[CONFLICT] The Old Nord Way...

[u/cthulhuh00p]

Zizi arrives in Ivarstead, just days after her diplomat was murdered. She calls from atop a hill, "Torygg! Come face me! You shall duel me in the way of your people. No weapons, no magic, no Thu'um. This is to be a fair fight. If you win, my soldiers will leave the Rift. If I win, the Rift shall become a legal part of the Republic."

As she finishes speaking, her guards back away, and she waits patiently for Torygg to come face here.

[u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Mita Direnni materializes in Ivarstead, having gone ahead of Endrys. Her spear stands tall, her face is painted with the omens, but even the thick paint could not hide the green tinges of her face from the teleportation, the process of being ripped from somewhere and placed somewhere else was nauseating.

Her glass armor gleams in the pale winter sun as she surveys what has transpired. Torygg, bloody and bruised and Zizi, fur matted with blood and patches missing in some places...

Mita begins to laugh, spotting her Breton friend as her mage arrives. "What is this?" She exclaims between giggles. The world had gone mad.

/u/mewtwo928

/u/thewildryanoceros

[u/JocundXarxes → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

Endrys materializes alongside her, eyes wide and his head spinning. It wasn't his first time, but he hadn't teleported in ages. As his system regulated, he looks out at the mess of blood between the two leaders.

Endrys hoped it would be the only blood he had to see that day; he felt odd in his stomach, and not from the magics. His mind seemed elsewhere, though he rallied his spirits the best he could. Endrys had to make sure Mita didn't get herself, or anyone else, killed today.

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/JocundXarxes]

Mita gives her King an emotionless look before acting upon her own accord and advancing to the cat, bloodied and beaten.

The Dunmer removes her helm, a truly ugly thing in her opinion, and bows to the sovereign.

"What am I charged with, dearest Zizi? Sovereign of White-Gold, daughter of Titus and..." Mita blanks, "Some cat," she dismissively decides, a petty jab, but it bit nonetheless. "I know that you know what I have done. If I find that your charges are fair, I will submit to justice. If I don't, I will deliver justice. I am a being of reason."

Her red eyes test the woman, a smug smirk plastering her face as looks down upon a pained face in the light blanket of snow.

/u/cthulhuh00p

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"This is no trial. You will be held and tried for your crimes against this world by the neutral justors of the Intransigent Assembly. May S'rendarr have mercy on you when you do...."

[u/mewtwo928 → u/cthulhuh00p]

"Do not harm her," said the disembodied voice coming from the mist. She would certainly know who it was. "No one should die here.'

"This was a fight most unfair," Lysayna said. "You have brought this on yourselves."

Two Mage were here. Aryon, having transported with Endrys. And Sethan Velothan, his wrinkled bony hand emerging from robes that floated over the ground. The Telvanni were interested to see how this played out

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/mewtwo928]

Mita wonders if he refers to her or Zizi.

"Oh, the cheek! The influence of the Ruby Fool is strong, I can see. I was here to see what you'd come up with. Certainly, I thought, you'd have something..."

"As for the assembly, which is headed by my friend, Endrys, a man who is famous for his mercy in regards to my antics-- do you really think the Assembly will exist after you acquire more territory? How long before you claim I'm Nibenese and take my home? You sat and spoke of peace at a table and then you invade a country."

"Your army could double and it wouldn't be able to an entire world against you. I beg of you to save yourself the burden of regret, to save yourself the fatigue of redemption; go home Zizi. Go home and I will submit myself to higher forces, House Hlaalu will pay to rebuild Riften once you surrender it, and we avoid war. I give you this one chance."

/u/cthulhuh00p

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"If the Rift becomes an independent territory, free of all political control of power hungry nations, and you agree to submit yourself for justice, I will withdraw my troops. Nibenay will continue economic aid to the hold, obviously, but we will extend no formal political power over it. But I am quite sure that the warmongering Torygg will not allow such a peace."

/u/thewildryanoceros

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

"Warmongering?" Mita scoffs, her grip beginning to tighten around her spear, "You started this. You decided to use airships to rain fire upon Windhelm..."

"And you," she perched an accusing finger to Endrys, "I cannot make my mind up about you. I could've just had my head lopped off that day and we'd save ourselves trouble."

Her eyes narrow at the unwell man, "Mora said you smiled when they left too. This is on you as much as it is on the Republic."

"Making Riften an independent nation?" Mita laughs, "How would it support itself? Anyone can see that is a bad idea, if anything, it'll just become a puppet state, despite the fact you say otherwise. I. Don't. Believe. You. Riften returns to Skyrim, and the Nibenese Republic will be required to demilitarize and a restriction will be placed on your standing army in order for me to agree. I do love life, dearest Zizi. Very much so. If I'm to die, it won't be because some pompous carpet thought she could fool me."

/u/thewildryanoceros

/u/JocundXarxes

[u/thewildryanoceros → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

The High King nods his agreement, and says, "We ought return to the status quo. To the way things were before your foolish invasion."

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"You purport to be reasonable, yet you scoff at the very idea of negotiations. If you refused to be reasonable, then this standoff shall continue. We will not leave until the safety of the Rift is secured."

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

"What can you offer the people of the Rift that Skyrim cannot?" Mita perches an eyebrow. "I was once the leader of an independent, small state just like the Rift-- underdeveloped, with few resources, no infrastructure, and teeming with corruption. It served my people no good to split from Resdayn proper, besides the fact it showed Endrys I could do it."

"You do a great disservice to these people. It is truly sad that you cannot see what is before you and look into the recent past and find fault with it."

[u/cthulhuh00p → u/thesixwalkingfarts]

"Skyrim has done nothing but impose harsh taxes and harsher laws upon the people of the Rift. They have never helped the people of the Rift. As an independent nation, the Rift would be free from both of these, and Skyrim could still provide economic support, while Nibenay does the same. This option is best for the people of the Rift. Hell, if the Rift is released as an independent nation, I will ensure that my army is reduced by three quarters, as a symbol of good faith."

/u/thewildryanoceros

[I understand that your character is a shithead, but I want to let y'all know out of character that I'm seriously not trying to take control. Zizi's heart is set on freeing people from injustice. Which sometimes requires a flex of the military muscles, like in Stormhold. But once this engagement is over, I'm planning on splitting Nibenay up into three or four separate nations.]

[u/mewtwo928 → u/cthulhuh00p]

"King Torygg," queries Lysana, "what would you have done if she'd asked you to negotiate rather than what happened? What would you have said if she'd offered to help the people of the rift or begged you to help them?"

/u/thewildryanoceros

[u/thewildryanoceros → u/cthulhuh00p]

"I care not for the size of your army. Riften is a part of Skyrim. And if you knew anything about the governance of our land, you would know it is he Jarl, not the High King, that imposes taxes. For instance, the hold of Haafingar is entirely tax free. Economic matters lie with the Jarls, as the control direct governance."

[u/thesixwalkingfarts → u/cthulhuh00p]

[you good, like you said, my characters a shit head and she's going to get what's coming to her quite soon]

"You know my conditions," Mita sneers, "The army will be reduced regardless of any choices made today."