Worldbreaking was a terraforming of Arda, that is an undeniable fact. For a century, the mountains, the oceans, the forests and the deserts stopped being features of geography and instead beca the decrees of heroes and magicians. The topic of Worldbreaking has already been written about extensively. I am guilty of that fact too. The ‘why’s’ and the ‘how’s’ of it happening are to be studied so that we do not have to go through another great purging of Divinity. Nevertheless, Divinity is an inherently inwards-focused race. There are so Divines that buck the trend of course, Arascus is one. Kassandora would be another. I would personally classify Fortia and Maisara as outwards facing Divines too, but I am certainly not of that camp. Allasaria is not either. Nor Leona. Nor the vast majority of us.
So the topic of Worldbreaking is left to be studied at those who only wish to study the ways in which Worldbreaking directly connects to them. This is the simplest discussion to have and ultimately, it is the safest. The questions posed by Worldbreaking are obvious, yet they are almost too difficult to fathom.
The obvious one is the Dwarven Highways. At this point, I am certain they are not constructions nor re geographic features of the planet as World-Veins thinking leads to argue. Both of these theories is utterly broken by Worldbreaking and both of these theories seemingly stick their heads into the sand and pretend that a century of continental reshaping did not seem to take place on this world. The question is unfathomable and I have no satisfying answer, nor even the assumption of one. I cannot even being to conceive of an argunt, bar so madness such as “the dwarven highways were accidentally untouched, remained stable and did not collapse as mountain ranges were being redrawn”. How did they survive? No one knows.
Likewise, there is the geographic question too. Worldbreaking shifted the continents yet the continents are not in Chaos. The Sassara has expanded but through the natural process of desertification. There are mineral deposits in Epa of materials which are obviously pre-Worldbreaking Sassaran sands, yet there is no Sassara in Epa. Likewise, the arctic regions are still the arctic regions. Should Worldbreaking not have broken the forests? The Erdely region, for example, should have bamboo growing within it if Worldbreaking was a true rearrangent of Ardan geography. It certainly has ash found from volcanoes in the other side of the world. So thus, we are left with the second unfathomable question: Even though Worldbreaking reshaped Arda, and even though the continents are in fact different in Reconstruction compared to the Age of Heroes, the flora and fauna on those continents has remained largely static. It is as the ground itself were a window and all that humanity did was rearrangent its shape.
Worldbreaking is called Worldbreaking, but the fact of the matter was that it did not break the world. It tried to, we have too many accounts of the ground tearing open to reveal endless depths of magma for it not to be true. Worldbreaking broke the world.
Sothing else kept it together.
- Excerpt from “The Unsolved Mysteries of Arda”, written by Goddess Elassa, of Magic.
Kassandora arrived with Kavaa to the Central Strategy Council conference. Of Health had nothing to do, no orders assigned to her and frankly, Kassandora wanted her to be here. They had spent a week together in Kavaa’s peace, now it was ti to spend so ti together in Kassandora’s elent. Iliyal’s Rilian manor was grand, it was full of life, mainly by maids and servants and staff officers who treated the ancient building as a bunker. And it was close to the frontlines. That was the most important part.
The Central Strategy Council of the Empire: total permanent mbers, Arascus, of Pride, Kassandora, of War and Iliyal Tremali. With Arascus having set sail to the UNN, it was reduced to just two. Iliyal gave Kavaa one slow, long look, a nod, and then settled into his seat after Kassandora sat down. First things first, the Rilian ICDT tower. “I have read the report by Agrita and the other one by Malam.” The forr was a detailed account of everything that went down, a total, amateurish attempt by a Divine who didn’t know what was important, so she wrote everything down. The latter was a paragraph long, Malam could be concise when she wanted to. “Now, yours.”
The elf took off his cap, his blonde hair falling down the back of his black uniform as he leaned forward. “The range of the ICDT is an unsteady one-hundred and eighty kilotres in diater. Elassa has inspected the batteries, she says at the current rate, they should hold for about five years before needing replacent.” He bowed his head. “That is all.”
“Unsteady?” Kassandora asked. Kavaa shifted in her position on the table. The dynamic had shifted entirely from two days ago, Of Health looked as if her leg was about to start tapping when she listened to Iliyal and Kassandora talk. On the table were three maps, all with their own markings. One of southern Rilia, that was the most dense. It was overflowing with lines and counters representing individual divisions, orders that had been handed out, orders that had not been handed out. Planned offensives, defence lines being held, fall-back lines that could be used. Kassandora could read the system imdiately, Iliyal could too. Arascus was on that list. The general staff.
And the list ended there. The system had counterintelligence built in, it was practically another language. If Kassandora wasn’t there to teach how to read the maps, then they would be all put illegible. It had been designed in the Great War, when Helenna’s spies were everywhere and anywhere. Kavaa stared at the map, sighed, then went to the less dense maps of Epa and Arda. Those were just general maps that showed the extent of the Ashfront, the positions of major Divines and the borders of various nations.
“It’s dependent on wind and ash density. Under light conditions, the tower would most likely half a range of a hundred kilotres in all directions.”
“I’ve heard it pulses.” Kassandora said. Iliyal nodded.
“Elassa has assured pulsing is optimal.” He said. “A constant blare would be weaker. Supposedly, the range could be increased if we gave it more ti to build up but the rate of transmutation would get shorter. What we have now is the sweet spot.” Kassandora leaned back on her chair and stared at the map.
“The locations on the map are the locations for the next tower deploynts?” She asked. It was obviously that, Iliyal had picked out the places for six new towers, that would clear all of southern Rilia.
“Indeed.” He said. Kassandora stared in silence at the map of Rilia. Iliyal’s report was the best because it reduced the information down to the bare necessities. They had lost no major Divines, else it would be ntioned, the tower had its range, it was affected by winds and so on. It would not turn off anyti soon. “I have started on helicopter tests in the area, we’re bringing drones by ship soon too Goddess.” Kassandora nodded and looked at Kavaa with pride. This is what a good subordinate looked like.
Kavaa rolled those marvellous grey eyes of hers. “There’s the bigger issue.” She said. “Which is that world atmosphere in general is polluted, you can’t launch from Northern Rilia, Doschia, anywhere.” She looked down at the map of Epa, where a yellow line indicated the range of the ICDT tower’s ward. “That circle may very well be the only place on Arda with clean air and we don’t know if there’s dust in the atmosphere.”
Iliyal bowed his head. “That is true.” He said. “That is where I have held off on.” He looked to Kassandora, then back to the map.
Kassandora saw the problem too. “Epan airspace has to be cleared pre-emptively.” There was no point clearing the sky above the battlefield if they weren’t able to fly to the battlefield in the first place. Kassandora looked at the map, then at Kavaa, then at Iliyal as the realisation suddenly struck her. “Do we have a report on how many crystals Elassa is making daily?”
“Eleven or twelve depending on mood.” Iliyal said. “I firmly believe she can be pushed to triple the number, but it was set by Emperor Arascus.” Kassandora shook her head, that was more than enough. She looked to Kavaa. “Do you see it?”
“Why aren’t we installing them on mountains, lighthouses, skyscrapers and cathedrals?” Kavaa asked dryly, then blew a grey lock that had gotten loose from her brushed her. That happened commonly, Kavaa didn’t actually know how to brush her hair. Kassandora had only noticed when she had to spend a week with her though.
Of War turned to Iliyal. “That is what I was going to say.” Iliyal stared at the map, then at the two Goddesses.
“I didn’t think of that.” He admitted honestly. “They could even go on wind turbines and telephone poles.”
“Or manufacturing could just build steel towers.” Kavaa said, she nodded to the map. “I assu the ICDT is a fort, you don’t need that in Norje, do you?”
“No, we do not.” Kassandora said. She had been thinking of the sa thing, the ICDT towers were a problem but only in their construction. “So Elassa is the actual problem now.” Iliyal pursed his lips.
“Arascus told personally that I should not intervene and hurry her up Goddess.” He looked at Kassandora. “I…” Iliyal trailing off was a rare thing indeed but Kassandora could see it. The man had personal loyalty to her and hierarchical loyalty to Arascus. That latter could even be viewed as following her words as well, how many tis had she told him that Arascus was the ultimate authority in the Empire?
“Speak.”
“I would see it as a breach…” He said carefully. Kavaa looked at Iliyal, her grey eyes puzzled, then at Kassandora.
“I didn’t know he could do that.” She comnted to the elf’s dismay. Iliyal looked as if he was about to crumple under pressure.
“The Emperor values the spirit of the command, not the…” And again, but Kassandora caught on to what he was saying.
“So whereas he did not technically forbid from going to hurry Elassa up, he basically gave the order that she’s not to be stressed.” Kassandora said and Iliyal breathed a sigh of relief.
“That is put better than I could, Goddess.” He said.
“Should I do it then?” Kavaa asked.
“Oh Gods no.” Kassandora said imdiately. She leaned back on her own chair and crossed her arms. Elassa… She had worked with Elassa in the past. Her eyes went down to the map. Fer, Maisara and Fortia were available. Those three would be a fucking disaster though. If there was ever a way to make Elassa leave the Empire, it would be forcing her to work with any of those three. Who did Elassa like?
Well, she liked Anassa. Ana was in Esberia. And… Kassandora supposed her and Elassa had so history. “To cleanse Epa we’ll need...” Kassandora scanned the map. Well, they would need hundreds of crystals easily. Every military airport should have one just for good asure.
Kavaa sumd it up in brilliant fashion. “We’ll need a lot.” She said.
“It’s unknown how effective they are in the fine particles as well.” Iliyal said. “The large matter gets compressed into diamonds.” He gave the perfect out as to why they should not go and harass Elassa right now. It may not even be true but Kassandora chose to believe it. If Arascus had given the no-go on Of Magic, then it should be respected. That was how the Empire kept itself together. “But the trace particulates? The local flight tests need to be completed first.”
“That.” Kassandora pointed her finger at Iliyal. “Is a good point.” She stared at the map. “Right then. Onto the next topic of agenda.” She looked at the new counters on the board. “What is progress on the rebuilt strategic missile corps?”
It was terrible. Kassandora knew it was terrible but no matter how bad she felt about feeling good, she could not stop it. The week with Kavaa had been a pleasant bliss that put her on edge. This was a stressful edge that put her in bliss.
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