Longhouses of Belonging (Private Embassy)

Of course there would be a place to sit, and Konrad was welcome to make himself comfortable.

The century and a half old man himself would bring some food and water out to his guest, a collection of fruits, vegetable stews, and different kinds of bread in claw bowls. Then he sat down and listened to Konrad's ambitions.

"Your spirit of camaraderie impresses me the most, Konrad. To see the ties of friendship run deep in such an organization is most gratifying. Your people are of course welcome here as guests, and I see no reason why they should not be even more welcome should they contribute the knowledge of swordplay to our warriors. If your goal is to truly protect the innocent and defeat the unjust, so much the better.

"However, there are several ideals that we strive to live by, and first and foremost you must respect them. I don't believe this will pose too much of a challenge, given what you have told me of yourself. First, you must respect all life. You must only kill when necessary and do your best to show mercy. Second, you must respect other people's views on the gods and the spiritual world. In the end, we all strive to better ourselves. Some of us believe in gods, and some of us believe in something not so easily explained. Your people are of course welcome to practice the faith of Angelism, and should you wish to invite others to join you in your faith, that is fine too. But we must all strive to live in peace. And finally, you must learn to live in harmony with the land. We have spent thousands of years learning how to receive the earth's bounty without harming it. Our forests are vasts, our farms produce bounties, and the creatures with whom we share this land thrive as we do. Our technology is quite primitive compared to say, Gauldin, or even Isra. It is only because of our magics and our connection to the earth that we are able to create large stone structures. Therefore we must continue to respect this principle to commune with the magic of the earth itself.

"The dragon who visited us is part of our lesser known history. It has been lost throughout the ages, but there are still a few among us who know the truth. That creature, is the original creator of the Expanse. She is one of the great guardians of the earth and an unfathomably ancient being. Her return signifies a new age in our history, one we hope will entail prosperity for our people. Va'nei Dha'zhi, Earthwarden , she is called. And she represents the spirit of the Land-Tillers. This spirit, this culture, is precious to us.

"So, if you can respect our spirit, you are welcome here as one of us. And your order may grow and thrive like a great forest."

"If you wish to train young warriors as well as learn our ways of battle, then perhaps you may place your base close to the United Training Grounds, where your warriors may interact with ours and where you may train new recruits. We rely greatly on magic, mounts, and archery. It would be interesting to have men and women who can stand at the front lines of battle. You are also welcome to establish farms anywhere you'd like. Just know that some regions are best suited to certain crops. If you need help getting the most out of your land, we can teach you."

Havador extended his hands out, and small gush of blue flames erupted and dissipated, leaving behind a parchment scroll. "We shall sign this treaty, granting you safe harbor in our lands in exchange for you respecting our ways. May our friendship last for generations." The treaty contained a summary of everything they discussed, and some rather generous limits on land. The agreement was that the two parties would support each other if in need and protect each other in battle, so long as the new brotherhood chapter more or less remained true to the spirit of the land.

Havador understood these terms, though the basic premise was a little strange. But these were the terms of the Brotherhood. The people could accept them or not accept them of their own free will.

He extended his hand out and shook Konrad's with a warm smile.

Havador was enchanted by the baby to be sure. But he was shocked by how strong the little creature was. He could feel the weight of its skull against his ancient knees. He gazed mindfully as it ran around the Longhouse before turning back to Va'nei.

"Indeed. Our ways, originally your ways I suppose, have served us through many, many generations. Please, sit."

If she sat, he'd proceed. "There is much to tell you. First of all, the elves, while they still live, live in secret. You see, many generations ago, the humans began to overtake them by breeding. We are a short-lived people, our souls reincarnating through space and time like the flickering of fireflies rather than the steady candle lights of your sort. Elves were rare and powerful among us, and so many humans began to worship them as gods. This displeased the elves, and so they went into hiding in the forests, where they have served as our secret guardians. I believe you've already seen two of them, and the girl, Intaja. She is a member of a single human clan who possesses great psionic potential. They discovered the elves and have lived with them as their younger siblings and students.

I have many more things to share, but first I must inquire of you, why have you returned? In my fervor I assumed it was in no small part due to our land becoming open to the world, us sharing our bounty with others and receiving friends and bounties in return. Do you rejoice at our efforts to seek the outside world or do you fear for us? Or are you here for another reason entirely?"

"Your guidance is most appreciated, Va'nei. I may be a mere mortal, but I am no fool. Now that our place has been established in the world, we will encounter many new people and make new friends and allies, and possibly enemies. New ways will be introduced to us, and we will not agree with everyone. Change is inevitable, and we will need guidance more than ever."

Havador took a deep breath and watched Noroth play some more. He too developed a sad look. "I am ashamed to admit, we have recently had to deal with issues like persecution and war. There was a time where those who wielded great magical power thought they deserved to rule those who did not, and so the dark necromancers and their armies of undead marched across our fields. And yet, here we are today, trying to make friends with the kingdom of Belrow, a civilization of friendly undead! There was a time where we were forced to defend our lands against greedy dragons, who themselves were escaping persecution in the west. And now you are here, a friendly dragon, who is here to defend us and guide us.

The point I am trying to make is that the last hundred years have seen more change for our people than the last thousand. Perhaps the earth was telling you we would need you now more than ever. We are not perfect. We have made our mistakes, but we have also tried our best despite those mistakes. We can only hope we are still worthy of your protection."

"You are of course welcome to do so. The magic of the elves makes it difficult to find their location, but I will give you a map to get to their secret forest. If you find nothing, just wait around. I'm sure they will come to you. I'm sure little Intaja will be happy to see you, as will the other Sodalites. Although I suppose I should refrain from calling them little, they are much older than they look, though not as old as the elves." He chuckled.

He then gestured to the scrolls on the table. "These scrolls all contain data of our history and our current farming methods. Our yields are several times greater than even the most advanced civilizations. If you have any suggests on how to improve them further, we are more than willing to listen."

He looked around. "Now then, where has your little youngling run off to? What is his story anyways?" Where did @cuteness1 go?