Smoothly

The capital city of Oxmaw, the seat of power of House Menon of Efros for over a hundred years since the inception of its dynasty. A huge, sprawling city that housed two hundred and fifty thousand citizens at its peak, it was a city that stood as glory and monument to the prestige and prosperity of Efros long before the coming of its current ruling dynasty.

In its heyday, its wide streets of paved stone would play host to entire trade convoys with snaking lines stretching as far as the eye could see. Hawkers would sell cartloads of goods and services, and a healthy and vibrant citizenry would walk its streets daily in fine silks and cotton with a happy smile on their faces, protected by a strong and dutiful army of brothers-in-arms.

Oxmaw was, as of now, a wreck of a city.

Since the terrible Full Moon Riot that occurred three years ago - widely considered the starting point of the bitter civil war between the two Menon princes - Oxmaw was a dilapidated ruin, much of its streets and walls littered with the smouldering wreckages of houses and other buildings. Its people are a poor and dispirited bunch, abandoned by the Princes supposed to protect them.

And though nominally under the rule of Prince Marlon, the Prince himself was too concerned with being a gloryhound on the battlefield, leaving a corrupt noble named Rihlan Bhashun in charge. An arrogant, condescending prick more concerned with extravagance than anything else, he made use of gangs to keep the citizens in line and extorted many for his own gain.

When the Monster Horde first came, that despair was instantly replaced with fear and horror as Orcs and Goblins walked the streets.

Fear and horror was replaced with bewilderment and shock at the sight of Humans and Elves and Half-Elves comprising the Horde, and their complete and utter lack of pillaging and terrorizing the people as they so often do. Rihlan, the grotesquely obese bastard, tried his hardest to repel the monster horde, but his thugs were no match against battle-hardened veterans.

And as an imbecile completely devoid of common sense, he never truly repaired the ruined gates and walls or installed artillery engines on the ramparts to give himself a fighting chance, as if believing that his city would never be invaded. His own keep was ostentatiously shining like gold, decorated with gold-trimmed furniture and paint and all manner of shiny art that made hundreds of eyes hurt.

With the tyrants gone and their corpses burnt to ash, the people no longer had to live in fear of Rihlan's authoritarian regime, but it also left many feeling uncertain of the new regime taking its place.

And so, a Human male, addressed a very fidgety audience with a loud and crisp voice, having called them to make an announcement.

"People of Oxmaw!" Shouted Ferdinand, "I know you're all confused about what is going on, so I'll get straight to the point: We're occupying this city for good."

Better to go straightforward and bluntly honest in this case, given how fast things had happened.

The people were extremely dispirited and lonesome, afraid and confused, but otherwise never truly raised their voices. Haggard, gaunt and lacking in pride, food and hope, the people of Oxmaw were, at this point, simply **** for anything that could shine light on their lives.

"Some of you may oppose our occupation here, and I get that," Said Ferdinand, "What I can guarantee, however, is that the moment other nobles hear of our occupation of this city, they will march their remaining forces here to take it back from us all."

This time the fearful whispers grow in volume.

"I promise you all, however, that I have a plan in place to get rid of them all without causing damage to the city," Said Ferdinand, "One that will see you free of your tyrants."

"Oh yeah? And what the hell's that supposed to be?"

Ferdinand called out to the voice, "And who may you be?"

"Giancarlo, former Captain of the City Guard," Said a grizzled old man, limping on a cane to support his maimed leg, "Y'said you had a plan to deal with them, so what the hell is it?"

"I can't tell you," Said Ferdinand, "Otherwise, we'll lose the element of surprise."

"And how d'we know you're not another tyrant, eh?" Asked Giancarlo.

"You don't, and we have no guarantee of that," Said Ferdinand, "But I'm not asking for your trust; I'm asking for the benefit of doubt."

"That's still a lot to ask of us," Said Giancarlo.

Kassandra watched from the sidelines, her eyes filled with sadness. She could empathize with the poor people of Oxmaw, being left at the mercy of cruel tyrants who disposed of them like trash.

Just like how their commanding officer - an arrogant noble whose name she never committed to memory - abandoned them without their paycheck or any outstanding job. And yet she also understood that these people could not and would not trust outsiders.

And yet...

"But fine, I'll give ye the benefit of doubt," Said Giancarlo, "Don't make us regret this."

"You won't," Said Ferdinand.

As the crowd dispersed, Kassandra went up to Ferdinand as he descended the platform he stood on, saying, "That seemed... easier than I thought."

"Yeah, but right now they're in no position to oppose us at all," Said Ferdinand, "They don't have weapons, and we hold all the cards here, and they still want to keep their lives."

"Still, we've only one shot at this," Said Kassandra, "Our troops elsewhere are prepared, but for the invited nobles..."

"They won't dare to march their troops in when they see how numerous we are," Said Ferdinand, "And besides, without real power, they have **** but to kowtow to me, even if only to pay lip service."

Kassandra nodded at this.

When the call of invitation was spread throughout Efros, the surviving nobility could scarcely believe their eyes.

For an upstart mercenary - leader of a Monster Horde - to crown himself King of all of Efros was nothing short of preposterous and heretical, a disgrace in the eyes of the Gods. Why serve this mercenary when they should instead serve a true noble with proper breeding befitting of the martial gentry?

But they were **** to survive this changing climate, and with the Monster Horde now in control of Efros, they had to pledge their fealty in order to survive.

Then, they can slowly accumulate power, and when the time is right, reclaim their rightful place in the world and depose this upstart King.

Hence, the nobles agreed to go to Oxmaw with their families to pledge fealty to the new King of Efros.

Iozunk smiled at the snaking train of carriages moving through the gates of Oxmaw, watched carefully by newly-posted sentries atop the walls.

"Poor little things," He said, "As soon as they hear word of a new King being crowned, they come crawling out of the woodwork to get some benefits."

He sighed heavily in faux pity, sipping on a cup of watered-down ale.

"Too bad they don't know how to formulate half a decent scheme; they resemble ignorant kids."

And in the court room, where the nobles - dressed in immaculate and gaudy clothes and surrounded by their elite guards - knelt before the probable King, they gauged Ferdinand before them.

As expected, he was a rather unrefined brute who knew little better than to wildly swing a sword, and who did not know the proper court etiquette. They scoffed quietly in their minds.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have an important announcement to make," Said Ferdinand, "It's time for you to die."

And all at once, the males were slaughtered in an instant, the females subdued with sleeping darts to their skin.

The other women and children were quickly rounded up and taken prisoner, and any male above the age of 12 was killed without mercy. Thusly the nobility of Efros was ended, with no one left to oppose Ferdinand and the Monster Horde.

The first phase was complete.