| Deborah the Scribe
UP: Lake Superior
In a shocking move by choice of location alone, the Gelidum answered the
ultimatum of the High Council last night with an attack on the Shrine of
Honor. Located in the balmy jungles south of Trinsic, the scene at the
Honor Shrine was an odd one indeed last night. The iced serpents slithered
proudly around the Shrine, greeting what appeared to members of the
Followers of Darkness, Orcs, and GD as a small wave of trolls, snow, and
ice elementals wrecked havoc upon those that dared to stop in their path.
Last week as previously arranged, on Wednesday, members of the High
Council (guarded by the Lord British Loyalists and Honor Guard) as well as
many, many citizens gathered at the Shrine of Sacrifice to await the gate
to the meeting place. After pouring through the icy moongates, the
citizens packed the walls in the depths of the ice dungeon to hear the
demands of the Gelidum, represented by a frost troll, an ice fiend, and an
ancient white wyrm. The request seemed uncomplicated:
- A termination of invasions by the �warm ones� into Glacia (the
Ice Lands)
- Territorial demands, presumably all of the Lost Lands, although the
wording was vague and it is speculated they also meant British
controlled territory.
The High Council took alternating appeasement and threat stances with the
Gelidium. They were boastful and defiant to the threats. �Looked to me
like the High Council was ready to just hand over chunks of land for a
couple minutes there,� commented one observer.
Regardless, the High Council issued an equally uncomplicated ultimatum
keeping in mind the good of all citizens of the realm, and not just
temporary appeasement:
- Return all frozen shrines to their former condition
- Cease and desist of all attacks upon the Realm
- Release the Lady Kyry from her icy entrapment
The deadline was set for a week. This ultimatum was met with murmurs of
approval from the crowd both during and in the days that followed the
meeting. The last topic of Kyry received much attention from citizens of
Skara Brae, who heard Theron�s plea to the Gelidum to let her go. A
statement was issued by the Public Relations office of Skara Brae
referring to an �all town meeting� on the topic of the ice invasions
to be held in the upcoming weeks. The Councils of Yew and Moonglow have
issued no statements as of late.
A new era of darkness is afoot as these evil guilds appear to have
expanded their scope outside the realm of affairs in Trinsic and
NuJel�m, fighting valiantly side-by-side with these iced creatures. This
suspicion was confirmed this morning by a note found in Britain, in part
reading:
The enemy of our enemy is our friend, and what wonderful friends they
are. The efforts of the High Council to negotiate with them failed. Our
negotiations have not. The Followers of Darkness have become allies to
the Gelidium. Their battles are our battles. We laugh at your struggles
to oppose us. You will fail.
Many of the defenders of light and virtue fled the scene, and it appears
turncoats are well within the ranks of the �do gooders�. One
�defender� was heard running away yelling, �Stop! Please! I�m
sorry!� within minutes of being chased by a serpent.
An ice fiend, appearingly bored by the antics and amused at the lack of
presence of defenders of the virtues, appeared and froze the shrine,
bearing a message that read: The warm ones have shown no honor in
dealing with the Gelidum. Thy �virtues� will not protect thee.
It is presumed this ice fiend and General Frost (with the troops) escaped
with much ease, as corpses were unable to be located for either. Generals
Frost and Sleet give the impression that they are trained far better than
their predessor, General Nordica (who fell at the Shrine of Sacrifice), as
they have managed to escape before falling to the angry crowds in each
encounter.
Is Virtue enough? Is anyone out there to defend it? The odd silence hangs
in the air as curious writers wonder about the stillness that stems from
the Councils of the citizens the morning after.
From the Town Cryer - The Journal of Ultima Online, Saturday, July
31st 1999
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