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Negotiations with The Keshai'i | Age of The Unseated
Venturing into the sandswept terrain of the Empire of Khadim was a long and treacherous journey, spanning countless miles from my homeland within the icy highlands of Vyrrth. The relentless sunlight that bore down upon me was a sharp contrast to the world I had known—snow-laden peaks and dark spruce forests that formed the Vyrran frontier.
I had been dispatched as an escort, tasked with accommodating a local diplomat who was bound for negotiations with a faction of freedom fighters in Khadim. These warriors chose to forsake their previous duties associated with the dominant imperial military force and its prevailing school of thought, known as the Emperor’s Fist. Where the Fist regime enforced the will of their distant and merciless ruler, the splinter group chose another path. Formed from remnants of the imperial ranks, the band of rebels rebranded themselves as the Keshai’i—a name borrowed from the capital state, which they had self-appointed to their militia as both symbol and defiance, declaring their hopes for a future of freedom to be forged from the Empire’s own bones.
Although Khadim’s influence stretched far and wide across the nation, empires of such vast scale cast shadows where authority can begin to fray. Upon our arrival at their outpost—a small, debilitated watchtower on the outskirts of the land—I instructed the diplomat to hang back while I made a first impression, though the fashion in which I was greeted proved to be a mixed bag. It was in this way that I came to realize the Keshai’i are not a unified group; while cooler heads may see the potential value in an alliance with our nation, seeking peace and legitimacy, others are far more protective of the movement and actively seek revenge against Khadim.
As for the faction leader, Nomasir—easily identifiable in all black, sporting striped, claw-like markings on his armour cast in blood—he seemed to desire a show of force: a demonstration of strength and resolve from both sides. To that end, he gave his own people the choice to strike, issuing no direct order of his own, but granting them the freedom to act of their own volition.
Negotiations with The Keshai'i | Age of The Unseated
Venturing into the sandswept terrain of the Empire of Khadim was a long and treacherous journey, spanning countless miles from my homeland within the icy highlands of Vyrrth. The relentless sunlight that bore down upon me was a sharp contrast to the world I had known—snow-laden peaks and dark spruce forests that formed the Vyrran frontier.
I had been dispatched as an escort, tasked with accommodating a local diplomat who was bound for negotiations with a faction of freedom fighters in Khadim. These warriors chose to forsake their previous duties associated with the dominant imperial military force and its prevailing school of thought, known as the Emperor’s Fist. Where the Fist regime enforced the will of their distant and merciless ruler, the splinter group chose another path. Formed from remnants of the imperial ranks, the band of rebels rebranded themselves as the Keshai’i—a name borrowed from the capital state, which they had self-appointed to their militia as both symbol and defiance, declaring their hopes for a future of freedom to be forged from the Empire’s own bones.
Although Khadim’s influence stretched far and wide across the nation, empires of such vast scale cast shadows where authority can begin to fray. Upon our arrival at their outpost—a small, debilitated watchtower on the outskirts of the land—I instructed the diplomat to hang back while I made a first impression, though the fashion in which I was greeted proved to be a mixed bag. It was in this way that I came to realize the Keshai’i are not a unified group; while cooler heads may see the potential value in an alliance with our nation, seeking peace and legitimacy, others are far more protective of the movement and actively seek revenge against Khadim.
As for the faction leader, Nomasir—easily identifiable in all black, sporting striped, claw-like markings on his armour cast in blood—he seemed to desire a show of force: a demonstration of strength and resolve from both sides. To that end, he gave his own people the choice to strike, issuing no direct order of his own, but granting them the freedom to act of their own volition.