Private Tales Snakes and Crocodiles

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer

Diyah

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It was the middle of the day, the sun was shining down harshly, only to be filtered by the thick canopy above her. The jungle was a very hospitable place, rich in resources and room, you needed only to know where to find them and how to use them and you were set for life. But only if you were strong enough or fast enough to defeat or outrun those who would hunt you. Lucky for Diyah, very few things hunted her or her people, they were a harsh society, built only for war. Perfect ambush predators, and unmatched in their ferocity. But them being ambush predators, at least the females were, they were better suited to guerilla warfare and assassinations, which is what she was for.

Her people had an ancient enemy, The Apens, a tribe of violent humans who were built like gorillas. They had been at war since time immemorial. And now their enemy was trying to side with a growing kingdom, and secure their help in this war, this could not be allowed to pass, and so she was sent. Diyah, a young and gifted assassin, clad in barely anything and painted from head to toe with red dye.

She watched from her hiding place as the Naga leader and the Apens diplomat met. The diplomat bowed, and his head was cut from his shoulders by a swift, merciless blade of well kept steel, soaked and coated in fish bladder glue to protect from rusting, and it was still sharp. The assassin, the scantily clad woman by the name of Diyah, had succeeded before there wasn’t even a chance for failure, and the diplomat’s guards were quickly felled too, save one who fled to bring news back. She would have followed, if not for being clubbed harshly on the back of the head and collapsing. She had succeeded, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet.
 
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As the Kingdom of Samskaya grew to expand its borders beyond the tamed isle of Nagai that was their homeland, and into the vast, dense canopies of the Ixchel Wilds, it became apparent that their domination of the area would not be so easily done. There were dozens of primitive tribes and clans nestled within the great wilderness, and while some readily knelt before the Scaled King, not all could be coerced so easily.

One of these tribes had called them in for discussions of diplomacy, known as the Aspen. Primitive and savage, Tir'Coatl deemed them, limited by their unfortunate Skinned One bloodline. Still, Naga scouts gave reports of their brutish strength in combat, making them acceptable candidates for an armed Ixchel warband to exert the Naga's influence.

There was mention of conflict with another tribe in the region; the Scaled King presumed the Aspen hoped for an ally in the kingdom, hence the sudden desire for a meeting. Whatever the cause may be, Tir'Coatl saw value in a willing vassal.

The towering Naga warlord met with their diplomat, each flanked by their respective guards. Before there was even a chance for words to be shared, however, the Aspen diplomat's head tumbled to the floor—lifeless, just as the guards moments later.

The Naga immediately fell into a defensive stance, each baring their fanged maws and wicked spears as their eyes fell upon the assassin in question. Tir'Coatl waited for a moment of distraction before lashing out with his tail, coiling it around her legs as he pulled her to the ground before she could run.

"What is the meaning of this, Skinned One? Be quick, my patience shall not be tested." Spears soon found their way pointing towards her, though they made no immediate hostile motion.
 
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With her head Struck against the floor she was dazed momentarily. But she had been trained well enough not to let such things last long, and she quickly recovered. She looked at her captors, snakes, generous, deceitful, and dishonorable were things to describe them, at least to her people. She didn't answer his question immediately, letting his patience be tested in an open show of defiance.

Then she answered, "the meaning? This is simply a demonstration of the politics of the Ixchel. His people will blame you for this. And war is now the only answer. In doing this I ensured my tribe's survival. You were a looming threat, now not so gargantuan are you. This is the meaning, reducing threats."

This was the only answer she gave him. If questioned further, she would further test his patience by waiting several moments before answering. She sheathed her weapons.

He'd see that she wasn't quite the same as the skinned ones, as he called them. Her skin, while smooth, was very leathery and very thick, and shooting forth from her elbows were curved spurs, not unlike a snake's venomous fangs in function. She was barefoot and barely clad in anything. Her hair was long, black and held in thick dreadlocks.

"What about you? What is the meaning of your invasion?"
 
For every moment that passed without an answer, whatever blood had fallen upon Diyah and her blades warmed and sizzled—though not unbearingly painful, it was enough to be a noticeable discomfort. The Scaled King would not be defied by a lowly tribeswoman, certainly not one with the audacity to interrupt a meeting of diplomacy.

"Then the Aspen will be crushed—as have the many tribes that have come before them. Savage peoples of the Wilds are of little threat to Samskaya." The response came swiftly, cloaked in a venomous tone befitting a creature as serpentine as the Naga. The assassin was cunning, he had to admit; orchestrating a war between an enemy and a potential threat would have surely been an excellent strategic move, had the Naga not been one of the targets. "If your tribe's survival was in question due to ones such as the Aspen, then I doubt it is ensured for long. There are many threats lying in waiting, handling them all would be quite the drain of resources and people," the Scaled King added, either an unspoken threat or a hidden offer nestled within his words—it was up to her which she found.

At her questioning, Tir'Coatl took the time to inspect the strange specimen before him. Up close, it was clear that their original assessment of her being a Skinned One was not entirely accurate. Some traits were bizarre compared to the ones they knew of, the woman bearing leathery skin and curved spurs. An oddity, and likely a tribe of them.

A series of hisses and clicks escaped the warlord, an order for his guard to keep an eye for any more of these creatures in the area delivered in the Naga tongue. He would have to ask after his scouts upon his return. Once the order was relayed, Tir'Coatl at last returned his gaze to the assassin and set about answering her. "What is the meaning of any so-called invasion? Our people grow, and so we must expand. Those who wish to join us may bend the knee to Samskaya, and those who stand against us will be brought down to them."
 
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"Then the Aspen will be crushed—as have the many tribes that have come before them. Savage peoples of the Wilds are of little threat to Samskaya." The response came swiftly, cloaked in a venomous tone befitting a creature as serpentine as the Naga. The assassin was cunning, he had to admit; orchestrating a war between an enemy and a potential threat would have surely been an excellent strategic move, had the Naga not been one of the targets. "If your tribe's survival was in question due to ones such as the Aspen, then I doubt it is ensured for long. There are many threats lying in waiting, handling them all would be quite the drain of resources and people," the Scaled King added, either an unspoken threat or a hidden offer nestled within his words—it was up to her which she found.

She began to laugh when he mentioned that her tribe’s survival was not ensured for long. She laughed, sincerely, for several moments before speaking. “Oh, stupid child. The Aspen would never have bent their knee to you, and they are like gorillas, and their skin is thick. You make a grave mistake in underestimating any of the tribes here, you are threat to all of them, so coalition against you is risked. But that would take time. So my superiors told me that your force should needed to be softened up a little before they could be properly consumed. Once your done with the Aspen, which is no easy feat even for organized legions, you will be too weak to press forward any further.”

"What is the meaning of any so-called invasion? Our people grow, and so we must expand. Those who wish to join us may bend the knee to Samskaya, and those who stand against us will be brought down to them."

“And that is precisely why you will find an enemy in the Wilds themselves. Everyone will fight, and we are no Soft-skins. You can threaten us all you like but the fact is, you and your people are in just as much danger as we are.”
 
The Naga warlord remained silent as the creature laughed, undeterred by the blatant disrespect and misplaced confidence on display before him. Tir'Coatl idly circled her while she spoke, as though he were a constrictor preparing his next meal—a massive, trailing tail following behind him. This close, the sheer scale of the Naga became increasingly clear, with the Scaled King standing at nearly double the height of the tribeswoman.

As the assassin finished her remarks, the Scaled King moved to face her once more. "Your superiors possess some cunning, but they are sorely lacking in knowledge. Our homeland was once like yours—fractured, disordered, unruled—and yet it was unified, joined together under a single common banner." The Red Tide, they had taken to calling it. It was what had taken the Tiskuani from being a single clan amongst many to a tribe of rulers, and him as its chieftain to the Scaled King of Samskaya.

"The tribes that joined us experienced power and influence they had never known before, a gift of the Tiskuani. We found they became quite willing to cooperate once they realized the potential our shamans served them." Once again, the blood nearby began to heat and sizzle, crimson wisps of the arcane drifting off them before vanishing moments later. "I would hesitate to consider the people of this land so savage and bloodthirsty that they cannot realize the opportunity before them, one that would vanish should they prove foolish enough to stand against a kingdom dozens of tribes and clans strong."
 
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"The tribes that joined us experienced power and influence they had never known before, a gift of the Tiskuani. We found they became quite willing to cooperate once they realized the potential our shamans served them." Once again, the blood nearby began to heat and sizzle, crimson wisps of the arcane drifting off them before vanishing moments later. "I would hesitate to consider the people of this land so savage and bloodthirsty that they cannot realize the opportunity before them, one that would vanish should they prove foolish enough to stand against a kingdom dozens of tribes and clans strong."

“And it is that precise threat that will assure no one here bends knee to you. Here, any sign of weakness means death, and backing down from a threat means weakness. You will find no tributaries here, only enemies, and you will eventually loose, after all, cut off any part of a snake and the snake dies. However, if you were to offer a mutually beneficial alliance, then someone might listen, but only if you approach on equal footing.” She said to him, not by any means intimidated by his size, against her that would only serve to make him a bigger target.

“So, snake. What do you plan to do next? Throw yourself and your armies against the whole of the Ixchel? Or show some modicum of humility and keep your people alive?”
 
"Our alliances are always mutually beneficial. Should we find one of strength and cunning on par of our own, then it is natural for us to consider them as allies to Samskaya rather than mere tributaries." In fact, it had been a matter of discussion that would've likely been addressed with the Aspen diplomat, given the military strength of the tribe. So long as the tribe believed they were held as equals, they would likely be more than willing to expend a portion of their troops as aid in Samskaya's aid—and in turn, the Naga would assist them with the trade of valued slaves and other exports, along with their own military prowess. "We have already found allies among the Drow that dwell beneath the Ixchel, and their prowess is not to be understated even in comparison to our own."

The Scaled King's reply was unamused, with little sign of care for the idle threat placed against the Naga. "I would hold my tongue on matters I know little of. If you believe the Naga are mindless beasts, blind to the value of strategy and alliance, then you know little of us." Tir'Coatl peered closer at the assassin before continuing, his words coming across more as command then request, "I grow tired of this questioning, and from one who has not even given their name no less. I am the Scaled King of Samskaya, Tir'Coatl. I wish to know who I speak to, and the tribe from which they hail."
 
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“The drow? They are insects, hiding from the world above. Only insects live underground in a colony ruled entirely by women. A few have ventured above, and my tribe has found their meat to be most delicious.” She said with a cackle. “My name I can tell you. My tribe I will not betray. Diyah, I am called.”

She, expertly, twisted in just the right way so that she slipped clean out of the grip holding her ankles, and at the same time flipping to land on her feet. “So what now, snake?”
 
The Naga warlord's head titled ever so slightly at the cackle, peering closer. "Insects have their uses. To cast them aside on the grounds of such a comparison is not the show of knowledge you think it is, Diyah." Though they were Skinned Ones, the drow had proven themselves as worthy allies to the Naga, with blood magic able to nearly rival their own.

As Diyah deftly escaped the grip on her ankles, the nearby guards instinctively tightened their grips on their spears, preparing to bare their teeth in a sudden fight. However, no strike came, and Tir'Coatl maintained the air of stoic calm around him. "Given the Aspen's diplomat is no more thanks to you," he stated, gesturing to the corpses around them, "our original plan is not possible. Instead, it seems we must alter it—After all, a far more interesting opportunity has presented herself before us. A skilled assassin, well-acquainted with the tribes of the land, is a useful thing to have."
 
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"Given the Aspen's diplomat is no more thanks to you," he stated, gesturing to the corpses around them, "our original plan is not possible. Instead, it seems we must alter it—After all, a far more interesting opportunity has presented herself before us. A skilled assassin, well-acquainted with the tribes of the land, is a useful thing to have."

“That depends on whether said assassin can actually be controlled. Here’s my offer. You approach my people as equals, and accept an alliance, and more likely than not, you will have yourself a guide.” She said to him with her arms crossed. “Anything else, and my people will offer to put aside our feud with the aspen to address the bigger threat. The very same threat that just murdered their emissary in cold blood.”

”So what say you, snake? Live, or die?”
 
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"If that is the choice laid before us, then we choose to pursue this alliance. Pointless bloodshed would be an undesirable development, as I'm sure you could agree." The Naga warlord tilted his head ever so slightly downward, a modicum of a bow, though a sign of diplomatic agreement nonetheless.

Though he still doubted whatever tribe Diyah hailed from was truly on any scale comparable to the island-spanning Kingdom of Samskaya, Tir'Coatl had to admit the advantage behind possessing a friendly ally in a new region of their expansion. "We shall make an effort to discuss this prospect of an alliance with your tribe. However, one does not make dealings with a nameless faction. What can you tell us of your people, before we find ourselves as allies and equals?"
 
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"If that is the choice laid before us, then we choose to pursue this alliance. Pointless bloodshed would be an undesirable development, as I'm sure you could agree." The Naga warlord tilted his head ever so slightly downward, a modicum of a bow, though a sign of diplomatic agreement nonetheless.

She returned the bow, “I could. I’m glad we could reach a consensus.”

Though he still doubted whatever tribe Diyah hailed from was truly on any scale comparable to the island-spanning Kingdom of Samskaya, Tir'Coatl had to admit the advantage behind possessing a friendly ally in a new region of their expansion. "We shall make an effort to discuss this prospect of an alliance with your tribe. However, one does not make dealings with a nameless faction. What can you tell us of your people, before we find ourselves as allies and equals?"

“Our tribe is called Crokil, I will tell them that you want to meet with our leaders.” She said with a smile, then with deft swiftness she leapt, and springboarding off of one of the guard’s leveled spears she was outside of the threateningly circle. “I will bring them here tomorrow at noon.”

After that she walked away into the foliage.