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Chapter 28
Chapter 28: Brought to a Close
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Even among their own kind, the Amazons of Tarantula Coast are known for their ferocity and thirst for battle. Instead of simply being trained for war from childhood, even as young children they are pitted against each other in personal combat – often with fatal consequences. Their idea of an easy initiation into the martial arts is allowing the most inexperienced kids to fight young males.

This brutal system makes the Teuninochacal Amazons legendarily fearsome (and crazy) in battle, but has greatly reduced their numbers over the years. With an inordinate amount of male children being offered up as sacrifice to the bloodthirsty aspect of Rigg they worship, the Amazons here rely heavily on Miyan slave labour to survive. Following Lyssa's conquest of the more prosperous northern half of the domain, they even find themselves outnumbered by the little halflings.

The only virtue the Teuninochacal respect is strength. They care nothing for bloodlines. Thus when the previous Matriarch of the domain passed away, no one objected to an outsider taking the mantle of leadership. While hailing from faraway Gwangee Valley, Parthenia of the Tollsa clan is brutal, unpredictable and direct. Perfect qualifications for ruling these berserkers.

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Two of her kids died in duels before age 6. One was sacrificed to Rigg. Mom of the Year.

Queen Lyssa may have taken territory and villages from the cruel matriarch. She may have gained sympathy for her cause, with her daughter Phaedra spreading tales of her conquests. But to depose Parthenia and bring all of Teuninochacal under her rule, the Queen of the Amazons must do so by strength of arms.

* * *​

Fresh from her great victory at Tlax and buoyed by epic celebrations of said victory, Lyssa wastes little time in preparing for the next conquest. As soon as the victory feasts and great religious sacrifices are over, in the early days of 2033, she marches her army eastward.

Warning that the Amazonian forces have not had time to replenish their numbers following the protracted Tlax campaign, Kriemhild is left behind to oversee the recuperation of casualties and continued recruitment. Once more, Inanna and Calypso are the queen's trusted commanders. The Teuninochacal may be fearsome warriors, but Lyssa puts her faith in superior leadership – and numbers.

21.03.2032
Relentlessly, the Teuninochacal forces are driven back before Lyssa's eyes. In the dense jungle, keeping track of the larger battle is difficult – she has no idea if the enemy matriarch is even still on the field. The sensation is unmistakeable, however. Despite their ferocity, the Teuninochacal centre cannot stand against Amazonia's might.

Equally due to the fog of war, Lyssa has minimal oversight over the rest of her forces. Like during the fighting in Pillhuitzloli she trusts Inanna and Calypso to do their part. And yet somehow she finds herself hesitating.

"The enemy is faltering, Your Highness. If we pursue them now we might be able to break them!"

Lyssa acknowledges the commander of her bodyguard, but something keeps her from immediately ordering the pursuit. Without knowing the bigger picture, there is no telling what a rash charge could lead to. On the other hand, a moment's hesitation now means allowing the enemy to regroup. Thoughts of another two-year campaign like in Tlax flash in Lyssa's mind, most unbidden. Slumming it in the jungle – even in the relative comfort of her royal tent – for months on end. Constant guerilla warfare by defiant Amazons and impressed Miyan.

Lyssa nods to herself. There is no time to notify or confer with Calypso and Inanna. Pulling herself up to sit regally in her seat, she replies with due decisiveness befitting a queen: "All warriors are free to pursue at will. Hunt them down."

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Striding through the battlefield atop her palanquin, Lyssa notes with approval how few of her shieldmaidens lie dead upon the ground for the survivors to reclaim. While Teuninochacal casualties were higher than amongst her own women, it likewise cheers her to see fewer enemy dead than she had feared. Her mission is to reunite the Amazons, not exterminate them. And, she must admit, even the savage Teuninochacal are of no use to her dead.

Catching everyone's attention thanks to her size and the massive, blood-soaked macuahuitl slung over her shoulder, Princess Inanna strides between her fellow warriors. Some resting, some tending to wounded sisters – or caring for the bodies of those whose wounds proved to great.

"The enemy's completely broken," Inanna announces as she approaches the queen. Her demeanour is matter-of-factly, but there's a measure of disappointment in her voice.

Lyssa smiles and motions for the bearers to lower her elevated platform. The moment it hits the ground she accepts helping hands to alight, impatient with excitement: Hearing her daughter's words somehow makes the victory definitive. Her instincts are proved correct and the day has been decisively won.

"Our cause is just," Lyssa reminds Inanna by way of explanation. She grins: "More importantly, our spears are sharper and our wits too."

Inanna's brow furrows as she attempts to parse her mother's idioms. Before she can fully cogitate they are interrupted by a small band erupting from the jungle nearby. The royal bodyguard assembles to take on any sudden threat, but lower their spears when the newcomers turn out to be friendly. Between them, they carry a makeshift litter with great urgency. Lyssa goes pale when she recognizes their patient.

"What happened??" she blurts out, eyes wide at the sight. Before her, Calypso's mouth spews blood from a weak cough. Lyssa looks around and yells angrily: "Get a priestess! All of them!"

Recognizing Lyssa's voice, the battered matriarch opens an eye and groans, her powerful voice ebbing with failing strength. "It's too... late..."

Falling to one knee beside her friend, Lyssa grabs Calypso's hand: "No. I will not allow it!" She looks up at the onlookers: "Don't just stand there! Do something!"

Another wet cough diverts the queen's attention. Through the blood caking her lips, Calypso manages a reassuring smile: "Thank you... for always being there. I'm afraid... I must let you down... once again. Please..." The mighty warrior's words are drowned in blood before another cough offers a brief respite. "…forgive me... one last time."

Lyssa feels the limp hand in hers grip her tightly.

"Promise me... let me go... and instead... remember..." Calypso's eyes grow bright and distant as happy memories flash in her mind. "...remember affectionate words over good food and good drink."

"Don't talk like that!" Lyssa chokes. Clutching Calypso's hand, she frantically searches her friend's body for some overlooked wound. Something that will miraculously save her if discovered. Anything. "The battle is won. The war is over. We can go home. We'll have plenty of time to talk and enjoy ourselves!"

The fond smile never fades; not so the life in Calypso's eyes. A harrowing scream erupts from the queen as she collapses over her old friend's dead body. It is terrible fury and utter devastation.

Passive bystander to the whole scene, Inanna gapes in shock at her mother's reaction. Completely at a loss, she can only stand there, confused and uncharacteristically helpless.

"Why..." she is barely able to make out amongst her mother's sobs. "Who... "

Inanna's face hardens. Without a word, she slings her huge weapon over her shoulder. Without looking back she stomps off into the jungle, blazing inferno in her eyes.

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Lyssa is good at conquest, less good at healing, and I don't doubt her and her children will once again show they are second to none at revenge .
 
It seems that Lyssa's truest and must trusted inner circle is growing smaller and smaller with each passing year. Even if she avoids the worst sort of treachery and intrigue, she will undoubtedly reach a point where she's the last one left -- alone in the world, having buried all of her friends before her. A bit of a sobering thought :(
 
Lyssa is good at conquest, less good at healing, and I don't doubt her and her children will once again show they are second to none at revenge .
Someone has indeed made a huge mistake, if they can be caught.

It seems that Lyssa's truest and must trusted inner circle is growing smaller and smaller with each passing year. Even if she avoids the worst sort of treachery and intrigue, she will undoubtedly reach a point where she's the last one left -- alone in the world, having buried all of her friends before her. A bit of a sobering thought :(
Yeah, it's honestly been really hard to write these sad chapters. Should've gone for mindless WC ;) I can hope the game doesn't throw any more unfortunate deaths her way but... this is still CK2...

Wow, and so ends the Jaguar.
A bit anti-climactic, perhaps. Or bitter irony. (or just everything revolving around Lyssa, being MC and all :p )
 
Chapter 29
Chapter 29: Torpor
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06.04.2033
The Amazon commander lifts the flap leading into the queen's tent gingerly. Inside there is a darkness but for the embers of a fire pit keeping pans of cooked meat warm. Uncharacteristically, Queen Lyssa has barely touched her food, no matter what treats her servants try to ply her with. Instead she has just been drinking heavily, to the point where they have had to ration her supply. Even more surprising, no one has heard any protests about it yet.

Instead the Amazon queen now lies on the divan at the far end of her tent, staring up at the undulating shadows cast by the dying fireplace.

"Your Highness..." the leader of her bodyguard ventures. "Matriarch Parthenia has fled. The remaining tribe elders have come to swear loyalty to you. Tarantula Coast is yours."

Shrouded in darkness, the queen doesn't say anything. The other Amazon is left standing awkwardly at the entrance, unsure of what to do. The Teuninochacal had arrived days ago, but Lyssa had steadfastly refused to see them. Or even leave her tent.

But a simple soldier and not used to diplomacy, the bodyguard thinks hard about how to solve this quandary without any advice from her sovereign. Queen Lyssa had never been very hands-on, but always there to offer guidance in her own, self-assured way.

Distracted by her thoughts, she does not notice someone coming up behind her and ends up being roughly shoved aside. Hair matted, blood splattered across her cheeks, Inanna stomps into the tent.

With hesitation quite at odds with her defiant entrance, the princess mutters with eyes downcast: "I... I couldn't find her..." The burly Amazon nearly chokes on her words, fighting back furious tears. "Her name is Aglea Teuinoch. They... told me as much before they bled to death."

Lyssa doesn't even acknowledge her daughter, much less respond to her angry, frustrated, ashamed words.

"I couldn't find the killer..." Inanna repeats before gritting her teeth, a small glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes. A small hope of redeeming herself and, more importantly, bring her mother back to her old self: "...but I found her mom..."

Hauling it by scattered clumps of remaining hair, Inanna flings a terribly mutilated corpse into the middle of the tent. It can more accurately be described as a mass of burnt flesh and bone, eerily at odds with its almost untouched face. Inanna would leave no doubt as to the loss she had inflicted upon the vile Aglea, even if it were as a last resort.

"Hmm?" Slowly inclining her head, Lyssa comes to look at her daughter Dark rings under her eyes only serve to highlight her paleness and eerily haggard look in the gloom.

Realizing her mother had not heard a word of what she just said, Inanna has a flash of cunning – perhaps inspired by so intensely wanting to comfort her. "I have avenged auntie Callie, mom," she states curtly, nodding at the crumpled body at her feet.

Tears well up in Lyssa's eyes and she heaves herself off the divan. As if unaccustomed to the activity she stumbles towards her daughter and envelops her in a warm embrace. Even more out of her depth now, Inanna can only stand there looking terrified as her mother buries her head in her shoulder and starts sobbing uncontrollably.​


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Close enough

In the end, Queen Lyssa passively witnesses a ceremony led by Inanna and a member of the Sisterhood to accept Chucaja's submission. The instant it is over, the queen gathers her army and returns to Ganaina. If they anticipate to quickly head out on another glorious campaign, they are sorely mistaken.

Despite the large number of fresh recruits trained by Kriemhild in the queen's absence, the army remains idle. As does their queen. Holed up in her palace, fewer and fewer can say they get to see the monarch. No orders are given, leaving everyone to simply carry on as best they can.

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Amazonia at its greatest size in recent memory. But at what cost?

In Quetzlpan, Calypso's young daughter Calypso II is forced to take on her mother's mantle on her own. An accomplished warrior, she nevertheless finds herself unprepared to rule the far-flung island domain. From Ganaina, it seems she can expect nothing but silence...

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17.07.2033
Heading towards the throne room, Marshal Kriemhild stops to watch the procession of servants moving in and out of it. Roasted capybara, exotic beef and richly marinated fish is brought in. Empty platters and bowls come out.

"At least the queen has got her appetite back," Kriemhild comments to Steward Azu as the lanky woman comes over to her. "Shall we join her?"

"The queen will not be attending the council meeting," Azu says brusquely and guides Kriemhild away from the door. "Don't worry, I'll deal with it."

The marshal looks uncertain, as she follows along. She seems to come to terms with the sudden change and nods: "I suppose Princess Phaedra could lead the council in her mother's place."

"Ah..." Azu pretends she is just now remembering something. "I'm afraid the princess is no longer on the council."

"What?" Intrigue and power struggles just go straight over Kriemhild's martially minded head, meaning this development just leaves her confused. "Then who will be handling the chancellor's duties?"

Azu leads her fellow Amazon into an improvised council chamber and offers Kriemhild a reassuring smile: "My daughter Azu will do her best."​

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Can we please stop naming our children after ourselves? It's hard enough keeping track of everyone as it is...

11.06.2034
"Hey mom, we need to–" Inanna sits hunched over on an ottoman, folded hands dangling down towards to ancient floor between knees spread far apart. She cuts herself short and turns to her younger sisters: "Hey, pay attention. I didn't drag your sorry asses here to get high and stuff your faces!"

Phaedra's reply is just a bored sigh.

"Why did you call us?" Maya might be hedonistic and lazy, but she isn't stupid: "It's not like you would invite me just for a family reunion."

Sitting opposite her daughters on the pleasantly cool pavilion, Queen Lyssa has so far said nothing. Instead she lounges on a sturdy divan, looking at the three women with a fond, but wistful look.

Inanna groans. In her naïveté she had somehow thought her siblings would just play along. She understands that explaining the plan now would immediately expose the illusion of unity between them she seeks to present to their mother.

"Mom... look... I know you're bummed out about..." Even Inanna realizes that opening with a reminder of the death of Lyssa's dear friend might be counterproductive. The very subtle but intense head shake Maya gives her also helps. "What I mean is... you can't forbid us from raiding beyond Amazonia's borders! We've been stuck here with nothing to do for a year! It's... awful!"

Suddenly the big warrior looks very agitated, throwing out her arms in exasperation. Quite the opposite, Phaedra is lying as much as she sitting, sprawled in her seat. Swirling the steaming liquid in her silver cup, she studies it intently – as if it holds all the secrets of the universe. "Speak for yourself," she chuckles, her voice distant, her words slurred.

Since being booted from the council a year ago – and being prevented from raiding by her mother's command – Phaedra seems to have just... given up. Rather than warfare and diplomacy, her companions had become spirit concoctions and the smoking of vision leaves. Left with nothing to do, she had done... nothing.

Inanna looks at her mother and gestures angrily towards Phaedra, as if to show what her overprotective decree has resulted in.

Lyssa tugs absently at her voluminous robe and gives Inanna a patient, sad smile. "You girls need to be careful," she says, as if to a young child. "Being rash could cost us..." Her gaze grows distant. "...everything..."

"Mother..." Maya actually stops eating for a moment, underlining the seriousness of her words. "For the last time: Auntie Callie's death was not your fault. If anything, nothing could have prevented more casualties than what you did."

Inanna grits her teeth, chomping at the bit to tear into her older sister and tell her how she knows nothing of warfare. However, in the interest of advancing her own cause she manages to stay mostly silent.

"And yet it was all for naught..." Lyssa's eyes twinkle with tears, her smile becoming even more melancholy; forlorn. "See? Any moment could be your last. What would happen if you were killed? Who would rule Amazonia after we are gone?"

"Don't talk like that," Maya admonishes her mother gently. "You're not that old."

Lyssa sighs wearily: "If only... every day... my body grows weaker, my limbs heavier..."

"That's because they're fatter," Phaedra quips nonchalantly, too high to watch her words. Not that she is wrong.

Trying to head off another outburst from Inanna, Maya quickly interjects: "Just be patient, sisters. Amazonia is still growing stronger. In the Triad Islands, more and more people accept our ways. And you may not like it, but trade in Pe-acuil is booming. Those stupid foreigners are desperate and accept any price I care to ask, just to avoid facing our spears. Give it a bit more time... right, mother?"

"Time..." Lyssa repeats. That is what she needs. And does not have. Calypso's death forced her to face her own mortality. The subsequent paralysis, inaction and excess have in turn made her sluggish and feeble, reinforcing her own sense of decline. In Lyssa's mind, it is as if she is already dying, old and frail even if she is barely fifty.

In usual Lyssa fashion, the queen's mind seeks a quick solution to her problem. Her own actions – or lack thereof – cannot be responsible for her current state. Even as part of her blames herself for Calypso's death. By the same token, she cannot work to reverse her fate.

"Seriously, you exaggerate so badly, mom. You could easily be mistaken for thirty..." Phaedra dismisses her mother's concerns about her age – her frankness serving up praise as well as blunt insults. True enough, as much as the queen has gotten shockingly fat in her indolence, she still has a quite youthful look about her – though one now marred by melancholy and apathy.

Phaedra takes a big sip of the bitter, but addictive, spirit concoction. "Is all that wine you guzzle down secretly from the Fountain of Youth?" she muses, invoking the quasi-legendary piece of Lost Age technology that is said to have given the Amazons of old eternal life.

"Who knows..." Lyssa says inscrutably. She seems lost in thought once more. Her daughters can only sit by, showing vague disinterest, barely controlled fury and self-interested concern, respectively.

Suddenly the queen motions them over: "Don't just sit there!"

Confused, the three women step over to help their mother to her feet. "What's going on?"

"I shall leave at once!" is Lyssa's only vague reply before she hurries off.​

Slowly lulled into the same sense of complacence as its ruler, Amazonia is shaken when all of a sudden the queen not only leaves her palace for the first time in months, but her realm as well. Accompanied by only a small bodyguard, she sets out to sail up the Amaxon with minimal preparations. In her hurry, she does not seem to think to set things in order before leaving. All she does is tell her steward Azu to "take care of things". Only the queen's daughters know, their mother has all of a sudden left for a mad quest to find the Fountain of Youth...

For the first time in decades, no queen sits on the Throne of Rigg.

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An eternal Lyssa would be an interesting prospect ... but then anything would almost be better than an indolent Lyssa.
 
If she lives too long, how many gnomes will it take to carry her around?

She could always conquer a dwarf hold. They're used to carrying their royalty around on massive, heavy chairs already ;)

That's certainly one way to deal with a midlife crisis. Unfortunately, I know this game well enough to know that quests for immortality tend to go... poorly.
 
Lyssa the eternal does have a good ring to it.
Certainly much better than "Lyssa the One Who Died of Dysentery in the Jungle"! Fingers crossed!

An eternal Lyssa would be an interesting prospect ... but then anything would almost be better than an indolent Lyssa.
It might be nice just lounging around all day but it does not make for the most compelling narrative. Hopefully immortality comes with some extra vigour and initiative!

If she lives too long, how many gnomes will it take to carry her around?
Hmm... hadn't thought of that... hopefully the Fountain of Youth comes with a Personal Trainer of Exercise.
(now I just think of that fat ogre in WHFB who is carried around by gnomes or gobbos or w/e IIRC... plsno :eek:)

She could always conquer a dwarf hold. They're used to carrying their royalty around on massive, heavy chairs already ;)

That's certainly one way to deal with a midlife crisis. Unfortunately, I know this game well enough to know that quests for immortality tend to go... poorly.
Yeeeah I don't have high hopes. Though I suppose, as much as you get attached to your characters it might not be best for the narrative to have them stick around forever. I'll leave it up to RNG to decide if Lyssa is interesting enough to deserve to become immortal ;)


As always, a big thank you to everyone who follows this AAR. I do apologize for having been a bit slow with the updates the last month. In addition to the usual excuses, I find it's hard to write sad/emotional stuff like this. Maybe I empathize too much with my characters (Lyssa didn't deserve to lose her bff like that *sniff* :(). Jolly Lyssa is fun to write; depressed Lyssa just makes me sad too :p Hopefully it's been interesting to have some feels in this piece, at least!
 
Chapter 30
Chapter 30: The Empty Throne

Stretching from Scorpion Coast in the west to Tarantula Coast in the east, Amazonia is at its greatest extent in recent memory. Except for the scattered inland tribes, all Amazons are united under its rule. Both Miyan halflings and Old World humans are also to be found within its borders, wisely submitting to their Amazon betters and working to strengthen the realm.

What is not to be found within Amazonia's borders is a ruler. After months of inactivity and excess, Queen Lyssa suddenly vanished from her palace. Having ruled for almost 35 years, determined to raise Amazonia – and with it, herself – to greatness the queen's absence is immediately felt. However, if nothing else the queen's paralysis after the death of her friend has placed someone in perfect position to fill this void.

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I just learned there's a "Fat" trait, so I had to give it to Lyssa for this picture (if nothing else it does make her look a lot younger)

With her grip on the royal council strengthened, it is only natural for the shrewd steward Azu to keep things together in the queen's absence. She assures the councillors and the matriarchs that their monarch will return soon. It is just like when Lyssa embarked on the great expedition to the East. Only this time there is no redoubtable Jaguar of the Sea to act as regent.

The queen's daughters are unprepared for such a task – and inheritance is obviously out of the question. Even in her absence, Queen Lyssa is Azu's claim to legitimacy and even as the months drag on she cannot accept that she might be dead.

The matriarchs are in no better position: Belyse of Mamazo is a drunken mess, confined to her bed more often than not. At the beginning of 3035, Lyssa's erstwhile rival Tisiphone dies from an infection caused by her blinding at the hands of the High Elves of Ulthuan. Both Tetla and Quetzlpan are thus left with young, inexperienced leaders. Thanks to Queen Lyssa's centralization and concentration of power, this leaves no one strong enough to challenge the jumped-up commoner Azu and her clique.

Perhaps surprisingly, Azu doesn't take the poistion as regent for herself. Instead, once it becomes clear that the queen will not be coming back soon and all other options have been exhausted, the council agrees to appoint her daughter. Azu the Younger might be young, but she is frighteningly intelligent, has taken over the chancellor's duties from the addled princess Phaedra and – most important of all – has her mother's backing.

Steward Azu's background as a commoner might be the reason for her decision to remain the power behind the regency. After all, only her daughters are nobles by birth, according to Queen Lyssa's edict made in return for Azu's backing during the Queen's Trial. Or perhaps she prudently seeks to distance herself from any failures of the new regime... in which case her wisdom is proved sooner than she might like.

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Wait wasn't the last guy leading a vampire revolt in Zarmuda also a Scholar? Suspicious...

As Queen Lyssa had predicted, the vile vampire Louis had indeed fled Amazonia entirely when his plans were foiled five years ago. However, before doing so he had paid a visit to the remaining lunatics hidden in the dank crypts of sunken Zarmuda. Still seeking to resurrect their dead master, Vampire King Charles, and restore his unliving kingdom, the lurking fanatics welcomed the Necrarch's dark gifts.

Perhaps sensing an opportunity, or quite simply happenstance, a few months after the Amazon Queen disappeared the Vampiric Zealots make their move. Once more, the catacombs of Zarmuda disgorge thousands of corpses and lay siege to the small sisterhood outpost still remaining on the otherwise abandoned artificial island.

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Eager to prove herself the equal of her mother, the young Calypso II immediately sets sail to liberate Zarmuda. After all, it is still technically part of her domain, as granted to her mother. Amazon bravery and skill is no match for the sheer number of shambling corpses, however. Reluctantly, Calypso falls back to her ships – her fallen warriors added to the ranks of the dead.

Word of the failed expedition reaches Ganaina, but the custodian of Rigg's empty throne offers no support. The regent and her mother take one look at the reported numbers and forbids marshal Kriemhild from coming to Quetzlpan's aid. Instead they decide to consolidate their forces in the capital.

Desperately, Calypso goes it alone and tries again and again to dislodge the vampiric forces. Just as steadfastly Azu refuses to help. Not only are the enemy numbers formidable, but the ruling clique has their own problems. For all her excess and indolence, Queen Lyssa had been a dominating force in Amazonia for decades. Without her exacting presence, directing the realm's might suddenly seems impossible.

Finding themselves out in the cold, politically speaking, the queen's daughters flat out refuse the regent's call to arms. In Inanna's mind, the cowardly treatment of Calypso II certainly doesn't make her any more well-disposed towards the regency either.

With the redoubtable Tisiphone of Tetla dead and matriarch Belyse a gout-ridden mess, Azu and her daughter have to rely solely on their court allies. Even with Kriemhild's help, amassing the necessary soldiery by themselves is slow going. Realizing their tenuous position, the regency dares not mess with Inanna and Phaedra, but sees an easier target in the Triad Islands.

Despite Maya Anakonda's protests, a harsh campaign is conducted on the three islands, especially Xocibiki with its large foreigner population. At the trading post in Pe-acuil, scrupulously ignored by Queen Lyssa, visitors have their goods and ships confiscated. Old-worlders who have lived under Amazon rule for ten years are accused of conspiring with the necromancers of Zarmuda. Women who have been allowed to live as almost-Amazons are put into servitude to free up more true Amazons for the war effort.

And yet, the number of shieldmaidens brought to Ganaina end up dwarfed by the swell in the undead ranks. By the time a force capable of equalling the initial uprising has been raised the Zarmudan host has doubled in size – nurtured by failed attempts to defeat it.

Regent Azu and her mother are unwilling to risk a failed assault just to show that they are doing something about the situation. From seizing power almost by default upon Queen Lyssa's departure the ruling clique finds their position more and more precarious. A realm united by its queen's successes does not take kindly to inaction and failure.

The grand capital of Amazonia draws in on itself as the regency tries to hold on to power. Spymaster Valli, rival to steward Azu (the Elder), dies under suspicious circumstances. Interestingly, her successor to govern the Easterner fort on Xocibiki is much more agreeable... and also becomes the new spymaster on the council. Uncertainty rules, paralysing the realm even as months become years.


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09.03.2036
"Please, you have to at least consider the possibility..." The chief priestess of Rigg's Shrine implores. The other woman with her in the palisade courtyard ignores her.

With a grunt, Inanna lifts a sturdy pole weighed down by heavy rocks on each end. Quicker than seems humanly possible, she hoists it over her head, holds it and lets it fall. Without pause she picks it back up, repeating the exercise. It is one year since she gave birth to her first child, but it is hardly anything to mention. A male and terribly weak and sickly, young Kåre is more of an embarrassment than anything else. And no matter how far she pushes her exercising she cannot make herself forget it. Forget the additional failure to live up to expectations. The expectations of...

"Your mother has been gone for almost two years," Chief Priestess Tanya reminds the princess. She maintains a careful tone, but has to give up subtlety with this person. "She was – is – a magnificent woman, but if anything has happened to her... you are her heir!"

A weak mewling filters out from the estate around them. The reminder does not make Inanna any more well-disposed towards Tanya's insinuations. Angry she tosses the weighted pole clear across the courtyard as if it were a mere twig.

"I am not stealing my mother's throne!" she growls, turning on Tanya with a face burning with rage.

"The regent can't rule forever!" the priestess pleads, holding up her hands in deference. Seeing the mighty princess like this makes sweat appear on her brow. "We all have to make sacrifices for the glory of Rigg."

"Gah!" Inanna cries, her son's pitiful wails ringing in her ears. She holds her head in her hands, bellowing out her frustrations and inability to think through her thoughts.

Tanya takes a few steps away from the princess, only growing more afraid when Inanna looks up from her hands – wild-eyed and fierce.

"Is that so?" The princess dismisses the priestess with a sweep of her arm as she stomps out of the courtyard. "Well if that is what Rigg wants, she'll have it!"​

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This chapter confirms what we have long suspected -- for all her faults, Lyssa is the glue that holds the realm together, and with her sudden absence everything is starting to come apart at the seams.

Sacrificing your own child... Yikes! Awful cold of Inanna there.
 
Things are not looking good. She may not have been as ... athletic ... recently, as she once was, but clearly the realm misses the ... gravity ... of her presence.

Or something.
 
I've read almost this whole thing in one sitting. I know nothing of Warhammer. But now I want to get this mod and help these poor innocent lizard-folk.
 
This chapter confirms what we have long suspected -- for all her faults, Lyssa is the glue that holds the realm together, and with her sudden absence everything is starting to come apart at the seams.

Sacrificing your own child... Yikes! Awful cold of Inanna there.
Coming apart indeed. Inanna is not taking her mother's absence too well...

Things are not looking good. She may not have been as ... athletic ... recently, as she once was, but clearly the realm misses the ... gravity ... of her presence.

Or something.
Everything did in fact... orbit around her. That sounds fairly diplomatic and impressive, though. I think Lyssa could have tolerated you as a herald or general panegyrist :D

I've read almost this whole thing in one sitting. I know nothing of Warhammer. But now I want to get this mod and help these poor innocent lizard-folk.
It's very heartening to hear this AAR is tolerable enough to (almost) read through in one sitting! Welcome aboard!
I do encourage you to give the mod a try. The latest version is probably a LOT better than the one I'm using. And the poor lizardmen could probably use your help (but don't try to challenge the might of Amazonia! :p )
 
Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Upheaval
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Divided against a seemingly endless undead host whose ranks swell with the bodies of their own sisters. A young regent clinging to power at the behest of her mother. Has Rigg abandoned the Amazons, just as the queen abandoned her throne? It's been two years since Queen Lyssa disappeared on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth, after being confronted by her own mortality following the death of her close friend Calypso of Quetzlpan, the Jaguar of the Sea.

Among those who remain there are no one capable of filling the hole left by the, both literally and figuratively, larger-than-life queen. Her daughters are lost without her: An impulsive berserker, a lethargic addict and an indolent glutton in semi-exile in the Triad Islands.

However, even as mighty Amazonia looks inward, the rest of the world does not stand still. In fact just like the queen-less realm, the world at large seems to descend into anarchy.

Following the shocking assassination of the Witch King himself, Naggaroth collapses into civil war. His mother – and prime suspect for his death – tries to usurp him, but the Dark Elves have only recently been united and the kingdom is fragile. Amid rumours of murder and cavorting with dark gods – darker even than their bloody-handed Khaine – Morathi quickly loses her grip on Naggaroth. Strong princes challenge her for the crown, while the reavers and rangers content themselves with independence. Only her power base of Ghrond remains loyal, along with those whom she has blessed with Nurgle's gift. The rot has spread far, but still the would-be Witch Queen must keep many of her subjects imprisoned to prevent further rebellion.

Whether in an attempt to rally her dark kin or perhaps acting on her pestilent lord's orders, Morathi launches an invasion of Ulthuan amid all this chaos. Time will tell if the reprieve offered by infighting among her rivals will be enough to crush the High Elves once and for all.

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Nurgle's Rot: The sexiest of chaos powers


After being finally expelled from Amazonia by Queen Lyssa, the vile vampire Louis the Necrarch would eventually end up hiding in the lands of his undead rivals, the Von Carsteins. If he believed himself safe to conduct his experiments he had another thing coming, however.

His invasion halted by the Templar Order, his wife dead by their hand, Vlad von Carstein's power over Sylvania has been shaken. Spurred by a massive Greenskin invasion, the oppressed peasants of that bleak land rise up against their vampiric overlords. When word spreads that a village has managed to kill its undead master, the revolts spread like wildfire to the point where even the mighty Vlad seems unable to stop them...

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Quit moping and exsanguinate some peasants, Vlad!
Perhaps feeling the lack of pressure from a disorganized Amazonia, even the Lizardmen fall into intrigue and infighting. Spurred on by whatever motives compel these strange reptiles, mighty domains like Xahutec and Xlahuapec fall into civil war. West of Amazonia, the power of Spektazuma is weakened when a number of the ancient temple city's inhabitants are taken in the night. Whispers say that its iconoclastic chief Xholtenqhex "the Spider" faces retaliation from discontented neighbours and subordinates. The jungles of Lustria do not suffer weakness for long...


In late 2038, a haggard visitor appears in Amazonia. She brings tales of grave injustice and intolerable outrage but finds no help in Ganaina. Only at princess Inanna's court in Nalixo does she find a sympathetic ear: She is Vijaya Sica, matriarch of the Qurveza tribe from far away Axlotl – or so she once was. Her domain is no more, her tribe enslaved by vile corsairs from the East. Her daughters imprisoned as concubines and slaves by filthy men. Only she and a handful of warriors escaped to make the arduous journey north, placing their hope in the legendary Queen of the Amazons. Only through a lack of forethought does Inanna dash their hopes by grumbling that there is no queen to save them.

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Trust me there used to be a non-enslaved Amazon domain along this river

25.05.2039
"You know, if you ever wanted to end this fool's errand... now would be the time. Before we have to leave the ship behind." A sly smile touches the curvaceous Amazon's black lips.

Inanna tightens the strap on her bracer angrily. She pauses in putting on her wargear to growl at her fellow Amazon: "Watch your tongue, Ixchel."

Unfazed, the other woman saunters over, licking her lips as she does so: "Oh you know very well I always pay close attention to what my tongue is doing..."

Colour rises in Inanna's cheeks as she fumbles with her gear. "J-just... don't let our sisters hear you..."

"Oh I assure you, we're quite alone here, my matriarch." Ixchel stops in front of Inanna and cups her chin in her hand.

"You heard what happened in Axlotl," Inanna pleads angrily, her voice tinged with lust. "A whole tribe enslaved by barbarians! I can't stop..."

Stepping in between the other woman's knees, Ixchel embraces her head and cradles it against the gentle curve of her stomach. "Fine... but you can still take a break... here with me."​


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Inanna seduction... make all the snu-snu references you deem necessary



18.06.2039
With everything going on lately, Maya Anakonda did not at all appreciate being rudely awakened in the middle of the night. Blinking in lethargic confusion, she tries to understand why she is suddenly shaking. At first her thoughts stray to the vigorous young man she had enjoyed that evening, but a woman's voice puts pay to that theory.

"Mistress, you have to wake up! Now!"

"Zzzhuh, is it breakfast already?" the queen's daughter mutters without thinking. She realizes it is an unlikely explanation, but the thought sure whets her appetite.

"There's no time!" The servant leaning over Maya stops shaking her awake and lets her highness's form settle down.

No sooner has Maya rolled sluggishly onto her elbow before the servant grabs her other arm and starts to haul her out of the lavish, Easterner-style bed. "We have to go! Now!"

"What's going on??" the princess demands angrily, once she's on her feet – both figuratively and literally. She's never been a very physical woman – there is a reason she failed her initiation ritual and has been stuck here on Xocibiki since. Right now, however, Maya grabs the servant's collar and uses her mass advantage to yank her close.

"Pirates, mistress! They're attacking the town!"

Maya groans and gives the girl an apologetic pat on the shoulder as she releases her. With garrisons pulled back to Ganaina and trade being curtailed by the Regent, discontent had been growing for some time now. Her complaints had fallen on deaf ears – as a disgraced Amazon she was barely tolerated at the best of times... and without her mother around these last couple of years had been far from good.

"Let me talk to them," Maya sighs, perturbed by the effort necessary to do so rather than the impossibility of the task.

"Are you..." The servant catches herself. "Not now! We need to get to the fort!"

As if to emphasize her words, a brick comes sailing through the bedroom window. Through the hole seeps smoke and the smell of burning wood.

"Ugh... can't Olariche handle this.." Maya grumbles, referring to the woman the Regent put in charge of Xocibiki fort following her predecessor's... untimely demise.

"Olariche is... not here, mistress..." the servant says evasively, then starts dragging Maya out of the room. "Come on! No one's going to protect you from the angry mob. Your mother isn't here to save you this time!"​


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When the queen is away, the rebels will play (at sieging)


Note: Apologies for my long absence! I won't make excuses, but if I did it would be all of the usual ones. I have a bit of a buffer so hopefully I can get this thing back on track and update as frequently as I can (given that each chapter takes like forever to write). To anyone who is still onboard with my Amazon shenanigans: BIG thank you!