and Mattis says its because of the civil war. Rhagaea, the empress and ruler of the Southern Empire is preparing to fight Garios, the commanding general and the leader of the Western Empire, and so people are leaving their homes for safety. - Although, Mattis suggests, he doesn’t think Rhagaea will make her move until her and Garios’ truce is officially ended, which won’t be for another 3 days — striking before that could harm her reputation, and therefore her claim to the crown. - Mattis invites the family to a tavern in the city, *there they begin tackling a difficult question…* Where do we want to start a new life? - Phelenos says they could go to Dunglanys in Battania, Phelenos’ old childhood friends may still live there. They’d open their doors for him. But Echalera curtly refuses. First because the Western Empire is at war with the High Kingdom of Battania and so crossing that border could get them killed, and second because she could never live amongst those stinking wolf-men. Besides, she starts, what could Mylos and Alea even learn from those brutes? How to howl while cutting a dead man’s head off? - Carinila, coughs out that while her parents are most likely dead now, they may find some hospitality living with her cousins in Medeni village in the Nahasa desert (the Aserai lands). They could board a ship from Zeonica going to Sanala, and travel the rest of the way to Medeni village. Farming date fruit for a living won’t be so bad. But Echalera refuses this too. She rhetorically asks, after what those savages did to Haldaea’s father? Forget it! - Mattis summarizes, that only leaves the Northern and Southern Empire. But Mattis warns that the north is racked with trouble too. Apparently three criminal parties have banded together, and so a great horde of slavers, highwaymen, and looters have amassed up north. Sweeping left-and-right along the Western / Northern Empire’s borders, gobbling up any caravans passing through. All led by some trio of bandit leaders named: Bloodbark, Galter, and Radagos. - That leaves the Southern Empire, Alea finishes. - That could work, Echalera says. I think there’s a horse village called Canoros after crossing over. Echalera says things can return to normal, Mattis could even fight for the Southern Empire. - But Mattis plainly says he’s not going with them, Echalera demands to know why but Mattis refuses to explain, he simply glances to his father and says that he CAN guide them to Onica village however, it’s closest to the border and seeing as the hills and forests may contain lurking looters and slavers, his presence may deter threats. - But before that Mattis notes he’ll just have to get one of his buddies to pick up his shift as he’ll be traveling to Onica. - Monyr enters Zeonica asking around about a women named Haldaea, soon he comes across the women Echalera spoke to before. Yeah, she says, I talked with Haldaea not too long ago, *if you could call it that…* She asked me about some man named Mattis, but I thought I recognized her, and I did. But after I called her Haldaea she up and vanished. Monyr turns to a tall red-haired man, Bloodbark, we need to find a Mattis. He may be one of Haldaea’s father’s old friends, helping her hide. - Next morning, the family is carefully heading to the border, keeping a eye on the hills, Echalera tries over-and-over to persuade Mattis to leave his post, but to no avail. Mattis says quietly, he can’t dishonorably abandon his post with the Western Empire, he’d be doing what their father did, and look how the headman treated him. Their father was essentially exiled BEFORE being literally exiled. He won’t make the same mistake! - They arrive at Onica village, the last stop before reaching the border between the Western Empire and the Southern Empire. - Eerily the village is dead silent. It seems everyone picked up and left. All except one stubborn inn keeper. Echalera asks why everyone left, Mattis told her that the Southern Empire won’t attack for another 2 days. The inn keeper says Mattis is wrong, Rhagaea is going to launch her invasion any moment. Firstly, because he’s spotted Rhagaea at Poros, and second advisors stopped leading the soldiers through drills yesterday. Either soon or later that day, they’d march on Garios. Conquering Onica village first. - Echalera says if that’s true, then why hasn’t the inn keeper left yet? Simple, he says, he stupidly put all his life savings into the building the Lucky Boar inn. And right when it was finally finished, the village is abandoned, *and an empress is going to trample it into dust…* - Mattis looks to Echalera, guess even the Southern Empire is off the table. Suppose we could go back to Zeon– but just then, the door to the inn opens and inside walks the “caravanners” from who showed up at Garontor, with them, a tall red-haired bearded man named Bloodbark and the main villain Monyr. - who are Skioren and Salion, along a &emsp; **Influences?** Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on writing are foremost. They are posted for free on YouTube and have been instrumental in my learning. [^1] Then there’s Blake Snyder’s popular writing book **Save the Cat**. [^2] But most importantly was real-world history, which contributed greatly to this project. And likewise, so to with the **Mount & Blade** series as a whole. > [!tip-custom]- A more detailed list of influences by genre! > **Rubicon**, [^19] **Pax**, [^24] **Athelstan**, [^20] **Women in the Middle Ages**, [^17] **Life in a Medieval Village**, [^18] **the Plantagenets**, [^25] **Powers and Thrones**, [^26] **Magna Carta**, [^21] **Guns, Germs, and Steal**, [^22] **A People’s History of the United States** [^23] for History. (*Note*: Dan Carlin [^16] is also a fantastic un-official historian who influences my work.) > > **Thus Spoke Zarathustra**, [^9] **the Case for God**, [^10] **Fields of Blood**, [^11] and **the Evolution of God** [^12] for Philosophy / Theology / Religious Studies. > > **Pale Fire**, [^7] **the Stormlight Archive** books, [^4] **the Devils**, [^3] **This is How you Lose the Time War**, [^5] **Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc**, [^8] and the **Malazan book of the Fallen** series [^6] for Fantasy and Sci-fi. > > **Horse Care**, [^15] **Writing an Identity Not Your Own**, [^14] and **Save the Cat!** [^13]— as well as a healthy heaping of Brand Sanderson’s lectures, as mentioned before, all for Writing or Misc. > > &emsp;&emsp;<br> [![[Encyclopedia_Calradica_Logo_2.png|center|400]]](Calradica.md)<br> >“A massive **Mount & Blade** wikipedia!” <br> [— About the Encyclopedia Calradica](Calradica.md) <br>[— About the Project](Project.md) <br>[— About the Author](Horseapple.md) <br>&emsp;&emsp; [^1]: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandSanderson [^2]: https://savethecat.com/ [^3]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/212276037-the-devils [^4]: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=stormlight+&ref=nav_sb_noss_l_11 [^5]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43352954-this-is-how-you-lose-the-time-war?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=jtcvbSCPUn&rank=1 [^6]: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=malazan&qid= [^7]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7805.Pale_Fire?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=YDRu5ck9ZL&rank=1 [^8]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Personal-Recollections-of-Joan-of-Arc-Audiobook/B006VY34FC?qid=1756498824&sr=1-2&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=7S1H7F84DAM24AJSZPC6&plink=Lzxoy5slGdzols6z&pageLoadId=jQeFRsLAfdVveoJ0&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2 [^9]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Thus-Spoke-Zarathustra-Audiobook/B0051JLQ1W?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0051JLQ1W_1 [^10]: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Case-for-God-Audiobook/B002V02F1Y?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B002V02F1Y_4 [^11]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Fields-of-Blood-Audiobook/B00O4HVYT6?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B00O4HVYT6_5 [^12]: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Evolution-of-God-Audiobook/B002V00TOO?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B002V00TOO_6 [^13]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Save-the-Cat-Audiobook/B07BKMW59S?ref_pageloadid=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=V0Q7H1EC9W1E5V070RQP&plink=JPr62MDIVqilhvNl&pageLoadId=PI0Fescnntrjzc5I&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B07BKMW59S_8 [^14]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Writing-an-Identity-Not-Your-Own-Audiobook/B0D9P91XKM?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0D9P91XKM_15 [^15]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Horse-Care-Audiobook/B0BSMSWMQY?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0BSMSWMQY_8 [^16]: https://www.youtube.com/@dancarlinpodcaster [^17]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Women-in-the-Middle-Ages-Audiobook/B09W43D7WW?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B09W43D7WW_9 [^18]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Life-in-a-Medieval-Village-Audiobook/B0757ZZNXY?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0757ZZNXY_10 [^19]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rubicon-Audiobook/B0D4MPZLCL?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0D4MPZLCL_11 [^20]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Athelstan-The-Making-of-England-Audiobook/B07CXYZ5NG?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B07CXYZ5NG_12 [^21]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Magna-Carta-Audiobook/B015NNXBBI?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B015NNXBBI_13 [^22]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Guns-Germs-and-Steel-Audiobook/B004G7VN04?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B004G7VN04_16 [^23]: https://www.audible.com/pd/A-Peoples-History-of-the-United-States-Audiobook/B0030H777E?ref_pageloadid=UqMMjDHiDxrxigz7&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=84SBJ2XPZY1MKYCVE7YK&plink=tuwyj9LC0Kl3K4Zb&pageLoadId=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0030H777E_18 [^24]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Pax-Audiobook/B0BWG6KRCW?ref_pageloadid=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=MQAE88AVJF28MJRGF70X&plink=CKcglVGOeN5M4jdj&pageLoadId=suC5czvdlSeRdmGN&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0BWG6KRCW_6 [^25]: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Plantagenets-Audiobook/B0CF6X2LDY?ref_pageloadid=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=MQAE88AVJF28MJRGF70X&plink=CKcglVGOeN5M4jdj&pageLoadId=suC5czvdlSeRdmGN&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_B0CF6X2LDY_7 [^26]: https://www.audible.com/pd/Powers-and-Thrones-Audiobook/0593452143?ref_pageloadid=f2oxJYKjF2NqhTQG&pf_rd_p=80765e81-b10a-4f33-b1d3-ffb87793d047&pf_rd_r=MQAE88AVJF28MJRGF70X&plink=CKcglVGOeN5M4jdj&pageLoadId=suC5czvdlSeRdmGN&creativeId=4ee810cf-ac8e-4eeb-8b79-40e176d0a225&ref=a_library_t_c5_libItem_0593452143_9