Chapter 8
Year 87 of the Imperial Calendar
Peace within the Imperial territories of Sadera prevails. Citizens of this Roman-like imperium enjoyed multiple accommodations of this society: accessible water for drinking and bathing from aqueducts; paved roads for trade; a wide varieties of foods from across the Falmartian continent; disciplined legions providing protection from bandits and aggressive barbarians; and so on. Additionally, their politicians with various points-of-view are cooperating each other for the glory of the Saderan Empire.
Subject-wise anyway, achieving glory for their civilization usually involves building architectural marvels of marble/granite to cement a leader's reputation... or acquiring more land of great values through military force or diplomacy of consolidating nearby vassal kingdoms. Evidently, the bygone/conquered or potential tribes and polities against this expanding juggernaut were rather 'sluggish' in developing better tools or tactics to withstand such disciplinary and dogmatic force of humanity. Consequently, the more thoughtful neighbors under pressure by the imperial power peacefully surrendered and thus given lenient terms for prosperity (in exchange of their old independence). Those other cultures that pridefully resisted the legions of Sadera were utterly stamped out and their surviving people were later assimilated into the broader values of this growing imperium... quite often as slaves.
Speaking of institutions for labor exploitation, many different roles are assigned to the enslaved population based upon their various skill sets being self-evident — or lack of such capabilities. Whenever that would be servants of influential philosophers; gladiators for blood sports; housekeepers and teachers for families of wealth and nobility; administrative assistants for officials of the highest level; cooks for the public masses; blacksmiths and tool-makers for maintaining equipment; concubines and courtesans serving the pleasures of their male guests; and so on (let's not forget the dirty business of working in the mines for minerals). Similar to the ancient Roman Empire of all things, several laws and rules were established on the proper treatment for the people under slavery without instigating potential revolts — despite the occasional abuses that a moderate number of masters and slavers did with their 'properties'. The options to become a 'free person' are available to the population in bondage; but such opportunities depend on the multiple mindsets within their would-be patrons to afford said kindness... or not.
Regardless, the brave inhabitants living in sovereign entities bordering the nearby oceans or major rivers (and not under pressure from the growing power-player yet) were not ready to let go of their accustomed autonomy. Hence the naval buildups of seafaring ships for the last several years that would take their precious lives of self-rule to unknown places spoken in speculative legends and ignored rumors. The people planning for these long-distance voyages included the obvious humans from their respective nations or affiliations, dwarven migrants, elvish families, and a number of orc-like clans that were surprisingly tolerant and disciplined for the sake of travel preparations (most likely as results of genetic mutations occurring at a slow pace; ever since their artificially modified ancestors were released into the medieval continent ages ago). Anyhow, the shipbuilding process acquired plenty of construction materials — and magical support from like-minded mages/scholars — for these large vessels to be seaworthy.
Three months later, naval fleets for mass withdrawal out of Falmart/Falmarius were prime and ready. Passengers and crew members went onboard with enough supplies to sustain their oversea voyages; also perhaps more to start their new livelihood somewhere. Several speeches from prominent adventurers (no matter their diverse backgrounds) afterwards, those sailing vessels began moving into the vast oceans for their adventures of the 'unknown.' It's rather surprising that the Empire let these emigration plans go unopposed. To be frank at this point though... the Imperial rulers were more interested in consolidating their territorial gains with laws and infrastructure first than just recklessly resuming more invasions. With no serious opposition from land therefore, the migrating flotillas proceed with their oceanic journey in all direction towards places unfamiliar to them travelers.
Which subsequently took a various number of months for these adventurous ships to arrive onto 'discovered' lands... Well... more like 'rediscoveries/trespasses' of populated areas. One fleet enters the Avion Archipelagoes still ruled by its namesake dynasty; where their cultural integration within their new home amongst the islanders has gone relatively smooth — apart from a few factions that went a little too far in grabbing more real estates than they fairly deserved, which led to isolated conflicts with the perturbed inhabitants. Another naval column of immigrants landed onto the Ork-controlled archipelagoes; in which their... ahem, overall survival didn't last long against the greenskins' savagery in tech and brawn. A different flotilla made landfall on the chaotic areas of Pandora; where almost half of the seaborne newcomers were slain, eaten, and/or enslaved by the notorious denizens/faunas of that landmass (the rest on high alert as they struggle to simply survive the 'hellish' landscape).
Then there's this other fleet reaching the civilized regions of Zerus, which in due course get all apprehended without much fighting and have their eventual fate decided by the Eldar monarchical authorities — although those biologically diverse immigrants should be lucky that they didn't arrive on the perilous regions dominated by competing Zergs... or the evolving folks somewhat aptly named by both their 'cleaner' brethren and themselves as Zerukhais. Speaking of mutant outcasts in mind, reports of material theft in several frontier towns near the Zergoid exclusion zones by those bio-altered exiles continued to be a concern for the kingdom's government. Additionally, there were eyewitness accounts of newer Zerg variants being strangely 'subservient' to the Zerukhais and different weaponry in their hands. Thus, more reconnaissance operation are required for investigating these unsettling developments.
Returning to topic of exodus notwithstanding, the seafaring travelers that landed on floating military and government-owned islands were also in custody and under scrutiny by the personnel manning the sea-steading installations. Depending on the migrants' diverse characteristics at the physical and genetic levels, they could potentially be sent back to Falmarius/Falmart; Pandora; locked up for additional years; or rarely integrated into Eldar society (an exclusive option for elves, nonetheless).
For the flotilla of Falmarian newcomers making landfall on one particular area of Republic-controlled continent however... no resistances were met. In fact, an entire city of nature-inspired designs was opened to them foreigners coming from their medieval-classical 'world' — but the migrants couldn't find many people of this metropolis to be greeted. Overall, the eerie landscape they stumbled upon was in essence a very large 'ghost town'... apart from a number of Eldar individuals who were still living within the presumably abandoned city. Their reasons for staying as told onto the immigrants: sentimentality and nostalgia for the metropolitan area's long history and its culture since the city's first foundation; instead of accepting their federal republic's orders to evacuate the massive metropolis along with the nearby regions. Subsequently, the newcomers' confusion persisted for several days as they settled their new livelihood within the vacant exotic buildings.
At a different perspective however, the Eldar observers were keeping eyes on the unsuspecting community of Falmartian ancestry via orbital satellites, stealth drones, and recon teams. Despite detecting the immigrating fleet months ago, the federal government did not ordered their navy to intercept the incoming diversity of sapient lifeforms — for they had a social experiment in mind that requires the unwitting participation of those new colonists from Falmart/Falmarius; ever since the high-tech humanoids were obviously made aware of the oversea exodus under development in advance. The primary objective for this grand trial of study is to essentially evaluate every difference and similarity from this emerging 'civilization' in comparison to the expanding human imperium and polytheistic cultures on the medieval landmass. Of course, the societal experimentation on federal land has additional cooperation with Terran contemporaries interested in how things will unfold for multiple generations to come — as well as being part of a military coalition for combat emergencies when this long-term assessment turns out to be more urgent than mere disappointment.
As it stands though, the overall Eldar population of the democratic nation were not under any significant source of danger. To be frank furthermore, those living on both elvish countries are the minority to all the other colonists/trailblazers of Eldar-descent in the hundreds of millions that made their own homes within multiple star systems nearby. Conveniently therefore, these point-eared humanoids establishing themselves amongst the stars expressed no worries on the redundant turmoils and controversies only confined to their former homeworld (apart from the more adventurous homo sapiens and/or synthetic equivalents of extra-dimensional origins that were currently exploring the interstellar territories; in addition to the hazards on colonized planets to be careful with for the tech-advanced elves).
Which begs a question about the magic-related planet...
What the heck is going on with those so-called Gods of Falmart after many centuries has passed?
"Salutations, gentlemen. How are you all enjoying your stay on this realm?" said a presumably old man wearing the clothing of a shepherd in the midst of a small field of vegetation at night.
Albeit there were no sheep-like organisms or spiritual believers following this individual — while he greeted a rather surprised scout team of hyper-robotic soldiers in undercover outfits that recognized the unarmed guest.
"...Well," A synthetic subordinate slowly commences, "One might consider the tranquility of this natural environment to be somewhat soothing, oh age-old deity of courage. But..."
"That's enough talking, soldier. I'll take it from here." The group leader of these artificial beings commanded as 'he' meticulously manages a conversation with this deceptively old entity. "Is the well-being of us synthetic lifeforms the sole intention of your visit here, Corus?"
"Heh... being yourselves as mindful progenies of a different ancestral humanity as always; even at the seven hundred tenth anniversary of our cordial armistice between us gods of this world and you man-made exemplars of powerful knowledge elsewhere. With additional respect towards your many associates of ancient Aeldari heritage, naturally. For that first question of yours anyway, it's closer to your sapient minds of metal and electricity instead of your much durable vessels lasting for many centuries and more to come."
"At this evening as it stands evidently, our mental processes for normal comprehensions are all still in tip-top shape. Nevertheless, we are collectively... cynical with the cognitive potential of this continent's people to achieve a prolonged enlightenment of inner progressions and evolving inventions — if ever."
"Well, I certainly cannot deny that every living soul on this divinely-granted realm has not yet developed a firm establishment of ethics for pursuing your incredible arts on both science and technology — in a responsible manner to add. Of course, the ascended pantheon known to virtually everyone here are quite stringent on how far the mortal pursuit for such powerful concepts and machineries will go... whether there are concerns of their faithful stop believing us deities or something much worst beyond utter self-destruction."
"Duly noted, sir. In any regards, we'll keep our minds open on this expanding empire of Sadera and its reputation."
"Hmm, certainly so. It's too early to judge this growing human-based society on Falmart. Time will tell if the Saderan Empire shall either culminate into a civilized beacon of great merits... or a disappointing hub of mortal sins that you fellows could suspect."
"Something we could both agree in, god of courage. Well then, time for us sapient machines to depart for a different area of undercover survey. Goodnight for now."
Like so, the clandestine unit visibly disappears into the flora background thru their use of active camouflage tech.
"Heh... quite a melancholic party those synthetic realists are."
A/N: Yep, that 'old' shepherd is an expy of the fanfic character from "The Janus Campaign" adaptation authored by Kiyone4ever/KiMaSa. Credit goes to that story-writer. Likewise, feedback for any historical 'inaccuracy' and other subjects will be appreciated.
