Xenodar

[Xenograg]

The guests arrive at the appointed place on the steppe by various means, magical and mundane. The weather is very mild, perhaps a gift to Xenograg from some Power. It is still cold, and several pit fires are burning around the area.

Armed turkic warriors in Darelir livery, most of them female, act as ushers. Chairs have been set up in front of a single stone block. Some of the chairs in the first row are reserved by name: Genbak Teogi-son, Amaltea and Amanda of Barsi, Mystic Suleir, Teleperien and Erwyn of Eldicor, Telemachus of Nitesong. The remainder of the first row is given to monarchs and other heads of state. All others are seated without regard to precedence. All chairs have blankets.

Xenograg arrives on horseback. He rides at the right hand of a young, well-dressed turkoman. An escort of ten turkomen accompany them. The young lord walks over and sits in the first-position chair beside Amaltea. This is Genbak Khan.

Xenograg steps up onto the stone block before the assembled crowd.

Your Highnesses, Lords and Ladies, Friends, and Honored Guests: welcome.

I wish to begin by congratulating my friend and ally, Genbak Khan, on his ascension to the leadership of the Rellugai and suzerainty over the other steppe tribes. Without the victory his people won this past autumn, I would not be able to bring my latest design to fruition today.

Genbak stands up. Xenograg bows his head to the young khan, and a short cheer is heard from the steppe horsemen present. Genbak resumes his seat. Xenograg gestures to the wide, flat land around them all.

This is the southern limit of the steppe. This land belongs to Genbak Khan by right of conquest. It is decent pasturage but would be better as farmland. The tribes are all nomadic so there is only grass here -- for now. Genbak Khan has ceded me a small territory centered here, and I intend to build a keep on this spot.

Xenograg stomps his foot on the foundation stone beneath him.

In short, I am finally establishing myself in Rhydin. This holding will be a march between the nomads and the sedentary territories to the south. As I will not be nomadic, Genbak Khan is my overlord but I shall have a wide degree of autonomy.

For personal reasons, I have always preferred the rank and title of General. The word is a translation from my native language. I was content with this translation as the title had no land attached to it. Now I have land -- new land without precedent of name or title. A retranslation is appropriate for both accuracy and to mark the change. As the Rellugai are a turkic people, my new title shall reflect theirs.

I hereby claim the title of Bey over this territory, which I have named Xenodar, for myself and my heirs. I have four children, three of them male. Each son already has an existing inheritance. I am founding Xenodar for my daughter. I have further decided that this title shall descend through the female line of my blood; daughters shall take precedence over all sons.

I now present to you my daughter, heiress, and apprentice: Princess Amanda Darelir of Barsi.

Amanda stands up, walks over to the foundation stone, and turns to face the audience. She is shorter than average for a twelve year-old human. She has dark hair and eyes like her father with a skin tone midway between that of her parents. She courtesies with a smile and says nothing.

Thank you all for coming. I have arranged for hot tea to be served immediately, but there is no reception to stay for. Take care, everyone, and may the blessings of the gods be with you on this Solstice.

Large mugs of tea are given to all guests. Each one bears Xenograg's sigil upon it, and is a keepsake of this event. Xenograg and his daughter stand nearby, easily approachable.

[Mystic]

I sat on my chair with the blanket covering me. I watched Amanda, she gave me a wink when no one was looking. I winked back. Xenograg made an annoucement that says he owns land and he's got a new title. It reminded me of when my Uncle became one of the council, and later on one of the Arch Magii. I miss him a lot. But I've promised myself not to think about that. Xenograg is my papa, and Amaltea is my mama. Amanda is my sister.

It's kind of odd for me, to have a new family. But I'm getting used to it. I stayed bundled up until it was time to go. When we left I gave Amanda one of the necklaces I've been making. She gave me a hug and then picked me up and gave me a piggy-back ride. Amanda is a very nice princess, she'll make a good leader.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

The announcement/invitation from General Xenograg had been a bit of a surprise, but we went for his announcement. The travel was not so far as I had imagined when we'd learned the event was to be held in the steppe lands. It was cold, but not unbearable, which I was thankful for as I looked across the vast landscape. If the winds had come down from the North, I could well imagine the chill that would come with it.

The setting was very Turkoman in appearance. The General had a tendency to evoke that imagery, so it was not surprising that the event followed his roots, but I was surprised to see his body guards and escort to be predominantly female.

The assigned seating held the names of some I had met previously, and some that I had not. Genbak Teogi-son, Telemachus of Nitesong being two names completely unfamiliar to me.

The announcement was short and to the point. Congratulations to the new Khan, and the ceding of land to the General where he would finally put down roots in the realm of RhyDin.

Good.

Xenograg Bey of Xenodar. Very interesting translation to his overlord Khan's language. Many of my horses pedigrees have the word Bey in their names, and I suspect there is a tie between the languages of the steppes and the desert nomads.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, we walked toward Xenograg and his daughter, Amanda. Feliciations and congratulations given to both before departing the steppe to return to the Palazzo, and the festivities of Alban Arthuan.

[Xenograg]

Spring has come to the northern steppe at last. Construction can now begin on the keep Xenograg said he would build here. Lómënolmë of Eldicor is in charge both here and at the quarry. He has overseen the construction of dozens of buildings larger than this one. Only the language barriers complicates this project. Xenograg has provided several interpreters so that Lómënolmë may find one he favors.

A small, temporary village is appearing nearby: home to teamsters, stonemasons, and scores of other necessary trades. There are presently no structures other than yurts and tents, but that will soon change. Further off to the north is an encampment of Rellugai. Its warriors guard both its own flocks and the construction site.

Xenograg steps out of his yurt and squints against the noonday sun. The two female guards on duty before the yurt make the simple Rellugai gesture to a superior, and Xenograg nods in acknowledgement. He then mounts the saddled pony reserved for him and rides towards the construction site. Lómënolmë has an "office" tent erected here. Xenograg dismounts and enters.

"Good day, Master Builder," is Xenograg's greeting to the Eldar. Lómënolmë sets down the contract he was reading and stands.

"Good day, Your Excellency. Have you have brought the letters?"

"Yes, I have." Xenograg reaches into his topcoat and takes out 5 folded sheets of paper. He promptly hands them over to Lómënolmë. The elf inspects each letter of credit carefully.

"Good. These are all in order."

"Do you need any more?" asks Xenograg with a little tension. Those five letters were already a small fortune.

"Not for at least a month, My Lord, and I still have enough hard currency for incidental costs."

"Fine. I will visit here several times a week, and thus accessible to your needs."

"Thank you, My Lord. We are on schedule to present, and I do not expect any problems until after the foundation is laid."

"Good. I shall not keep you further. Take care, Master Lómënolmë." The elf bows his head before resuming both his seat and his reading. Xenograg exits the tent and remounts the pony. He rides around the entire site and camp, and also ventures out to speak with some of the the Rellugai herders.

It is a good beginning.

[Xenograg]

Xenograg stops to wipe the sweat from his brow. The beylik of Xenodar is a new holding, and is very underpopulated. Consequently, and despite his age, Xenograg has been driving a plow team of oxen from sunrise to sunset everyday for the past month. He does not feel his age, though. Both his renewed vigor and devotion to his new land have him feeling tired but also very alive.

His three students, princesses or not, are also helping with the planting. Erwyn and Amanda work with rakes while Mystic sows seed. Amanda has been given an extra task, as well. This is her land, too, and she is to energize her labor with the passive magic of conscious intent. Xenograg is doing likewise, though with different power. The elemental Jinzaggin that are part of him (and yet not) can be used to great effect this way. Xenograg takes pleasure in giving to a process of creation. He has used them used them to kill and destroy far too often.