Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

The Archmage, Horsa Fay, is famous for his superb shadow and heavenly spells. However, when people mention his name, the first thing that comes to mind is not his outstanding spellcasting skills, but his breathtaking crystal palace suspended in the air.

This strange building is located on a rare pink floating rock island in the southern part of the Kingdom of Safri. The entire palace is cleverly constructed with transparent glass and solid stone, like a gem reflecting the skylight, shining with a brilliance that does not belong to the mortal world above the sea of ​​clouds. The palace is always bright day and night, and energy is guided from the spiritual vein node to the heart of the island, driving the entire floating structure, making it as stable as a rock for thousands of years.

In addition, Horsa Fay is not only a lonely wise man, but also a close friend of Mithrion Silver Stag.

The latter is a great wizard known for his dazzling blond hair and unruly demeanor. He is good at fire and heavenly magic, and his magic style is as blazing and brilliant as a comet. But rather than playing with fire, he is more focused on studying celestial phenomena, and his achievements are highly praised by scholars at the White Tower of Hoeth.

His palace is located at the southernmost tip of Safri. The towering red flame walls wind down along the mountain branches, like the flame veins of the earth's spine. The palace is always echoing with the singing of stars falling from the sky. That is the star projector array he set up, which evolves the star map every night for his meditation and study. From his high tower, the White Tower of Hoeth is just a faint light in the sky, looming.

One of the representatives of the Terriolan family, Cyriol, is a student of the dragon tamer Caledor, and Rianos Silver Deer of the Silver Deer family is also a disciple of Caledor.

But unlike Cyriol, when the Great Vortex was established, Rianos followed Caledor into the space rift where chaos and order intersected, and stayed in the Great Vortex ever since, guarding the entangled border. He was one of those watchers who chose never to return, and spent his life guarding the stability of this world.

Therefore, the Silver Deer Family has a very long heritage, and its status in the Kingdom of Safri is comparable to that of the famous Teriolan Family. Although the two families are very influential in politics and academia, due to various origins, the two families have been friends for generations and respect each other. Although there are often differences in concepts, there has never been a real dispute. It can be said to be a model of cooperation and trust among the nobles of the kingdom.

Mytherion's daughter, Rhianna Silverstag, married Eldan Eldain of Arion. It was Mytherion who provided the magic arrows used to set the ships on fire during the raid on Clar Karond.

At this moment, Horsa Fay and Mithrion Silver Deer stood side by side in the council seat of the Kingdom of Safri. Their eyes were sharp as they faced the gaze of Finubar.

However, Finnubar only glanced at her and did not respond. He had once entered the palace of Myserion and paid a courtesy visit. But in his opinion, Myserion was erratic and unpredictable by nature. Did Rianna seem to have inherited this unpredictable trait from her father?

A kind of light that is as blazing as a meteor, yet hard to catch...

Perhaps it was this instability that caused the tragedy between the brothers Eldan and Kelly?

When the Great Maelstrom was first built, many wizards responded to Caledor's call and joined him in the vortex - not only Rianos Silver Stag, but also legendary figures like Dorian Starlight. They became dedicated people remembered by history, living between reality and nothingness, ensuring that the order of the vortex would not collapse. Their names are still whispered, admired by future generations, and engraved in prophecies.

At this moment, the descendant of Dorian Starlight, Kaelis, was standing side by side with Falfian Whiteshore, and glanced back at Finubar who was looking over.

Both of them are staunch supporters of Finnubar. Not only have their families been friends for generations, but they are also related by marriage, which enables them to stay on the same side in this game of power.

Kellys, with ankle-length silver hair and graceful manners like a moon shadow, always gives people the illusion that her soul is free from the world. After their eyes met, her eyes fell into emptiness again, as if she had left her body and fell into meditation.

She is good at fire, life and heaven spells, which complement each other. After the Great Anti-Chaos War, the Sigma Empire established a magic academy to restore order. Finnubar appointed her as the ritual master of the Tower of Volan and sent her to Altdorf to supervise the Eight Winds Academy, the most important magic school in the empire.

However, she grew tired of the hustle and bustle of Altdorf, and she never concealed her indifference to human wizards. She regarded the empire's thirst for knowledge as short-sighted greed, and interpreted their enthusiasm for magic as a blind worship of power. As soon as her term of office was over, she left without hesitation, not even attending the farewell banquet, and returned to Ulthuan without looking back.

In contrast, Falfian Whiteshore's life seemed dull and even a little bitter. He was a typical Safri noble who was sent to the White Tower of Hoth to receive magical education since childhood. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. After a brief assessment, the parliament concluded that his personality was not suitable for continuing to practice magic, and then sent him back without much explanation.

So, he bid farewell to the White Tower of Hoss and lived a noble life with complicated etiquette and no waves. He appeared here only because the parliament needed him to be here, just like a preset chess piece on the chessboard, the meaning of existence is to balance the layout.

However, his life would take a turn for the better at some point - and that was the beginning of another story.

Belloda's father, Archmage Seraphim Whitewave, stood slightly to the back, not on the Safri faction, but on the Cosqui faction, although he was also a member of the Council of Archmages.

Then...

There are only a few people left in the Kosqui faction. Apart from Seraphim, there are only Darolan and his daughter, which is so desolate that it makes people look sideways.

Originally, there were many people in the Kosqui faction, but they were either dead in the naval battle with Duruchi not long ago, or...

Even worse off than the Cosqui faction is the Iris faction.

Only Morarion stood there like an empty shell, not even reacting when Finnubar looked at him. His tall figure was like a statue without a soul. If others seemed to be standing here with their souls gone, then he was the real deal. He was still in Lothern, but his soul had crossed the crater and returned to the Kingdom of Yvresse, and he could completely compete with the Slann Mage Priests.

Of course, traditionalists don't think so.

They believed that this was the retribution for the Kingdom of Ivresse, which had produced two Phoenix Kings, and flattered Finubar. Under the persuasion of Finubar with grand plans and sweet words, Morarion sent out the Ivresse fleet.

Now, his fleet was destroyed, and he himself was almost mad and stupid.

For Morarion, every minute and every second standing here was an indescribable torment. But this torment was not because the fleet was destroyed as the traditionalists believed. The Kingdom of Iris was in mourning, although there was no such traditional ceremony in the Asur culture. They cared more about glory and eternal echoes rather than short-term mourning.

Nor was it because of the cynicism from the traditionalists. Those indirect insults meant nothing to Morarion. He had been in the political arena of Ulthuan for centuries, and had seen the twists and turns of the times. He had long since become a man who could handle everything and was a veteran.

In his opinion, Adianna is still a little young and needs more experience.

He was not anxious, angry, or even moving, because there was no point in arguing at the moment.

Can quarreling increase momentum? On the surface, it may, but real momentum does not depend on who has the loudest voice, but on who has the strongest fist, who has more supporters, and who has more resources.

Who is the real game changer?

Most importantly, can the quarrel change the predetermined outcome of this meeting?
Can't change!

It had all been decided long ago.

This parliament is just a formality. There has to be such a meeting, a ceremonial process.

Otherwise, he would stand up and passionately confront those people, and use Adianna to stand up.

Originally, he didn't even want to come. But in the end, he came anyway.

He has to come.

After all, he is the person in charge of the Kingdom of Iris. He must represent the existence of Iris by being "present", even if it is just a silent shadow or a body with a soul leaving the body.

At this moment, what really bothered him was not the meeting whose outcome was already determined, but the deployment and reconnaissance of the eastern defense line of the Kingdom of Iris.

The intelligence from Anaheim was so bizarre that he could not tell its authenticity, but he had to be on guard. He knew that if he did not report it and did not take action, he would become a laughing stock when the real storm came. What was worse was that his hesitation might completely disrupt the subsequent deployment and even trigger a series of unpredictable chain reactions, thus changing the fate of the entire Kingdom of Iris.

This is what he can't accept the most.

Compared to the decline of the Yris faction, the Itain faction also looked bleak. Of the once numerous nobles and great wizards, only a few were left standing alone in the council seats, as if the stars had fallen and only the last rays of dawn remained.

Unlike Morarion, who was deep in thought, Elardesi was like an old monk in meditation, almost in a state of tranquility close to sleep. Fortunately, he was still standing. If he had sat cross-legged on the ground...

His mentality was similar to Morarion's; he knew the outcome, yet had to be there. The afterglow of decay was buried in his formalistic shell.

As for Marlene?

She didn't even come!

She wasn't trying to avoid anything or get into trouble. She was just as sarcastic as Bellodda and loved black humor, so she didn't refuse to argue. She was covered in sarcastic thorns and even enjoyed it.

Her absence was due to her taking on a more important role as Storm Weaver.

Warships were sent out, but merchant ships were not.

Asur's merchant ships are also capable of combat. The Albatross-class ships are equipped with a set of eagle claw crossbows on their bows, which cover a wide angle and are extremely deterrent. As a three-body ship, the outer extensions of the two sides of the hull are also equipped with two sets of the same crossbows.

Such a firepower configuration enables the Albatross class to transform into sharp claws and deal a fatal blow to the enemy when necessary.

These days, and in this world, a ship without combat capability wandering around the sea is no different from a three-year-old kid wandering around the street with a gold brick in his arms.

The next level of merchant ships are mostly single-hulled fast sailing ships with high speed and strong maneuverability. Although they do not have the stability and firepower configuration advantages brought by the trimaran structure, they still have eagle claw crossbows deployed on both sides of the hull, which have certain self-protection and interception capabilities. This type of ship is usually used for the rapid transportation of small batches of high-value goods, or for the deployment of emergency military supplies.

The next level does not have long-range firepower projection, because this level of ships are small two-masted sailing ships, most of which shuttle between inland seas or coastal islands, mainly used for carrying passengers or short-distance trade.

Originally, Adianna should have played this role. After all, unlike Marlene, she was a high-ranking priest of the Storm Weaver Cult. But there was no other way, because she was the one who presided over the previous ceremony. And because of this, she knew long ago that this day would come and she had to appear in the parliament.

As soon as the meeting was over, she and Seraphim would go to the Kingdom of Yvresse without hesitation to take charge of the follow-up tasks and play the role of high priests. The parliament, or more precisely, the core circle of power, had always been like a besieged city. People outside the city rushed day and night, one after another, and spent their entire lives just to squeeze into the high walls.

And some...

When Malus Blackblade launched his assault on Eagle Gate at the end of time, Ivarn Meltan had been in charge of Eagle Gate for several summers. When he first took command, many of his subordinates believed that he lacked the necessary experience to take on such a heavy responsibility. Even though he was a relative of Finnubar, even though he was born into a prominent family and his family was powerful in the Phoenix Court... it did not mean that he could lead this line of defense.

But the doubts soon died down because he shattered all prejudices with his actions, because this guy is really awesome!
When the army of Plague Lord Septimus "The Corrupter" was about to break through the Eagle Gate's defenses, and no one in the fortress's garrison dared to stop the charge of this terrible creature.

This guy was the first to stand up. He then pierced the demon's skin from the front with the family sword passed down from the great invasion era. Blood and mist surged around him, and he finally sent the demon away with his own hands.

However, he is very young and immature now. The reason why he stands here is not because of his relationship with Finnubar, but because of the strength and background behind him. Although Finnubar, as a relative, made great efforts and played a decisive role in helping him secure his position.

He was a city dweller who was born in the city, the so-called "Roman". He did not need to fight or cater to others, he only needed to walk slowly and leisurely to reach the top.

Then... who is outside the city going into the city?

Prince Italis from Silverpeak Palace in Lothern!

But it doesn’t matter, at the moment he is preparing for a big job, a job that will be mentioned frequently in the future.

Standing next to Ivarn, with his fists clenched and his face gloomy, as if he was about to explode in the next second, was Prince Tohalen Angril.

Today, he is still young and immature. But don't be fooled by appearances. He is not a prince in name only, nor is he a nobleman who only shows off when attending meetings. He is a powerful person who truly rules a region and personally dispatches military and political power. His power is intertwined, backed by his family's own army, fleet and countless chambers of commerce that depend on his family for survival. He is the king of local tyrants - a local tiger!

Angril was originally a surname, not a place name. The Angril family has a long history in the history of the Kingdom of Itain and existed before the great invasion.

The port city of Angril is located on the northeastern coast of the Kingdom of Itain, facing the Inner Sea of ​​Ulthuan. It is the second largest port in the kingdom after Lothern, and is also a strategically important hub city. It is not only one of the trade nodes of Itain, but also an important node for the inland of the kingdom to many cities in the north of the crater.

The Kingdom of Itain produces a large amount of high-quality wine, most of which comes from the rolling hills and valleys in the east. The vineyards and manors maintained by the ancient elven methods are passed down from generation to generation. The wine produced is supplied to the court and nobles of Ulthuan, and is the top luxury product in Asur society. The final distribution center for all of this is the Port of Angril.

The entire city has long been integrated with the Angril family. It can even be said that Angril is a reflection of the Angril family. It is the territory they forged with time, sword, blood and glory.

In the timeline without Dacreus, when Malekith appeared in Lothern at the End of Time, he appeared as a tyrant. You know, Ulthuan has not experienced the existence of a "tyrant" for too long, and the entire system and public opinion don't know how to face a person who speaks with iron and blood.

When the coalition army first arrived, Druch's camp was not in Lothern, but several kilometers outside the city, but this could not prevent the spread and escalation of the conflict. Small-scale conflicts occurred almost every day, with friction between soldiers and confrontation between nobles, gradually getting out of control.

A month later, the storm finally broke.

Malekis tried to ease the situation, but reality soon gave him a loud slap in the face. The misunderstanding was not resolved, but continued to intensify.

So, the first assassination attempt on Malekith took place, and it was Torhalen who did it. At that time, the Etaine Guards and Sea Guards that the Kingdom of Etaine was proud of were almost exhausted, or not in Etaine. But it didn't matter. He gathered the remaining White Lion Guards who had previously served Finnubar in Lothern and tried to seize the palace where Malekith worked.

This was an assassination that was doomed to fail.

At that time, the one guarding Malekith was Khadroin, and the guards under his command were either from the Phoenix Guard or the Black Guard, all of whom were the elite among the elites.

And the White Lion Guards at that time...

Phoenix Guard, Black Guard VS White Lion Guard...

The battle broke out like a violent storm.

Prince Toharon was brave and fearless, rushing to the front and fighting with Kadroin in front of the palace platform. However, strength could not resist reality after all, and he was not Kosir. He was knocked down by Kadroin himself in the melee, and his blood stained the ancient stone steps red.

Although the assassination attempt failed, the division and estrangement they caused deepened.

And then nothing happened. Ulthuan sank...

Now, there are four people from the Kingdom of Itain, including Finnubar. Ivarn represents the mountains and inland forces in the west of the kingdom, Tohalen symbolizes the ports and military factions on the northeast coast, and Elardesi and Finnubar naturally represent Lothern, the core of Itain.

other people?
The important people who were supposed to be present, the two great wizards Bell-Tanya and Morian, were either active in Anaheim or deployed out. They were now floating on the sea with Marlene. In addition, Arsalan, who didn't want to come at all, was also there.

Finnubar's eyes turned to the Caledor camp, and then swept across the Terenlock representative seat behind him. At this moment, his originally reserved smile suddenly disappeared, and his face was shrouded in a shadow. He raised his right hand and placed it on his left arm, and his left hand slightly covered the corner of his mouth, with a complicated expression.

If the occasion allowed, he would even want to curse loudly.

There was no other reason, there were simply too many people—too many eyes staring at him, too many mouths ready to speak, too many calculations hidden behind layers of clothes.

Then, he turned his head to look at Belanna again. The wise man stood behind him, never saying a word, just watching everything silently with his bottomless eyes.

Then, Belanna looked at him and nodded slightly again.

At that moment, he seemed to have received some kind of affirmation, and seemed to have let go of some concerns. So, he coughed lightly, straightened his back slightly, fixed his eyes on the Caledo camp, and spoke in a calm but sonorous tone.

"Who do you think should be the regent in this situation?"

The parliament hall froze for a moment.

The next second, Belanna's pupils slightly dilated, and a rare look of surprise flashed across his eyes. If there were question marks in Elsalin's language, then a series of question marks would have already burst out in his mind, almost enough to form a whole article of surprise.

what's the situation?
This...isn't right.

This sentence - this question that almost gave up the initiative was not what he had expected. The situation was already stable enough, and all the chips had been secretly put in the bag, so why did Finnubar suddenly open this loophole? Why did he throw the decision-making power to everyone?

Was there a mistake in the coordination? Did Finnubar not understand his intention? Or...

He quickly glanced at several key figures in Finnubar's camp - Morarion, Darolan, and Elardesi. The three had completely different demeanors, some looked calm, some looked composed, and some looked distracted.

But they all revealed a common message, as if, before the meeting began, they knew that Finnubar would say this. It was as if, from the very beginning, this meeting was just a carefully choreographed performance, a passing scene.

But this state only lasted for a few short seconds. As a "wise man", he thought of countless possibilities in an instant. Combining Finnubar's words and previous actions, as well as the reactions of other core personnel, he realized that Finnubar's layout was deeper than he thought.

It was indeed a coordination problem, but the problem was not with Finnubar, but with him. The next second, he quickly regained his composure, his expression calm, as if all this was planned.

At this moment, the conference hall was in an uproar.

Finnubar's relatives either looked at him directly, their eyes full of doubt and confusion, or looked at each other and whispered, as if to confirm whether they had heard it wrong. That calm and almost casual question sounded like thunder in their ears.

After a brief silence, the traditional camp finally erupted in noise and agitation. They thought that Finnubar would use all political resources to wage a final struggle.

Before the meeting began, they had imagined dozens of possibilities: heated debates, secret canvassing, and even tearful speeches. Belanna's position made them even more discouraged. In this situation, they were powerless to fight back, but they had never expected that Finnubar would take the initiative to raise the issue and leave the decision to everyone?

Is this a test?
still is……

Aris leaned against the wall, his hooded mouth corners outlined a sneer, he looked at Finnubar with a playful expression. The moment Finnubar said that, he knew Finnubar's whole plan, he saw through the whole chess game carefully planned by Finnubar and Dacus, Finnubar and Dacus almost fooled everyone.

But I have to say, this move was beautifully made.

Transform yourself from a strong contender for the throne to an arbitrator of the situation.

but……

He did not say anything, he did not expose it all, and he did not stop Finubar's chess moves.

He just stood there quietly, like a bystander, with a complicated light flashing in his eyes.

Because he knows that some chess games must be completed; some results are destined to be revealed.

And the storm... (End of this chapter)