A Guide to Kingdom Building

Chandea, Year of Severus, 21st, I.R., the 82nd day of Spring, A.R.T.E.R.I.U.S Headquarters, Southern  Arterian Border

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"There had been speculations about that mysterious phenomenon that occurred a few nights ago, when the moon turned crimson, and the hidden moon shone its brightest. The nobles and alchemists believed that it could be a natural phenomenon that is yet to be understood." Arterius wrote over his flickering aetherite lamp. 

It has been weeks since he was assigned to the Southern Arterian Border, a relatively far place from the Great Dunes but could easily intercept any information or ship any weapons they could create or repair. He and his team of researchers had been working their regular research on weaponry and transportation when the unnatural event occurred. 

Prince Arterius, his ward and the other researchers, saw the effects of the crimson moon corroding the aetherium stone before the other bright moon reactivated its shape and enhanced its integrity. Up until now they still don't know exactly how it directly affected everything and they're searching for answers. 

"However, the citizens of Arteria is torn about the idea of a natural phenomenon or supernatural activity. Some of the free religions, say it was an omen from the gods. What kind of omen you say? According to the cult of the moon, Chandara has now awakened her destruction mode, and in a year, the goddess will descend into this land and destroy everything." Arterius shooked his head as he wrote the ridiculous prophecy.

Arterius placed his quill down on the table and sat silently, while reading at the chronicle he wrote. Up until now, he still couldn't determine what happened to them a few nights ago. Regardless of what he chronicled, there was something that occurred that night that he hadn't wrote. 

Recalling what happened, Arterius felt a cold chill down his spine. He remembered how the aetherium ores glowed and shook violently. He chronicled how the aetherium behaved during that time and concluded that the phenomenon could have affected any type of aetherium-based magic at that point. 

Arterius reached for his other notes and drew the symbols he saw on the glowing stone and the lines that glowed on the ground. It seemed like the stones were speaking with the glowing lines. With that idea in mind, he wanted to test if the spiral patterns could affect the stones performance. 

He immediately called out Stolas who was still gathering data about the phenomenon outside the tent. 

"You called for me?" Stolas asked while catching his breath. 

"Indeed." Arterius gestured his ward to come closer as he continued sketching a new design. "Take a look at this inspired design!" He showed his ward the sketch of a new vehicle capable of flight.

"That looks like a ship!" His ward commented. "A ship that has a big bladder on top!" He clicked his tongue.

"I know…" Prince Arterius scratched his head. "It's a bit primitive in design and looks bad on paper, but I think this would work! The bladder, would act as a container of warm air, from the aetherium ore and by using a reinforced flight system, using aetherite alloy, it should work!" He smiled.

Stolas looked at him intently and squinted. "Well, we can take a look at this some other time. Right now, you have other things that needed your attention."

"Like what?" Prince Arterius asked.

"The citizens of the lower cities are looking for answers." Stolas reported. "Answers that the Senate said we, from our group can figure out."

"Who said that?!" Prince Arterius stood up from his chair.

"Apparently, Senator Lucresia and your father did." His ward answered.

"Shit." Prince Arterius smack the table and sat down scratching his head. "What would they want us to say about this?!" He asked his ward.

"Apparently, answers." Stolas sighed. "Answers that could rival that of the cults."

"The cults?" The prince raised an eyebrow. "What about them? Did the citizens of the other cities believe in their wives tales?"

"The senate is concerned that the cults influences might grow into an unstoppable force if we don't give them an answer." Stolas explained.

"Easy for them to say." Prince Arterius sighed. "How many days were we given?"

"Two days and nothing more." Stolas answered, frustrated with how they are being treated.

"Oh…Stolas." Prince Arterius sighed. "I sometimes wish they should've left me in the forge." He chuckled.

Stolas shook his head and smiled. "But, they all know, they can't do it without your brilliance."

Prince Arterius raised his eyebrows, "Is it…hmmm…"

"Indeed." Stolas answered back.

"Well, I'm going to need THAT tea for my brain to function." He said.

"Say no more, my prince." Stolas smiled and went into their chest. "Say no more."

The tea prepared by Stolas had always been amazing; if only it could help him solve some of the problems his father and the Senate had thrown at him. The phenomenon was a mystery for everyone. No one in the history of Arteria and the rest of the living world had experienced such. Could it truly be the mark of the end?

"Impossible and improbable." Prince Arterius scratched his head as he read the history and prophecies of Arteria. "There's nothing here that would give us any idea."

He went to the very beginning once again. Reviewing and reading the story of moon goddesses. "Oyue, the brightest casted her light upon the world and created a powerful shadow that turned into monsters. Some of the shadow had also corrupted humans and turned the world into a wrecking mess. However, due to Chandara's intervention, she sealed the monsters along with her sister. The runes she created flowed into the veins of magic located in the world.

"Runes?" He squinted on the word and recalled the weird patterns dancing inside the swirling lines. "Stolas, can you get me that book on runes."

"By whom? Aeristele?" Stolas asked as he scoured through the mountains of bounded books at the edge of the tent. "Emideus? Tarvant?"

"Nope. Ummm…" Prince Arterius tried to recall the author's name. "Vacitus."

"V-vacitus?!" Stolas looked at him baffled. "That crazy old man who burned himself?!"

"Well, if you know someone else who burned himself after searching some information about the Yldars, then get me that book!" The prince jokingly said.

"Are you out of your mind?" Stolas squinted at him. "No one reads his work! The only reason we preserved his work is because of the stories he compiled about the Yldars. That's it!"

"Maybe, he's not as crazy as we might think." Prince Arterius gestured to him about the book.

His ward sighed and took out the book from the pile.

"Thank you…" Prince Arterius smiled as he took the book from his ward.

He flipped through the pages of the book, reading the different lore and research Vacitus made. He started to read on the invisible lines where magic said to have originated. According to the book, the ley lines were like the veins of the earth where magic flows.

Vacitus wrote of how those magical veins could activate a living organism's magic capacity by mixing its energy with exousia.

"This is what I am talking about!" He pounded his fist on the table. "Stolas! Bring me some ink and sticks. We are going to experiment on this one!" Prince Arterius smiled.

"Are you going to set yourself on fire?" Stolas sarcastically asked.

Prince Arterius squinted at him. "That might be the case."