Coreas Maras of Arderni

Coreas was born to command. From his teenage years, his education, though well-rounded, was always geared towards assuring his eventual appointment to become an Imperator, the highest ranking military position in Arderni society. He had served as lieutenants to some of the most powerful men and women in his society, taking part on small campaigns and border skirmishes. Though he knew that the Arderni had not fought in a major war in many years, he still managed to learn quite a bit in experience never the less. He had all the tools it was required to succeed in his society: wealth, bravery, status, and a strong family name (the Maras descending from the famous Mara the Whipper, who led all-female raids into the hills securing the first wives and slaves for the Arderni, thus being subsequently deified and having a temple dedicated to her.)

After near ten years of fighting, scouting, and holding minor commands, Coreas was summoned to Peron's Plateau, the governing site of the community. He was ordered into the sea, where we emerged naked, supposedly as their ancestors did, knelt before the council that consisted of all the clans patriarch, there the priests and priestesses from all the different cults anointed him in some oil, incense, or blood from some beast. He was given a whip decorated with gold and iron by his eldest sister, the Priestess of Mara, as this was the cult associated with his dynasty and therefore something of a sponsor for his appointment. The festival took some hours before he was allowed to bathe back at their families immense estate on one of the famous cliffs of Arderni. At long last, Coreas had become the youngest Imperator in several generations. Though the Arderni were at peace, it was a huge promotion. He had no doubt that his father and eldest sister had more than a little influence on the matter, and it definitely helped that his dear uncle Garcus recently held the position until passing away at an orgy roughly a month prior, lucky bugger. Regardless of the nepotism at work, surely there was some merit, Coreas supposed, for his age group he _was_ surely the most viable candidate.

Sometime later, a messenger arrived and the scroll made it's way to Coreas as he slept soundly in his bath. The **** girl, a little thing dusky Coreas didn't immediately recognize, bowed and stepped back, respectfully averting her gaze and awaiting his command. Coreas dried his hands on a cloth and carefully broke the seal, which bore the whip of Mara.

_Imperator Coreas Maras,

It is of the opinion of the Goddess, our beloved ancestor Mara, that her name, her children, and her home has been wickedly befouled by the heathen witches at Karnai. For too long have these godless parasites leeched off the wealth and minds of the surrounding villages. Thus, it is the will of Mara that you shall, at haste, destroy the temple of the false goddess at Karnai and bring an end to all her influence in any matter you see fit. It is commanded.

Your beloved sister,
High Priestess Coraiea Maras
Beloved of Mara_

If the **** girl had looked at Coreas, he would have seen him with a demonic smile for just a moment. The message was a formal command, it bore the seal of a temple, and under his sister's signature the seals of the assembly. The command was legally binding, and since the orders were issued by a High Priestess instead of the assembly, any spoils of war were left to him and his men, and only a token tribute was expected by the issuing temple. The Imperator was familiar with Karnai, it was a fortress temple on a river island just inside the ever-expanding Arderni borderlands. The original inhabitants of the area had all mostly converted, or scattered off when the Arderni armies approached. There had never been any real battle, the area was mostly rural and it's rulers mostly chieftains who were easily bribed and threatened in order to incorporate them into the city-state. The temple at Karnai was considered at the time was considered to be inconsequential, leaving it seemed to appease the locals and it was common practice to simply convert country side temples to match an Arderni god or goddess to reconcile the difference in faith. Even for the more bizarre deities encountered thus far, there was always a matching Arderni in the pantheon to please both parties. A minor name change.

Apparently this was not the case at Karnai.

Like a good strategist, Coreas began to plan. He did so aloud, as he was alone, besides the **** girl who did not really count.

"Five day march, seven on the way back expecting filled carts of loot and slaves. Two companies should suffice, no... three. There is a river crossing. We will need to engineers. Cavalry not necessary, just scouts should suffice. No need for skirmishes either if we are to storm the temple walls. Just heavy infantry. Inside our territory, reinforcements two days march from the garrison at Thuyci. Northern river road cobbled, and besides, it's the dry season: no expectation of delay. Best no to bring a large camp following, distractions aren't..."

He felt his cock shift slightly.

Coreas looked up, the ****-girl had still been respectfully looking at her feet. He considered her form. Young, as were most of the servants. The elder ones were often consigned to support work. She wore a simply cut mauve dress, the purple dye used on a **** dress showed the wealth of the family. She was petite, with a dusky complexion similar to that of a settled desert tribe. Her thick black hair fell in rings past her shoulders, with a simple bronze hairpiece keeping the hair out of her face. Two bronze bracelets matched the collar which supported her dress in the front and back, and also marked her social status. Her eyes were a piercing green, almost yellow. She seemed sad, but confident in her posture.

"Girl."

Her eyes raised, and the **** bowed her head. "Yours to command, master." She had a sharp though thoroughly coherent accent.

"Strong wine and dates. No reason for a goblet, bring the bottle." He watched her form as he moved across the atrium to the kitchen before shifting his relaxed gaze skywards. The moon was at half-crescent, and it was a temperate night. The atriums of Arderni structures possessed no ceilings, and functioned as something of a private courtyard and outdoor bath. The Maras' had constructed their estates on a natural spring, and had piped the hot water to the important structures on the grounds. As a senior member of the family, Coreas enjoyed a private villa and as such, his own staff.

A moment later the **** returned, opened a dark bottle, and set it on a marble impression of a hand protruding from the side of the bath, designed specifically for the purpose. She stepped backwards, awaiting further instructions. After a hearty gulp of the strong wine, Coreas considered the girl.