The elves didn't deign to do as Ileosa wished, at least at first. The fighting men of the elven empire stood before her own troops. The money and time their Sun Queen had put into the military put the Korsovan men and women on par in gear if not numbers. However, they also had the territorial advantage and the elves knew that. Their general sat atop his griffin and listened to her amplified speech. Ever-stoic it didn't seem that the general had taken her bait. The harpies sat in the mountains of the pass with her champion relaying communication. While the harpies had come in on the side of Ileosa and the humans, they were still a third party and didn't follow her orders explicitly, but were instead attached to her champion.<br/><br/>Proud and confrontational by nature the harpies did not much care for this hiding, but they did want at the griffin riders and were willing to wait to engage them properly. Morrigan didn't look entirely comfortable with being on the battlefield. This was not a sure victory by any means, but if they could just lure them into attacking first it would pull them out of their forest. Ileosa couldn't know, but the elven war council was quite livid as far as elven males went. Faritha and other elven females were much more open with their emotions, but the men were far more subdued, but no less enraged. How dare she think she was in the right? This little upstart bitch of a pup needed to be put in her place.<br/><br/>Her army was impressive, but her coalition's contributions less so. The elves decided that the rabble would route and they would be able to gain air superiority and surround the more elite troops and overwhelm them. The general sat before his men. The archers ceased fire while the spearmen began beating the hafts against the ground before the archers began shooting staggered volleys of longbow arrows. Then the griffins took flight and streaked straight for the valley while the spearmen charged. The elves had now ground-based cavalry, meaning the only units on the field were their light infantry.<br/><br/>The coalition units collapsed as the archers on the griffins began to fire arrows, but the Korsovan heavy infantry stood strong, but before Korsovans would ever break they would be surrounded. Griffins circled above, but all around them were the lowland mountains that made up the valley. The harpies surrounded the griffins, a glorious screech sounded and waves of brightly colored feathered humanoids descended on the air cavalry pulling it from the sky. Just as the elven light infantry and archers entered the mouth of the valley and were quickly encircled by the Korsovan light cavalry swooping from behind. The battle was bloody, the losses of the coalition were perhaps too heavy when compared to the relatively light losses of the Korsovan regulars.<br/><br/>Before the moon rose the elven general knelt before the Sun Queen. She would gain little in the way of territory, but the elves were broken, the damage was done. They would reward her with treasure and Ileosa would have forced open borders, making them subservient to the economy of Korsova. Most importantly however, they would be forced to hand over numerous ancient magical  Thorain stood next to a quite tall and curvaceous female harpy with red and purple plumage. They had clawed birdlike feet and rather... stately demure noses and sharp eyes, but were mostly humanoid.<br/><br/>"Your champion did not lie, you do fly in the sun. The clans of the mountains wish to join your people. We have wandered for too long, it is time to roost in your mountains, as our prophecies have foretold." They would take roost in the mountains around the capital. "We also offer you your pick of our men and women for your harem, your grace.' The harpy knelt, clearly following the strength of the queen of the sun. The war, however brief, was now over. Now it was time to rebuild and find the next worthy goal.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/><strong>Sun Queen Ileosa Luxora I's stats</strong><br/><br/>Influence: 150% (Victory has made Korsova the prominent political power on the continent.)<br/>Mana: 125% (The first real leads)<br/>Power: 85% (Losses were not ideal, but far from heavy. The coalition is rather unhappy.)<br/>Gold: 120% (Loot and secure trade routes with new economies)<br/>Food: 100% (Food and amenities for the new harpy denizens.)<br/><br/>(Alignment: True Neutral tending toward neutral good.)<br/><br/>Thorain stood before his queen in her study, the other advisors around.<br/><br/>"With exception to the dwarven tablet which Morrigan has just finished translating, there was little else of note in the dwarven ruins. Though we do now have an in-road to dwarven lands. Along with the elven artifacts and texts they were to surrender we have three solid leads as to great sources of magic.<br/><br/>1.) The last dragon. The tablet speaks of the last great dragon, and brooking a deal with it would give the boon of high magic.<br/>2.) The library of sages. Hidden beneath the ruins on a far off continent of myth their seems to be an indication that great life magic lays within its texts.<br/>3.) The Bloodstone Prison. Reliquary of the Blood Stone Crown, a place said to be buried deep in the underworld, and is said to be able to access the magic of another realm.<br/><br/>We do not know the particulars of what each of these kinds of magic entails, ladyship, but it is up to you where you would like to investigate first." He bowed his head, waiting for her to decide. Once she had the other advisers would step to the fore in turn."<br/><br/>First was her general, a little more worry in his visage but not that it put out the spark in his eye. "Your victory was well earned, but we must always plan on what to do next:<br/><br/>1. More military spending. More troops, better troops.<br/>2. Defense spending. Forts consolidation and integration of the constituent races<br/>3. Weapons research<br/><br/>His choices laid out her general stepped back and let her ministry of the economy step up.<br/><br/>"Your highness, victory has made out coffers swell. The temples hum with exchange and though those males of the chattle are few many male citizens have come to the markets regardless." As they were not captured these harpy males, elven males, and orc males enjoyed full citizen ship. They were also extracting wealth from the coalition and the elven lands.<br/><br/>He put several petitions before her:<br/><br/>1.) A great victory festival with parties, wine, and the ever popular Korsovan pastime of ritual sex.<br/>2.) Foreign aid to the elven lands and the coalition nations.<br/>3.) A cultural surge, Korsova should excel in the magical sciences, arts, and culture. The sun is right, the sun is good, and we will show the world just how modern and forward thinking our ways are.<br/><br/>Last was of course Lady Rika. She had two handsome Korsovan males with her and seemed to be more relaxed now that the war was over.<br/><br/>"Oh illustrious queen how shall we spread our influence:<br/><br/>1.) A great exploratory fleet of ships.<br/>2.) Integrating the tribes of the orcs.<br/>3.) Or we could use our multitude of races to form an academy dedicated to spycraft."<br/><br/>Rika bowed as the queen made her wishes known.