Tammy
Lord Nathaniel Vivayn 
Lady Barrmount's Head Office, Castle Barrmount, the Iron Plaines

Lord Nathaniel extended his neck over to her, at her comments, smiling almost softly in response to the feigned upward curvature of her lips. They were soft and delicate, perhaps even more so than her younger sister's, to his surprise. 

Slowly, he moved from the bay window overlooking the masses to return to her in the centre of the room, his eyes darting from place to place in Lady Barrmount's office, his body following his curiosity as he eyed all the adornments of the Barrmounts and what they held dear, and it was made clear from what they displayed to whomever they would host. Strength. Honour. Integrity. That was made apparent just by the mere image of their mighty armoured horse banners. The armoured horse would buck their masters off of them if they were neglected and not properly maintained. They were not ones to endure slights, or suffer improprieties. They were prideful and steadfast. The masters of these particular warhorses had long become nothing more than a stranger to them, a ghost of a shadow that once rode them so proudly, but now lead them in to pastures full of nothing but barren soil and ash. He could use that.

"Immortality. Such a forbidden term." He kept restlessly pacing around her where she stood in the centre of her office, like a snake coiling around its prey. "Its utterance can shake even the vagrohls to their cores in their hovels, up in their sequestered mountains. Because even they, with their millennia's worth of knowledge of our Frozen Gods know not of the untapped power of immortality. The robed relics of the frozen faith cannot comprehend the sheer thought of it; what it would mean if one were to ascend to Godhood beside the other deities. They, along with the large majority of our collective people, with their small, microscopic minds consider the notion unnatural," He stepped closer to her, his breath was cold and unfamiliar to the skin, biting, almost. 

"But I have seen things," He continued, "Things that were not meant for eyes of mere mortals. Things that would pry open those small, microscopic minds and melt them all in one instant. Things that made me *Believe,"* He finished with a hushed whisper, bowing slightly so she could hear him and listen intently, as if what they were discussing was so unholy, so blasphemous that it was like to cause the Frozen Gods to smite them down then and there. "I have seen the irises of a dead Prince illuminate once more with life and thirst. I have seen spilled crimson pool at the floor and materialise in to black matter, paling the entire hall as the moonlight glimmered off of it. I have heard their raucous, ravenous cries echo as the incarnation of royalty begins anew. Now I know," His voice began to rise, "From Wingsway all the way past the Black Arches and through the Abyss, I have seen them and I have heard them. They call to me. The vagrohls, they hear them through vague murmurs and brief groans, but I have heard them *Shriek* At me. Their drumming pulsates through me... The never-ending drumming. It summons me to war." Abruptly, he broke the close-quarters between them.

"You know why I'm here. War wages on, yet the Great House of the Iron Plaines remains neutral. Why did you not declare for the Ice Lord?" Her uninvited guest asked her.
Bernice
Head Warden Persephoen Timtams
Off the coast of the Isle of Rikkon, The Abyss

Persephoen watched as Thugsby leaned over the side of her ship, the Jam Jar. In his hands was a long pole, designed to break up and push away the larger chunks of ice that would certainly harm the hull of her prized ship, the Jam Jar. The Jam Jar was not a pretty ship, nor was it a seaworthy. In truth, the Jam Jar was just as fragile as it's namesake. But what the Jam Jar lacked in stability and strength, it made up for in gumption. Gumption, in this case, was the fly in the proverbial jam jar. And the fly, in this case, was Dame Clarabella Cooch. 

Dame Clarabella Cooch was Prince Nickles. She had seen right through the hideous boy's disguise straight away. Maybe it was the way each one of his eyes seemed to move on their own accord, or the three strands of hair that poked out from his wide, pink sunhat, or his teeth, which had grown back brown and scraggly, like the butts of blown out cigars. Something about it made her heart skip a beat, because it was sexy. Or maybe it was because everyone at the Council of Marin had noticed the fact that Dame Clarabella Cooch was the Rat Prince of Feyshore, but ignored it because they were PUSSIES. Only Thugsby had the BALLS to admit the truth. The way he had leaned over as if to whisper, and then spoke loudly into her ear. She looked at him now, his thick, pasty back muscles rippling and steaming in the frosty air of her homeland. 

"I'm surrounded by sexy dudes." She whispered. 

She wondered if Nickles had found out that they were not taking him to the Southern Isles yet.
Gabriel
**Thorod Lockbeard/Damien Brass
The Horn Hills/Dokva's Eye**

A sigh of exasperation echoed across the throne room as Thorod stared down at Damien. "So you call me here to deal with your fishermen?" He questioned. He received no answer, from the man who sat beside the Sea King's Throne.

The throne room itself had greatly improved since David took control. The walls that used to just show dark old stones had now been covered by House Brass's banners and the banners of the vassals that serve under them. The room looked brightened by the more illuminating candles, placed by the entrance of the room and at its center.

The largest and most profound of all the candles sat near to the end of the room, placed in a pure brass holder, unlike the other candles, which were placed in only copper. It was crafted to resemble the tentacles of the spiked squid. It stood there proudly, only lit when a member of House Brass was present in the halls.

Thorod had let out another deep sigh from his nose as he waited for an answer from this lesser man that sat before him. "Is that it? Sea King's Bosun, did you ask me to arrive here to deal with a group of fishermen? To provide justice for their disrespect to the Horn Hills and its king, is that it?" A long silence filled the room as Damien still said nothing. Thorod grew frustrated then suddenly barked out, "SPEAK!"

Damien almost jumped from his seat at the sudden bellow from the Overlord of Leviathan's Den's mouth. He'd been struggling to try to explain the situation in its best form. He didn't wish to make a mistake; he wanted everything to be crystal clear before answering Thorod's question. *I must speak quickly. I'll have to think more about my words as I speak them, I suppose*, the elder of House Brass thought to himself.

Damien began to speak, his voice as clear as the wind that swirled outside Castle Seabounded.
"Yes, Overlord Lockbeard, you are here to deal with this situation, for not just House Brass but the people we rule. This fishing period grows ever direr. The capture of the bounties of the sea needs to keep happening at our shores. If not many more may die. I send you out now to Dokva's Eye to directly get this situation dealt with. You have my permission as acting Bosun to do whatever is needed."

Damien took no pride, happiness, or even a feeling of accomplishment by saying those words.
*It's what David would have me do and like it or not, I'm ruling the Horn Hills. I am not ruling for the wants of others or even myself. I have to rule for David, even if I don't like this choice I'm making*, he thought to himself as he looked down upon Thorod from the few stones steps that separated them.

"You will have a few guardsmen to guide you to the small cave, but after that, they must leave you alone to do this task. All able men are to be fishing, training, helping with the building of more ships," He sighed softly, "Or to be keeping the thralls working. You can handle yourself. You are a champion," He gestured to the master-crafted armor, coated in brass and steel with the sigil of House Brass burned into the center of it, that Thorod had earned. "They are unarmed men and women of faith. As I said, what needs to be done to get them fishing, do it."

Thorod almost laughed at Damien. *He be commanding me as a ruler in the South would. All words, nothing behind them. Weak talk from a weak man*. He locked eyes with Damien, then he simply nodded. Then he turned and took his leave. *David better reward me for helping him child-sit, having to deal with such foolishness*.

Damien then sat alone in the throne room. The only company he had were the lights that were spread out across the halls. *The days grow longer. David hopefully won't be too much longer. I will admit I feel less stressed without him watching my every movement in judgement, although that feeling of him watching me is much better than the whole Horn Hills watching me in judgement. I won't fail again. He sighed out loud. If I do, I'll be dead in the mud*.

Thorod then travelled around the markets and other sites of worship spread across the Horn Hills. The walk itself wasn't long. It had been getting through the number of people that had been the first big issue.

Most of the people only had on ragged clothing. They all smelled of sea salt or lumber. If they'd been lucky, on their feet there would be some crudely made sandals. They all wandered through the tightness of the poorly made paths like a pack of rats trying to fit down a drain pipe.

The paths were mostly made of old and broken stone. The only path that was looked after was the path towards Castle Seabounded. The stones were replaced often, unlike most other paths leading to different markets and other places. Inside Castle Seabounded were mostly sharp stones only turning smooth near the throne room. On the outside of the castle, the paths were only made with spiky stones and dirt.

Chaos reigned as Thorod saw the rush of the market.The madness of some people caused Thorod to shake his head in disbelief. The people were selling whatever they could just for food. The market runners were giving anything as food away, just to get the hungry people to leave before they turned violent. They'd take raw food, rotting food, a boot. It didn't matter. They'd take it and just try to eat it.

Thorod frowned as he stepped through the crowds slowly. He kept close to the guardsmen provided by Damien, not wishing to lose them in this swarm. Thorod had been to the Horn Hills before. It hadn't been like this. *A few fish aren't caught, and this happens. Gluttonous, all of them. Unable to stay their hunger. Weaklings. I can't believe this once relaxed walk has become this*.

His thoughts were cut off by him having to shove two women out of his way. "Move or be moved," He said. He then had to shove three men out of his way soon after saying those words.

They walked out towards the larger paths leaving the panicked crowds behind them. After a while of walking out, they reached another odd point on a different path. The stones turned from a greyish colour to a reddish colour. It appeared to be some odd red dust on the stones.

Thorod looked up and saw two men and one woman. A red hand marking was placed on the side of their necks. They all looked up at Thorod as the guardsmen stood by his side. The man standing in the middle of three spoke. "We are the gentle touch, the soft whisper, the hands that have been touched by the Salt Breath." He held his right hand up. It also seemed to be covered in the same dust-like red substance that covered the ground.

Thorod rubbed the side of his face, visibly disinterested in what the followers of the Salt Breath had to say. "And I am the Uninterested. I have been sent to go to Dokva's Eye, not to hear your words of faith. My time shall not be wasted."

The three figures stepped back, bowing their heads quickly. "We shall not keep you. Just remember the breath is always with you," The woman said quietly as they all turned to walk off. One of the followers stopped mid-step then spoke aloud to Thorod as he continued his way to Dokva's Eye."We are peaceful, but if you are in any danger with the followers of the relic ways we are here to offer any help. We are all ship-men together in the sea that surrounds us. By the will of the Salt Breath it blesses us with its presence."

Thorod ignored the man and commanded one of his guardsmen. "Come on now, the quicker we get there the less time I have to walk in the sand." He glanced down and noticed that some of the sand became redder the deeper he pressed his foot into it. Then he turned to one of the guardsmen with him. "Is red sand common?" He questioned.

The guardsman shrugged. "I've never been this far out, Overlord Lockbeard, but I have heard tales of such things, and well we saw some just a moment ago". The guardsman cleared his throat. "Those followers were covered in it. It might make them closer to the breath?"

Thorod continued to walk as he spoke. "So they think it does something for them. It is an odd thing," He said as he gestured to the red sand. "Strange even that sand could appear this way. Anyway no more words from you. You've answered my question. Now be silent."

The guardsman frowned and opened his mouth to speak back but thought better of it after he saw what David's champion had done in the past. He knew better than to speak up against the titan of a man he was commanded to follow.

Thorod continued his walk across the seaside. He turned his head sharply. He then saw in front of him a gathering of people, on their hands and knees, covered in shells, rotten flesh, seaweed, and whatever else, all shaped into a poorly made armor of some kind. Thorod knew what these people were doing, and it disgusted him.

The individuals had been seemingly offering themselves towards the sea itself. Some of their bodies appeared hollow, covered in rashes and scars, most likely from the salt of the sea brushing against them for so long. Thorod narrowed his eyes in contempt. *These beggars, vultures of the sea. Waiting for the Fishermen in the sky to feed them, clothe them. They are weak not just because of their foolish beliefs. Because they earn nothing*.

One of the followers of the Watchers of the sea slowly leaned upward, his face covered with a half-broken human skull, wrapped together crudely with bits of lizard skin and crab shells. His eyes went wide as they met with Thorod's. He screamed out suddenly causing all men but Thorod to jump in surprise.

"THIS IS OUR BOUNTY! NO OUTSIDERS HERE! NOT IN TIMES LIKE THESE! SHOO SHOO!"

His yells echoed across the seaside. The man's voice sounded dry, like water hadn't met his lips in many days and nights. The yelling continued, nevertheless.

"WE ARE THE PATIENT! WE ARE THE THANKFUL! WE SHALL NOT WITHER! WE WILL NOT DIE! WE WILL BE GIFTED WHAT IS NEEDED!"

The man's voice grew louder and more cracked as he yelled. His eyes widened, his sliced arms held up high to the sky.

"THEY WATCH US AND GIFT US! THEY WATCH US AND GIFT US! REWARDED WE SHALL BE! YOU BE GIVEN NOTHING! YOU STEAL AND NOTHING MORE!"

He waved his hands wildly and called out. The sea waves crashed against his back and covered his fellow followers who still laid on their hands and knees as they waited for their Watchers to give them anything.

"THIEVES NOTHING MORE! WE ALL SAIL AS TOLD! NOW YOU LEAVE!"

Thorod simply turned away from the yelling men and walked on. *They are lucky, that they out of all these, he let out a sigh at that moment in time, groups that they caught the most fish. If not, I'd kill them all for yelling such nonsense at me. I'd even offer them as a gift to the sea herself*.

After many distractions and obstacles, he stood before the entrance into Dokva's Eye. Thorod stared for a moment, and just before his guardsmen could speak to him, he ignored them and simply walked towards the small cave.

It was a struggle at first, getting into the cave itself. He'd had to leave his dual-sided battle axes outside being unable to get in with them at all. A guardsman offered an idea. "We could make a trip back to get ya other weapons. Your large steel hammers, they might be able to squeeze through?"

Thorod shook his head at such a notion. "It would take you men too long to return with my hammers and they only be slightly smaller than the axes. All my weapons are made of strong steel, well-made steel. I won't risk it being lost to those crowds at the market or you lot getting jumped by those crab folk by the sea's edge."He turned away from the guardsmen as he stared into the cave. "I need no weapons. I am the first and last Lockbeard. That will be enough," He said to himself as he walked toward the cave with no weapons, just armor.

Once Thorod fully entered the cave with a bit of struggle, he started to see a small blue light. The cave's stones crumbled under his large feet as he walked toward the source of the light. Then he saw it: a round gathering of water, placed in the center of the cave. It looked like an eye, alright, true as the sea was blue. A black stone in the center of the circle-shaped pond created a great likeness to an eye. This was Dokva's Eye.

Thorod cleared his throat as he quickly called out into the darkness. He stepped forward as he did so. "Come out!" He bellowed."Stand before me. No harm will come to you if you don't waste my time!"

Not an answer or sound could have even been heard, except the sound of the water calmly flowing around and around, only moving in response to the vibrations of Thorod's loud voice. Thorod felt the darkness grow around him, his movement limited by his size and armor. He looked around as he bellowed again, "Don't push this! I'll snap your necks with one hand! I'll smash you to death with your own spines!"

He grunted as he thought he had seen a shadow in the corner of his eye, but it disappeared before he could fully see it. It was hard to see anything in the darkness of the cave. His eyes moved faster now as the shadows kept dancing in the corner of his eyes.

He yelled out, "Show yourselves!", a slight panic in his voice as he thought he had heard footsteps near him, but once again he had seen nothing. He gritted his teeth and he looked toward the pool. The bright blue water was his only source of light. He looked for any reflection beside his own.

Then he saw a reflection in the water. Suddenly Thorod moved at such a speed, that if someone saw a seven-foot man move so quickly, they wouldn't believe it. He spun around and lunged his large right hand out, catching a cloaked figure, and he pulled them out from the darkness and held them up high.

Their legs kicked in the air as Thorod's grip tightened around their throat.

Thorod violently threw them down to the stone ground, his grip still tightened. He waited for the snap. He'd punish this figure for the feeling of unease he felt in darkness. "Die," He said, his teeth gritted in anger.

The snap echoed across the holy place. Blood had been spilt in the cave that held Dokva's Eye. Only Thorod's heavy breathing could have been heard as the silence crept back in. Thorod called out, "I said what I'd do." He slowly turned the cloaked figure's dead body around, then grabbed the back of their neck. He started ripping and tearing through the clothing, the flesh, and the bone, each horrific sound echoed across the small cave. With a loud crack, the once-cloaked figure's spine laid in Thorod's blood-covered right hand.

He then looked to the body and started to smack it with the spine and called out in rage. "I said this. Your blood, your own spines would be broken and spilt". Each word he spoke was followed by a sound of breaking bone hitting dead flesh.

He did this for a few more moments until he noticed that more cloaked figures had appeared and just stood there, watching his actions. He closed his eyes letting out a long sigh. He suddenly threw the spine down, then opened his eyes once again as he kicked the beaten corpse toward them.

He spoke loudly, "You will fish again or this will happen again. Next time I will be armed." He pointed to Dokva's Eye. "David, your Sea King, the King of the Seas himself, follows her better than any of you!" He called out, taking a moment to gather his breath. The cloaked figures remained silent; they just watched as he spoke to them after killing one of their own. "He gave this order, not the Disappointment. David knows her will better than any of you. You will fish and help the Horn Hills build larger ships. Is that understood?" At that moment there was a long silence. Thorod said again, louder this time, "IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!"

His shout echoed around them all, then almost at once the voices of men, women, and children all called out and said, "**Understood**."

Thorod stood there a moment not being able to see any of their faces. He narrowed his eyes as he turned to leave, wiping his blood-covered hands on the cave wall as he walked off. "You have three days," He said bluntly. "Dokva deserves better. Don't disappoint her again. She is strong," He said under his breath, "As we all should be. She made us. Like I said, you have three days," He grunted as he walked out the way he entered, leaving the followers of the old way to clean up his message.

Thorod busted his way out of the cave, like a chicken out of an egg. He looked around, knowing the guardsmen were gone. He looked up at the sky. It had turned dark. He paused as he spoke softly to himself, "How long was I-" He cut himself off as he shook his head, as he tried to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine. "I've done my part, for my King, for Dokva's will. The deed is done."